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Thunder @ Los Angeles Lakers preview (Game 79 of 82)

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16, 1st in the West) @ Los Angeles Lakers (50-28, 4th in the West)
When: Tuesday, 07 April 2026 at 9:30pm CST
Where: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA
TV: FDSN-OK
Offensive Rating: LAL: 117.1 (9th) / OKC: 117.6 (7th)
Defensive Rating: LAL: 116.0 (20th) / OKC: 106.0 (1st)
Net Rating: LAL: 1.2 (16th) / OKC: 11.6 (1st)
Current Streaks: LAL: Losers of 2 straight, but had won 13 of their previous 14 games / OKC: Winners of 5 straight
Magic Number (to clinch the No. 1 seed throughout the playoffs): 2

The Tip-Off

In my honest opinion, this is the most dangerous time in the season for a contending team. The thin line between resting players and keeping them sharp by playing in sometimes meaningless games leads to the possibility of fatigue and, worst of all, injuries. The Lakers experienced that twice in one game, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves being knocked of the Thunder game (and the rest of the regular season and likely part or all of the postseason) with soft-tissue injuries. San Antonio saw Victor Wembanyama go down in their last game with a rib injury. Regardless of the severity of the injury, rib injuries have a tendency to creep back up, especially with the increased physicality of playoff games. This is why wrapping up your playoff positioning as early as possible is so important.

This is the fourth and final meeting of the regular season between the Thunder and Lakers. The Thunder have won the first three meetings this season by an average of 27 points.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

Line: OKC -18.5
O/U: 220.5

Injury Report

OKC

Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring injury management)

LAL

Luka Doncic – OUT (hamstring)
LeBron James – OUT (foot)
Austin Reaves – OUT (oblique)
Marcus Smart – OUT (ankle)

Three Big Things

Take Care of Business – With a magic number of 2, the Thunder could go ahead and wrap up home-court advantage for the playoffs by the end of the day on Wednesday. But the games still need to be played and the Thunder face a Lakers team that is very depleted, but very desperate. The Lakers will likely come out like a wounded animal, looking to not only seek some revenge on the Thunder, but also regain their grip on the 3rd seed in the West. The Thunder will need to come out early, play their game, and not give LA any form of hope.
Depth – The Thunder have it. The Lakers currently do not. This is where the game can go from a deficit to a blow-out for the Lakers. Los Angeles will have to contend with one of the best starting line-ups in the league, and then will have to match that against one of the best/deepest benches in the league.
Attack the Paint – The key to the blowout victory on April 2nd wasn’t the three-pointers or the injuries to Reaves and Doncic. It was OKC’s ability to get into the paint and then cause havoc once there by either scoring or spraying the ball out to open shooters. The Thunder scored 64 points in the paint. Their season average for points in the paint is 49.5 (good for 17th in the league). With the lack of rim protection and with Marcus Smart still being out, this may be another paint-touch mastery class in the making.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Thunder preview (Game 77 of 82)

Posted on April 2, 2026 by Alex Roig

Los Angeles Lakers (50-26, 3rd in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (60-16, 1st in the West)
When: Thursday, 02 April 2026 at 8:30pm CST
Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
TV: Prime Video
Offensive Rating: LAL: 117.4 (7th) / OKC: 117.1 (8th)
Defensive Rating: LAL: 115.5 (20th) / OKC: 106.3 (1st)
Net Rating: LAL: 1.9 (14th) / OKC: 10.9 (1st)
Current Streaks: LAL: Winners of 4 in a row and 13 of their last 14 games / OKC: Winners of 3 in a row and 15 of their last 16
Magic Number (to clinch the No. 1 seed throughout the playoffs): 5

The Tip-Off

The cream is really rising to the top here in the Western Conference. The top four teams are all currently riding the following 10-game runs: OKC: 9-1, SA: 10-0, LAL: 9-1, and DEN: 8-2. In addition, OKC, LA, and DEN are all at the healthiest they’ve been all season. Hopefully this run of health continues, as the West playoffs are going to be historic if everyone plays at full strength.

