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Thunder @ Milwaukee Bucks preview (Game 45 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (36-8, 1st in the West) @ Milwaukee Bucks (18-24, 11th in the East)
  • When: Wednesday, 21 January 2026 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI
  • TV: ESPN / FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: MIL: 113.0 (23rd) / OKC: 118.3 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating: MIL: 116.1 (20th) / OKC: 105.2 (1st)
  • Net Rating: MIL: -3.1 (24th) / OKC: 13.1 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: MIL: 2-4 in their last 6 / OKC: 6-1 in their last 7

The Set-Up

Is everyone ready for Rivalry Week? That time where we remember those great playoff series of years’ past between the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder. (?????) Who could ever forget the thrilling 5-OT game in 1989 between Milwaukee and OK(SEATTLE), in which the Bucks won 155-154. Or the epic 7-game series between Milwaukee and OK(SEATTLE) in 1980, where OK(Seattle) won 4-3 and the average margin of victory was 4 points? Many of us weren’t alive for some of those memorable thrillers between those two franchises. Here of late, we have the Giannis Antetokounmpo “foot on the line, botched call” game from 2017 and the NBA Cup blowout from last season. I mean the qualifications are very vague, but I guess there’s a rivalry.

This is the first of two meetings this season between the Thunder and Bucks. The Bucks beat the Thunder in the NBA Cup Final last season. That loss gave Oklahoma City a taste of what was to be expected in the playoffs and they rode that all the way to the championship.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -9.5
  • O/U: 226.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Alex Caruso – OUT (groin)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)
  • Jaylin Williams – Questionable (back/glute)

MIL

  • Kevin Porter Jr – Questionable (oblique)
  • Taurean Prince – OUT (neck)
  • Myles Turner – Questionable (ankle)

Three Big Things

  1. Three-Point Defense – Milwaukee has been a hodge-podge of inconsistency this year. The one thing that has been consistent, has been their 3-point shooting. They rank 6th in the league in 3-pointers made at 14.7 3-pointers made per game, 2nd in 3-pt percentage at 39.4%, 2nd in Effective FG%, and 6th in True Shooting %. The gravity that Giannis Antetokounmpo has allows players on the team to have OPEN looks from deep. Here’s a list of Milwaukee players who are shooting over 39% and their attempts per game: Bobby Portis (47.7% / 4.1 attempts), AJ Green (43.7% / 6.9 attempts), Ryan Rollins (39.2% / 5.7 attempts), and Myles Turner (39% / 5.8 attempts). Three-pointers account for 39% of Milwaukee’s points per game (5th highest in the league). With the Thunder’s ethos to play defense from inside out, this could be an issue if the Bucks players get hot from the outside.
  2. Play Aggressive, Opportunistic Defense – The Milwaukee Bucks are the worst free-throw shooting team in the league, shooting 73.5% from the line. Of the players who average over two free-throw attempts per game, only Kevin Porter Jr. shoots over 80% from the line. Antetokounmpo averages nearly 10 free throw attempts per game, but only shoots 65% from the line. If a foul prevents an open three-point attempt, take the foul.
  3. Attack the Bucks – The Bucks allow the 6th most free-throw attempts. While the interior defense is good with guys like Antetokounmpo and Turner, their perimeter defense can be very leaky. This should allow guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ajay Mitchell, and Aaron Wiggins to get into the teeth of the defense and either draw fouls or spray the rock out to open shooters.

Thunder @ Houston Rockets preview (Game 42 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (34-7, 1st in the West) @ Houston Rockets (23-14, 6th in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 15 January 2026 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
  • TV: Prime Video / FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: HOU: 120.0 (3rd) / OKC: 118.2 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating: HOU: 112.7 (9th) / OKC: 105.4 (1st)
  • Net Rating: HOU: 7.3 (2nd) / OKC: 12.8 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: HOU: 2-4 in their last 6 / OKC: 4 straight wins, 8-2 in last 10

The Set-Up

The second half of the season begins the same way the first half of the season did…against the Houston Rockets. After a 24-1 start to the season, the Thunder stumbled a bit in December, specifically against the San Antonio Spurs, and hit a bit of a funk. Fatigue, injuries, and the unrelenting nature of the schedule in late December and January all played a part in tiring the Thunder and making them look, dare I say, vulnerable. At the half-way point, OKC finds themselves at 34-7. The Thunder are the top team in Defensive Rating, Net Rating, Field Goals Made, Turnover Percentage (giving up the least amount of turnovers), Opponent Turnover Percentage (forcing the most turnovers), Points off Turnovers, Opponent 2nd Chance Points, Opponent Fastbreak Points, and Opponent Points in the Paint. They are 2nd in Points Per Game, Turnovers Per Game (limiting turnovers), and Opponent Effective FG% (opponents shoot 2nd worst against OKC). Ironically, for all the discourse in the NBA zeitgeist, the Thunder rank 14th in Free Throw Attempts per game.

