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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.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Thunder preview (Game 18 of 82)

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Alex Roig

Los Angeles Lakers (11-8, 7th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-6, 4th in the West)
When – Thursday, 30 November 2023 at 7:00pm CST
Where – Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Offensive Rating – LAL: 111.3 (24th) / OKC: 117.0 (8th)
Defensive Rating – LAL: 111.7 (9th) / OKC: 109.4 (5th)
Net Rating – LAL: -0.4 (19th) / OKC: 7.6 (3rd)

The Set-Up

Expectations. The curse of becoming good. The “rebuilding team” narrative that plagued OKC for the past three seasons is now being replaced by the complaining culture when a team isn’t winning every game that it plays. “Josh Giddey doesn’t fit with this team.” “Mark Daigneault doesn’t know how to coach in close games.” “Is Lu Dort an anchor on the offense when he isn’t hitting his 3-point shot?” Et cetera. Et cetera.

But this is the natural progression in the NBA. If you are building through the draft, the progression is usually a couple of seasons of bad basketball, which gives you the young players you need to build off of. Then you have a couple of seasons of figuring out how to win consistently in the regular season (This is where we’re currently at). Then you hopefully have a couple of seasons of playoff experience. Then, if you’re lucky, you become a contender. It’s a process. People look at the finished product that is the Denver Nuggets, but forget that Aaron Gordon is in his 10th season, Nikola Jokic is in his 9th, and Jamal Murray is in his 8th. It takes time and it takes patience.

Season Series: This is the first of four meetings between the Lakers and Thunder this season

Betting Info

Line: OKC -5.5
Spread: O/U 233.5

Injury Report

OKC

None

LAL

Rui Hachimura (nose) – OUT
Jaxson Hayes (elbow) – Questionable
Jarred Vanderbilt (heel) – OUT
Gabe Vincent (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

Protect the paint – The Lakers are one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league. They are dead last in 3-point attempts and 3-pointers made and are 28th in 3-point percentage. They get most of their points in the paint (49.4%, which is 2nd in the league). This will be a game where Chet Holmgren’s defense may have a huge impact in how the Thunder do.
SGA – The lights normally shine brightest when the Lakers are playing and that’s when SGA shines. Even when the Thunder were rebuilding, the Thunder (and SGA) would usually have great games against the purple and gold.
LeBron – We rarely get to see LeBron in OKC. Over the past few seasons, he’s either been hurt or he’s been “hurt” when the Lakers make their trip to OKC. I’m glad the Thunder are now relevant enough to the King to grace us his presence in OKC.

ClickTown – August 16th, 2019

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Alex Roig

clicktown

Read the latest Thunder happenings here on ClickTown.

Anthony Koon (Heavy) on Chris Paul, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony working out recently: “In the video, LeBron is behind the camera and can be heard making fun of Paul for complaining about Melo’s weights being lighter while Melo does some pushups in the background. While nearly impossible for LeBron’s Lakers to land Chris Paul given his contract situation, Melo is still available and the Lakers have an additional roster spot that they are looking to fill.”

Russell Westbrook celebrating Nipsey Hussle’s birthday and remembering his amazing 20-20-20 game against the Lakers in OKC last season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1MK65EHqFe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Continue reading →

The Monster We Created

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Alex Roig

As I was sitting there watching Kevin Durant writhe in pain on the ScotiaBank Arena floor, I couldn’t help but wonder if part of the reason he was on the floor at all was because of the boogeyman we had all created. Why did Durant feel compelled to be on the floor, when it was apparent he wasn’t ready to be there at all? I couldn’t help but feel like his decision on June 10th, 2019 was still tied to his decision on July 4th, 2016.

I still feel a sense of disdain for the decision Durant made in the summer of 2016. The Oklahoma City Thunder had just lost a grueling seven game series to the Golden State Warriors. A series in which they led three games to one. This match-up had all the makings of a future epic rivalry. The upstart Warriors and the “on the cusp” Thunder. And while Durant had a decision to make that offseason, there was no way he would skip town now. Not when the team showed what it could do against this juggernaut. This was KD….the same guy that criticized LeBron James for making superteams…the same guy that lauded guys like Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant for being loyal to their teams through thick and thin.

But we all know what happened. The Warriors eventually lost to LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers in an epic Finals series, that saw the Warriors, themselves, blow a 3-1 lead. And then came the decision. It still sticks in my craw that Durant made that choice. He could have chosen any other team (literally, any other team because they all had a ton of money to spend that offseason). But to choose the team that had just beat you to make them become an almost unbeatable super-juggernaut was unfathomable in the minds of most Thunder fans in relation to the man we thought Durant was.