This is the 3rd of 4 meetings this season between the Thunder and Lakers. OKC blew the Lakers out in their first meeting in Los Angeles, 121-92, in a game that saw Cason Wallace completely dominate defensively and saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander go for 30 points and 9 assists. Their second meeting was a more tightly contested game that OKC won 119-110. OKC was without SGA in that game (and LA was without Luka Doncic) and seven players scored in double digits, led by Jalen Williams with 23 points.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

Line: OKC -9
O/U: 231.5

Injury Report

OKC

Alex Caruso – Questionable (illness)
Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)

LAL

Marcus Smart – OUT (ankle)

Three Big Things

Defend, While Not Fouling – Interesting find when looking at stats: Los Angeles DOESN’T lead the league in free throw attempts. That honor belongs to (wait for it…) the Orlando Magic (????). The Lakers are that team that features three offensive engines in Luka, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves that each kind of play the same way where if a play is breaking down, they can drive to the basket and create contact to initiate a foul call or two….or twenty. I don’t necessarily subscribe to the idea that this overtly benefits them because the Thunder have a player or two that play the same way. With that said, it’s my hope that the officials tonight call the game evenly and don’t subscribe to any “agenda-based” narratives.
Attack The Paint – The Lakers aren’t necessarily known for their stellar interior defense. They are 20th in the league in Opponent Points in the Paint, allowing 51.7 points per game and 22nd in blocks, at only 4.3 per game. SGA, Dub, and Ajay Mitchell should be hunting the favorable match-ups on the perimeter, especially with Marcus Smart being out, and getting automatic paint touches throughout the game. Isaiah Joe has had a big impact in the previous two Lakers games and that should be a recurring theme in this game, if those paint touches yield open threes.
MVP Matchup – While Doncic has seemingly fallen out of the race for the MVP, there is still going to be a very loud minority that yells for him to be MVP. And in most seasons, they would have a case. But this year, with SGA’s consistent excellence throughout the year and Victor Wembanyama’s emergence, Luka’s defensive struggles early in the season have pushed him behind the pace car. But that doesn’t mean that tonight’s game won’t be a fun matchup. Luka vs. the Thunder’s perimeter defender is always a chess match. And SGA looking to solidify his hold on the MVP after Wemby had another amazing night last night. In recent years, the schedule for April has rarely yielded any games of consequence. But this year, every game has been important, not just for seeding purposes, but also for MVP debate purposes.

Thunder @ Golden State Warriors preview (Game 22 of 82)

Posted on December 2, 2025 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (20-1, 1st in the West) @ Golden State Warriors (11-10, 8th in the West)
When: Tuesday, 02 December 2025 at 10:00pm CST
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Offensive Rating: GSW: 113.0 (23rd) / OKC: 118.9 (5th)
Defensive Rating: GSW: 111.8 (7th) / OKC: 103.6 (1st)
Net Rating: GSW: 1.3 (16th) / OKC: 15.3 (1st)

The Set-Up

Four years ago today, the Oklahoma City Thunder traveled to Memphis to face the Grizzlies, who were going to be without Ja Morant. The Thunder were also going to be without two of their best players in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. The Grizzlies were favored to win, as the Thunder were in the midst of a rebuild. As they say, there are professionals on both teams. The outcome of the game, though, was anything but professional. The Thunder came out flat, dug themselves in a hole, got tossed some shovels, and kept on digging. To the tune of a record 73-point drubbing, 152-79. SGA, Aaron Wiggins, and Kenrich Williams saw that game from the sidelines. Lu Dort played in that game and was the leading scorer for OKC. Four years later, the Thunder (and those same four players) sit on top of the basketball world with teams scared they may be in the midst of a dynastic run. As Shai’s favorite rapper, Drake, would say, “Started from the bottom, now we’re here…”

This is the 2nd of 4 meetings this season between the Thunder and Warriors. OKC won the first game in resounding fashion, 126-102, in a game that saw Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler combine to score just 23 points on 38% shooting from the field and 17% shooting from 3. For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points and dished out 11 assists, while Chet Holmgren tallied 23 points to go along with 11 rebounds.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

Line: OKC -12
O/U: 222.5

Injury Report

OKC

Alex Caruso – OUT (quad)
Lu Dort – OUT (adductor strain)
Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf strain)
Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)

GSW

Jimmy Butler – Questionable (glute)
Stephen Curry – OUT (quad)
Draymond Green – Probable (foot sprain)
Al Horford – OUT (back)
Trayce Jackson-Davis – Questionable (knee)
De’Anthony Melton – OUT (knee)
Alex Toohey – OUT (knee)

Three Big Things

Causing turnovers – For as great the Warriors have been through the years on the offensive end, their Achilles heel has always been their propensity to commit turnovers. That is no different this season. Golden State turns the ball over 16.2 times a game, which is 5th worst in the league. On the other end of the spectrum, OKC creates the most turnovers and leads the league in points off turnovers.
Three-Point Shooting – If I were to ask who do you think has a higher 3pt percentage between OKC and Golden State, the likely answer would be Golden State. In reality, it’s actually OKC. Not by much, but still, very surprising. The Warriors still lead the league in 3-pointers made per game. With Stephen Curry out, the onus to make threes will fall on Moses Moody (39.2% on 6.6 attempts), Brandin Podziemski (38.6% on 4.8 attempts), and Buddy Hield (30.8% on 4.3 attempts). Hield is having a down year, but can catch fire in an instant.
History in the making – In his last game against the Portland Trailblazers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander checked back into the game with 5:53 left in the 4th quarter. He had 16 points and was in jeopardy of losing his consecutive game streak of scoring 20 or more points in a game. With 4:18 left, he finally got loose for a difficult 17-foot fallaway jumper. Then with 2:30 left, SGA hit a 14-foot middy, off an assist from Jalen Williams. Whew! Crisis averted. And in sole possession of 2nd place with 93 consecutive games of scoring 20 points or more. The next target is the record of 126 games. And for anyone that wants to talk mess or downplay that consistency, just know that LeBron James currently holds the record for consecutive games scoring at least 10 points or more in NBA history with 1,297 games and counting. And during that time, LeBron has stayed in games while injured just to collect the necessary points to keep the streak going. Even last night, as the Lakers were getting blown out by the Suns, LeBron stayed in the game long enough to notch his 10th point and then was pulled a minute later late in the 4th quarter.

Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Series Preview – NBA Finals

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Alex Roig

Schedule

Game 1 – June 5th, 2025 @ 7:30pm CST at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
Game 2 – June 8th, 2025 @ 7:00pm CST at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
Game 3 – June 11th, 2025 @ 7:30pm CST at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
Game 4 – June 13th, 2025 @ 7:30pm CST at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
*Game 5 – June 16th, 2025 @ 7:30pm CST at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
*Game 6 – June 19th, 2025 @ 7:30pm CST at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
*Game 7 – June 22nd, 2025 @ 7:00pm CST at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK* – * * – If necessary

Quick Stats (Playoffs)

Offensive Rating – IND: 117.7 (2nd) / OKC: 115.9 (3rd)
Defensive Rating – IND: 113.6 (9th) / OKC: 104.7 (1st)
Net Rating – IND: 4.1 (4th) / OKC: 11.2 (2nd)

The Set-Up

Let’s be honest: if you marked this Finals match-up down in October 2024, then your phone number probably either starts with a 405 area code or a 317 area code. I’m sure a lot of people will tell you that an NBA Finals without LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic, or Steph Curry will be bad for the league. I’m sure they’ll wax poetic about superteams and dynasties of yore. They may even try to convince that these Finals will be the least watched finals ever. But don’t listen to them.