Continue reading →

Thunder At A Glance – 05 September 2018

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Alex Roig

Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) interviews Abdel Nader on his experiences since becoming a member of the Thunder: “Not long after the trade this offseason that brought him to Oklahoma City, Abdel Nader made a surprise first-place showing in Paul George’s celebrity fishing event. A couple weeks later, the newest Thunder forward was standing on the pitcher’s mound Kauffman Stadium as a part of the Thunder Night at the Kansas City Royals. Neither angling nor baseball are passions of Nader – he’s more of a soccer guy – but the newcomer small forward is doing all he can to jump into this Oklahoma City Thunder experience headfirst.”

The Thunder announces it’s 2nd annual technology partnership with eight entrepreneurial start ups around OKC: “The program provides free space, resources, corporate perks and an impressive mentor network from in and out of state business leaders, investors and influencers. At the end of the 12-week program, the founders will have an opportunity to present their plans to the investment and business community in Oklahoma and across the U.S.” Continue reading →

NTTB Podcast – Episode 40 (A Legend Will Be Born)

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Alex Roig

On Episode 40 of the NTTB podcast, we discuss the following topics:

UCLA Thunder runs
Abdel Nader’s contract guaranteed
Who’s starting at PF
PG Fishing event and shaved beard
Steven Adams putting Reggie Jackson on blast
Westbrook and Nina expecting
TLC’s performance for Team Africa
Vegas Over/Under odds
LeBron James vs. Donald Trump

Intro/Outro music provided by OSC Productions

Thank you for listening. We will be doing a podcast once a week. If you have any Thunder or NBA related questions, make sure you hit us up on Twitter (@alexroig_NTTB or @Montero_A13).

We are on ITunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, and Tune In under the NTTB Podcast. Make sure you leave us a 5-star review if you can. As always, Thunder Up!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/111153/768888-episode-40-a-legend-will-be-born.mp3?download=true

NTTB Thunder Rumblings – 02 August 2018

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Alex Roig

Torrey Hart (Yahoo Sports) on Kevin Durant doing Kevin Durant things.

(Complete sidebar: I love Twitter, but sometimes, when famous people “mobilize their stans” it can get ridiculous and almost threatening. This girl put out a tweet, KD responded knowing his followers would attack, and now there are people trying to hack into her account and threatening her. For as much as Kevin Durant talks of his disdain for Donald Trump, he sure does follow his Twitter formula.)

Colin Ward-Henninger (CBS Sports) grades every team’s offseason, and he rates the Thunder pretty high. Continue reading →

NTTB Podcast – Episode 35 (Live Free Agency Frenzy)

Posted on July 1, 2018 by Alex Roig

On Episode 35 of the NTTB podcast, we discuss the following topics:

Scared Money Don’t Make None
Russell Westbrook flies from Hawaii to Oklahoma City voluntarily
Paul George re-signs with the Thunder
Jerami Grant re-signs with the Thunder
Where LeBron ends up
I thought LeBron was supposed to be the first dominoe
Other free agency signings as they happened live
And again, Scared Money Don’t Make None

Intro/Outro music provided by OSC Productions

Thank you for listening. We will be doing a podcast once a week. If you have any Thunder or NBA related questions, make sure you hit us up on Twitter (@alexroig_NTTB or @Montero_A13).

We are on ITunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, and Tune In under the NTTB Podcast. Make sure you leave us a 5-star review if you can. As always, Thunder Up!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/111153/739799-episode-35-live-free-agency-frenzy.mp3?download=true

NTTB Rumblings – 18 June 2018

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Alex Roig

Happy belated Father’s Day to all the Thunder daddies in the world. May your Sunday have been as rocking as your paternal instincts.

Brett Dawson (NewsOK) on the firing of Thunder broadcaster Brian Davis: “The statement read: “The Thunder has made a decision to go in a different direction. We greatly appreciate Brian’s contributions to the Thunder organization over the past 10 years and we wish him well in the future. In conjunction with Fox Sports Oklahoma, the Thunder will now begin the search for a new play-by-play announcer.”

Dawson on an ad companies sales pitch to one, LeBron James: “Reince is the digital and national sales coordinator for Lamar Advertising in Oklahoma City, and he’s the man behind electronic billboard displays you might see on Friday, reading in white writing against a dark background, “#LeBron2OKC.” Continue reading →