Every crop of superstars has to eventually meet it’s end. That LeBron and Curry have pushed their reigns out so far has been nothing short of impressive. Kudos to them for showing a new crop of stars how to take care of their bodies and push the bounds of longevity. But one era has to finish for another one to begin. And that is what these Finals may be representing. One, not necessarily built by superteams, but by team depth. One, not necessarily focused on the heliocentricity of one player, but on the ability to have five players on the court be 5-tool players. One, where the most important guy in the organization may not be the league MVP, but the league’s Executive of the Year.

Teams are being built differently now, and this may be the first view of how the NBA will look like under the new CBA. And there will be moans and groans about how great things were in the past. But, yet, somehow, someway, the league continues to grow. The social media hits continue to climb. The game crosses more and more boundaries as it continues to battle futbol (no, not football) as a truly global game. Soccer remains king throughout the world, but basketball continues to lie in wait as the prince that was promised. As the NBA landscape changes, these two teams, the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, are the teams that will usher basketball into this new era. You may be watching the next great dynasty unfold before your eyes.

Regular Season Series

Game 1 – Dec. 26th, 2024 – Thunder win 120-114 in Indianapolis, IN – SGA scores a then career-high 45 points as Lu Dort and the Thunder defense holds Tyrese Haliburton to 4 points on 6 FG attempts. Isaiah Hartenstein pitched in with an 11 point, 13 rebound double-double and Jalen Williams added in 20 points.

Game 2 – Mar. 29th, 2024 – Thunder win 132-111 in Oklahoma City, OK – OKC outscores the Pacers by 20 points combined in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and uses that cushion to cruise to victory. SGA scores 33 points and get big time contributions from Luguentz Dort (22 points on 6/7 shooting from deep) and Isaiah Joe (19 points on 5/7 shooting from deep).

Three Big Things

1. Twins? – These two teams are definitely not identical twins. But they could be classified as fraternal twins with how similar they are. Here are just a few stats that show how similar these two teams are: After January 1st, 2025, the Pacers (33) and Thunder (41) had the most wins in the league during that time. They both have a 12-4 record in the playoffs heading into the Finals. They are No. 2 and 3 in points per game in the playoffs, being separated by only 0.3 of a point. They are No. 1 and 2 in pace in the playoffs. They are 1 and 2 in points off turnovers. They are No. 1 and 3 in fastbreak points. They both get back on defense, being No. 1 and 2 on both Opponent Points off Turnovers and Opponent Fastbreak Points. It’s scary how similar these teams are, statistically.

2. SGA – The biggest difference is that one team boasts the league MVP and the other doesn’t. SGA has been playing some of his best basketball these last few weeks. While he may have started off slow in the first few games of the playoffs, he has picked it up when it has mattered most, scoring 30 or more points in 11 of his last 14 games. Teams have used various schemes to try to stop SGA, but it has been all for naught. In the two regular season games this season, SGA has averaged 39 against Indiana.

3. Living in the Corner – Indiana’s offense in these playoffs has not just been predicated on Haliburton’s floor generalship, but also on the shooters making corner 3’s. Indiana has shot an amazing 46.9% on 9.2 attempts these playoffs. That is up from 40.6% during the regular season. A 16-game sample size is big enough to assume that it can continue for the Pacers in the finals. But if they revert back to their regular season norms, the Pacers could be in trouble.

Western Conference Play-In Preview

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Alex Roig

Last season, the play-in tournament had huge significance for the Oklahoma City Thunder because they were in it. The 40-42 Thunder went into the play-in as the 10th seed, facing the New Orleans Pelicans in the 9/10 match-up. The good guys won a close game, 123-118, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Lu Dort combined to score 90 points. Next up, they faced the loser of the 7/8 match-up, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The size of Minnesota overwhelmed the Thunder and they bowed out of the tournament after a 120-95 loss.

Fast forward nearly a year later, and the play-in tournament this season still has huge significance for the Thunder…but for different reasons. Instead of being participants, the Thunder are now at the top of the West, waiting to see who they will face in the first round. Here’s a look at the two play-in games and how the teams in them match-up against themselves.

Game 1 (7/8 match-up) – Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans

When: Tuesday, 16 April 2024 at 6:30pm CST
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA

Season Series: Lakers won the season series 3-1

Dec. 7th – 133-89 (Los Angeles)
Dec. 31st – 129-109 (New Orleans)
Feb. 9th – 139-122 (Los Angeles)
Apr. 14th – 124-118 (Los Angeles)

The Set-Up

It may not seem like it, but this match-up has been brewing for a while now. If you remember back to the In-Season Tournament semi-finals in December, LeBron James and the Lakers completely embarrassed Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans. The reactions after this game were peak “does Zion even care?” and “does Zion want to play in New Orleans?”. Since that game, though, Williamson has taken it upon himself to get into better shape and to add more wrinkles to his game (point Zion). The Pelicans put together a good run in the second half of the season, but fell apart a little at the end due to Brandon Ingram’s injury. Ingram returned for the season finale against the Lakers, but the Pelicans lost and they plummeted to the 7th seed behind Phoenix.

Game 2 (9/10 match-up) – Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings

When: Tuesday, 16 April 2024 at 9:00pm CST
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA

Season Series: Series tied 2-2, but Sacramento won the tie-breaker due to a better division record

Oct. 27th – 122-114 (Golden State)
Nov. 1st – 102-101 (Golden State)
Nov. 28th – 124-123 (Sacramento)
Jan. 25th – 134-133 (Sacramento)

The Set-Up

The NBA has to be salivating with these West play-in games. Not only did the Warriors and Kings match-up in one of the more memorable series in last season’s playoffs, but they’ve also had 3 consecutive meetings this year decided by one point. This game is literally “win or go home”. Does this game put the final nail in the Warriors’ coffin? Or does Sacramento go into an offseason with a plethora of questions after seemingly being on the path to contention? Whatever the result, it definitely makes for must-see TV. You can bet the Thunder will be watching.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Thunder preview (Game 81 of 82)

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Alex Roig

Milwaukee Bucks (49-31, 2nd in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (55-25, 3rd in the West)
When: Friday, 12 April 2024 at 7:00pm CST
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Offensive Rating – MIL: 118.0 (5th) / OKC: 118.1 (4th)
Defensive Rating – MIL: 114.9 (18th) / OKC: 111.5 (4th)
Net Rating – MIL: 3.2 (8th) / OKC: 6.6 (2nd)

The Set-Up

The Play-In tournament is working. Even though the post-season participants have been known for a while now, the positioning of the majority of those teams is still in the air. And that makes games in April matter. Whether it’s trying to avoid the 9/10 game or trying to avoid the play-in games altogether, most teams are still playing with fervor with 1-2 games left to play. That was basically unheard of in years past. April games were very similar to summer league games, where NBA hopefuls and team developmental players would get their opportunity to shine. Now we are still seeing guys like LeBron and Steph battle it out trying to move up out of the 9/10 game. It makes for a fun 82-game season, instead of the usual 75-game season plus 7-game G-League showcase at the end of the season.

This is the 2nd and final meeting of the season between these two teams. The Thunder were soundly defeated by the Bucks in late March by a score of 118-93. A game in which the Thunder likely played their worst third quarter of the season, getting outscored 34-17 and shooting just 24% from the field for those 12 minutes.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -14.5
O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

Josh Giddey (hip) – Questionable

MIL

Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) – OUT
AJ Green (ankle) – OUT
Damian Lillard (adductor) – OUT

Three Big Things

Playoff Seeding – Milwaukee and OKC find themselves in similar situations when it comes to playoff seeding. OKC still has the opportunity to get the No. 1 seed in the West, but would need a divine miracle for the Nuggets to lose to both the Spurs and Grizzlies in their last two games of the season. The battle for No. 2 and 3 likely hinges on how serious the Thunder and Timberwolves take these last two games. Both teams are tied as far as record is concerned, but Minnesota holds the tie-breaker due to their better conference record. Minnesota plays Atlanta, who is already locked into the 10th seed in the East, and Phoenix, who could still be battling for the 6th seed in the West. OKC plays Milwaukee, who is still battling for the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the East, and Dallas, who is basically locked into the 5th seed in the West. OKC would need to win out and hope Minnesota loses one of their last two games in order to secure the 2nd seed.
SGA – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played with so much vigor since he returned from a 4-game absence due to a quad injury. In the two games he’s played (on a back to back, at that), SGA has averaged 33 points, 7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2 stocks on 54/50/84 shooting splits. That burst with zero hesitation on the drives is back. And so is the swag of the team. When Sacramento had the Thunder down by 20 in the first half on Tuesday, you just had the feeling that SGA would will the Thunder back. When he is on, the Thunder have a different feel about them.
Bobby “Michael Jordan” Portis – For the season, Bobby Portis is averaging 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. But for some reason, in the seven games Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed, Bobby Portis turns into Robert Portis with a grown man game. In those seven games, Portis averages 23.7 points and 10.4 rebounds. Here’s hoping he has a Bobby Portis game and not a Robert Portis game.

Thunder @ New Orleans Pelicans preview (Game 71 of 82)

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (49-21, 2nd in the West) @ New Orleans Pelicans (44-27, 4th in the West)
When: Tuesday, 26 March 2024 at 7:00pm CST
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Offensive Rating – NO: 117.0 (10th) / OKC: 118.6 (5th)
Defensive Rating – NO: 111.4 (6th) / OKC: 111.4 (5th)
Net Rating – NO: 5.6 (4th) / OKC: 7.3 (2nd)

The Set-Up

For months, the big four in the Western Conference has been the Thunder, the Nuggets, the Timberwolves, and the Clippers. It was almost a forgone conclusion that those would be the top-4 seeds in the West. But lo and behold, a challenger has arisen from the Gulf Coast. For much of the first half of the season, New Orleans’ season was viewed as a disappointment. Injuries to key contributors like Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado had sapped a lot of the depth the Pelicans had. Zion Williamson was once again fighting the battle of the bulge…and losing. The turning point in the season for Zion (and for the Pelicans) was an embarrassing 133-89 loss to the Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semifinals that saw Zion get outscored, outworked, and outclassed by LeBron James.

Since then, New Orleans has gone 32-16 and Zion has reworked his game and his body to become his most optimal self. Williamson is noticeably slimmer than he was earlier in the season and his game has transformed itself into more of a point-Zion trajectory. He handles the ball more off boards and is second on the team in assists per game. The lost weight has allowed Zion to look more like Duke Zion and has made him a force to be reckoned with anytime he is remotely close to the basket.

This is the third and final meeting of the season between these two teams. On November 1st, Oklahoma City squandered an early 22-point lead in the first game to end up on the losing end of things, 106-110. The Thunder returned the favor in late January, handling the Pelicans easily in New Orleans, 107-83.

Magic Numbers

To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 0 (Locked In)
To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 5

Betting Info

Line: OKC -1.5
O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

None

Dyson Daniels (knee) – OUT
Brandon Ingram (knee) – OUT

Three Keys Things

Rebounding – I know, I know. The Thunder have gotten better at rebounding in the 2nd half of the season. And, yes, the Thunder have slowly proven that if they can beat you at nearly every other aspect of the game, the rebounding becomes a moot point. But against a team like New Orleans, those 2nd chance points can tilt the game in their favor. The Pelicans are a top-10 team in 2nd chance scoring and the Thunder, of course, are still one of the worst rebounding teams in the league. Jonas Valanciunas has always terrorized the Thunder on the boards and tonight should be no different. It’s making sure that the Pelicans don’t make the Thunder pay on those 2nd chance opportunities.
SGA – Ever since the MVP discussion has gotten louder, SGA’s game has, unfortunately, petered off. Be it fatigue, wear & tear, injury, how teams are defending him, or all of the above, SGA just doesn’t feel like he has the same gear as he did pre-ASB. Hopefully it’s just a slump and he can work himself out of it. Many people forget that Jokic went through an early season slump that had many asking if he was out of shape from the celebratory off-season. Every player goes through periods like this. It just so happens that it’s louder for SGA because of where we’re at in the season.
Prime-time Match-Up – Despite New Orleans’ slow start to the season, they’ve been one of the best teams in the league over the past 2 months. And the Thunder have been about as consistent as they come. As we head into the playoffs, these are the types of match-ups that can serve as “canaries in the coal mine” to see where the Thunder are mentally heading into their first postseason as a collective.

Thunder @ Los Angeles Lakers preview (Game 61 of 82)

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (42-18, 1st in the West) @ Los Angeles Lakers (33-29, 10th in the West)
When: Monday, 04 March 2024 at 9:30pm CST
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Offensive Rating – LAL: 114.7 (17th) / OKC: 119.3 (3rd)
Defensive Rating – LAL: 115.3 (17th) / OKC: 111.4 (4th)
Net Rating – LAL: -0.6 (19th) / OKC: 8.0 (2nd)

The Set-Up

Back at the top. While the Thunder have been battling for the top stop the entire season, they haven’t really done that great of a job of holding on to the title when they get it. Tonight presents another opportunity to hold on to 1st place in the Western Conference. But a loss tonight, coupled with a likely Minnesota victory (they play Portland), could knock OKC back to #2, sitting tied with Denver in the standings. Luckily, OKC owns the tiebreaker with Denver and would get the higher seeding.

This is the fourth and final meeting of the regular season between these two teams. The Thunder won the first meeting 133-110 in OKC in late November. The Lakers returned the favor a couple weeks later, again in OKC, winning 129-120. The Lakers then beat OKC in Los Angeles in January, 112-105.

Magic Numbers

To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 12
To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 16

Betting Info

Line: OKC -1.5
O/U: 238.5

Injury Report

OKC

Jaylin Williams (knee) – Day to Day

LAL

Colin Castleton (wrist) – OUT
Anthony Davis (achilles) – Probable
LeBron James (ankle) – Questionable
Cam Reddish (ankle) – Probable
Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) – OUT
Gabe Vincent (knee) – OUT
Christian Wood (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

Physicality – It’s funny because there are a lot of things that OKC and the Lakers do very similarly, despite the difference in their records. They are both poor rebounding teams who push the pace and shoot efficiently. Where they differ is in the amount of physicality the players are able to exert. LeBron James has game worn jerseys that are older than some of the players on the Thunder. Chet Holmgren was 10 years old when Anthony Davis started his career. It will be on the Thunder’s young core to either be quicker than the Lakers for the majority of the game or be purposefully more physical than the Lakers.
Get in transition – The Lakers are the 5th worst team at stopping fast break points. The Thunder generate a lot of their offense in transition. It would benefit them to get fast break opportunities throughout the game and take advantage of them.
Pack the paint – The Lakers are the worst team at generating points from the 3-point line. They score 55.1% of their points from 2-point territory (2nd in the league) and only 29.2% of their points from deep. The Thunder’s defensive scheme plays into this.

Thunder @ Orlando Magic preview (Game 54 of 82)

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (36-17, 2nd in the West) @ Orlando Magic (29-24, 6th in the East)
When: Tuesday, 13 February 2024 at 6:30PM CST
Where: Kia Center, Orlando, FL
Offensive Rating – ORL: 112.6 (24th) / OKC: 119.1 (5th)
Defensive Rating – ORL: 112.6 (4th) / OKC: 112.0 (5th)
Net Rating – ORL: 0.9 (15th) / OKC: 7.2 (2nd)

The Set-Up

Let’s rewind to last year’s offseason. The schedule comes out and the only nationally televised game for the Thunder is an early season jaunt against the Orlando Magic in OKC. The number 1 pick, Paolo Banchero, versus the number 2 pick, Chet Holmgren. This was back before anyone realized the Thunder were going to do aight that season. It was going to be OKC’s time to shine.

But Chet decided to play in a Seattle pro-am that featured LeBron James. A fastbreak drive by James led to Holmgren planting his foot wrong and suffering a broken foot. Holmgren out for the season and the NBA moved quick to flex that spot to another game. Silly, NBA. But here we are nearly 16 months later and we are replaying that event. Orlando vs. OKC on TNT (this time in Orlando).

This is the 2nd and final meeting of the season between these two team. The Thunder won the first meeting in OKC, 112-100, on Topic: Thunder Fan Night in January.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -2.5
O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

Bismack Biyombo (Return to Action protocol) – OUT
Gordon Hayward (calf) – OUT

ORL

None

Three Big Things

Franz Wagner – I know that I should probably be worried more about Paolo Banchero. But in their last three wins, Wagner has scored 36, 34, and 38 points. He’s a lot like Jalen Williams in that he can navigate the dribble through multiple screens and score from all three levels. Wagner’s assignment will likely fall on Lu Dort or Jalen Williams, which should make for an interesting match-up.
Zone-busting – Orlando has some long, physical defenders. They will likely zone a lot tonight, so the Thunder will have to find ways to bust the zone. They will have to make open shots tonight. Guys like Dort, Isaiah Joe, Cason Wallace, and Aaron Wiggins will need to have efficient nights to make the lives of SGA and J-Dub a little easier.
Dueling strengths and weaknesses – Another game where the strengths of one team (rebounding by Orlando) is the weakness of the other, while the strengths of one team (creating turnovers by OKC) is the weakness of the other. Here’s to OKC’s strength being more impactful than their weakness.

Thunder @ Los Angeles Lakers preview (Game 39 of 82)

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (27-11, 2nd in the West) @ Los Angeles Lakers (19-21, 11th in the West)
When: Monday, 15 January 2024 at 9:30pm CST
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Offensive Rating – LAL: 112.2 (24th) / OKC: 120.2 (4th)
Defensive Rating – LAL: 114.0 (14th) / OKC: 111.0 (3rd)
Net Rating – LAL: -1.8 (21st) / OKC: 9.2 (2nd)

The Set-Up

Listen, I’m still reeling from Saturday. The love you guys showed us on Saturday was amazing. Getting to meet many of you guys at The Parlor and then hanging out at the game was a frickin’ movie. Thank you for the motivation to continue showing up and putting together this page and this podcast. We could not do it without you guys. Here’s to many more years of love and success. Now, before I get too sappy, there is a game tonight.

This is the third of four meetings this season between these two games. The Thunder won the first meeting, 133-110, back on November 30th. The Lakers returned the favor on December 23rd, winning in OKC, 129-120. Their final game of the season is on March 4th, 2024.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -3.5
O/U: 237.5

Injury Report

OKC

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (knee) – Questionable

LAL

Anthony Davis (ankle) – Questionable
LeBron James (ankle) – Probable
Cam Reddish (knee) – OUT
D’Angelo Russell (illness) – Questionable
Gabe Vincent (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

SGA – When the day first started, the Lakes were favored. But as the day progressed, the line shifted towards favoring the Thunder. Which likely means, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be available to play tonight. If he is, watch out, because SGA loves to play under the bright lights in LA.
Physicality – One of the biggest issues the Thunder face when battling the Lakers, is their size up front. Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, and Christian Woods are just large individuals. And when they play against the Thunder, who start a “still thin” Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, they do struggle, at times, to match the size and strength of other teams. Expect Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams to play some minutes in this game.
Defending Without Fouling – The Lakers attempt the 7th most amount of free throws in the league at 24.4 attempts per game. The Thunder, on the other hand, foul the 10th most in the league. Players like James and Davis are foul-magnets and the Thunder have a tendency to be hyper-aggressive defensively, which can lead to dumb fouls and an unbalanced free throw count between the two teams. The Thunder have to play their game defensively, but play it intelligently.