This is the 2nd of 3 meetings this season between the Rockets and Thunder. The first game was a memorable, double-OT affair that opened up the 2025-26 NBA season. In that game, OKC won 125-124, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander putting up 35 points and Chet Holmgren adding in 28 points.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -4.5
  • O/U: 222.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Lu Dort – Questionable (foot)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)

HOU

  • Tari Eason – OUT (ankle)
  • Dorian Finney-Smith – OUT (ankle)
  • Fred VanVleet – OFS (knee/ACL)

Three Big Things

  1. Rebounding and 2nd Chance Points – The Houston Rockets are dominant on the glass this season. They rank first in Offensive Rebounds per game at 16.4, nearly 3 whole rebounds more than the 2nd place team. They also lead the league in rebounds per game at 49.1. They are also first in Offensive Rebound percentage and Rebound percentage. Due to this, they are also first in the league at 2nd Chance Points per game at 18.6. The Thunder, themselves, haven’t been slouches on the glass, ranking 5th in Defensive Rebounds per game and also being the best team at defending 2nd Chance Points per game. With that said, when you point to a weakness on the Thunder, securing those offensive rebounds, especially at critical points in the game, has been an issue. The absence of Isaiah Hartenstein (and Jaylin Williams, until he returned a couple of games ago) over the past month, has had an effect on how well the Thunder have been able to rebound the ball. A positive from this, though, is that since Jan. 29th, Chet Holmgren ranks 6th in the league with 10.1 rebounds per game.
  2.  Pace – While players like Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun are great in the half-court, Houston, as a team, ranks 28th in Pace. They don’t get out and run as much as most “young” teams do. In addition, they are the 6th worst team in coughing up the ball, giving it up at a clip of 15.6 turnovers per game. If Oklahoma City is able to generate turnovers, like they usually do, and get out in transition, like they usually do, this will play greatly in their favor and may be able to offset any advantage Houston has on the boards.
  3. Packing the Paint – While the Rockets have a top-3 offense in the league, their offensive style of play plays right into what the Thunder like to do defensively. Houston is 29th in 3-point attempts and 25th in 3-point makes. They are 3rd in percentage of points scored from 2-point range, 2nd in percentage of points scored in the mid-range, and 8th in percentage of point scored in the paint. Conversely, OKC is the best team at defending points in the paint and have a defensive ethos of defending from the paint out.

Phoenix Suns vs. Thunder preview (Game 25 of 82, NBA Cup Quarterfinals)

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  • Phoenix Suns (14-10, 7th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (23-1, 1st in the West)
  • When: Wednesday, 10 December 2025 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: Prime Video
  • Offensive Rating: PHX: 115.5 (12th) / OKC: 120.0 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating: PHX: 113.4 (12th) / OKC: 104.1 (1st)
  • Net Rating: PHX: 2.1 (12th) / OKC: 15.9 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: PHX: 2-1 in their last 3, 6-4 in their last 10 / OKC: 15 W’s in a row

The Set-Up

Chasing history. With a win tonight, the Oklahoma City Thunder will match the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors for the best start in NBA history at 24-1. While the records would be the same, the method in which they’ve arrived have been completely different. The Warriors changed the way the game was played offensively with their dominant pace and space style. The Thunder, on the other hand, are doing this with their other-worldly defense. The similarities are pretty loud also. Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have similar impacts on their teams, while the supporting cast would be stars and starters on other teams. In addition, the coaching on both teams was top-notch and very player-driven. Now, OKC just has to go out there and do it.

This is the 2nd of (now) 5 meetings this season between the Suns and Thunder. Oklahoma City won the first meeting, which was also an NBA Cup game, by a score of 123-119. It was one of the few close games the Thunder have played recently. In that game, Jalen Williams returned to the lineup after missing the first 19 games of the season recovering from wrist surgery. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points, Chet Holmgren pitched in with 23 points and 8 rebounds, and the Thunder were able to hold off a late push from Collin Gillespie and the surprising Suns.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -14.5
  • O/U: 225.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf)
  • Isaiah Joe – OUT (knee)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)

PHX

  • Devin Booker – Questionable (groin)
  • Koby Brea – Day to Day (wrist)
  • Jalen Green – OUT (hamstring)
  • Isaiah Livers – OUT (hip)

Three Big Things

  1. SGA is back – After a one-game absence, SGA is back in the lineup. While it does seem like SGA is dealing with something with his elbow, as evidenced by the tapework he usually has on it most games, it was also a great time in the schedule to buy Shai a game of rest. Playing against the directionless Utah Jazz allowed the team to give the reins to the other two members of their core 3, and they did what they were supposed to do. SGA may not be playing major minutes when compared to other high-usage players, but getting him a game of rest here and there is tantamount to the success of this team moving forward.
  2. 2nd Chance Points – Phoenix comes into this game as the 4th best offensive rebounding team in terms of OReb%, the 6th best offensive rebounding team in terms of raw stats (nearly 13 a game), and 9th in 2nd chance points at 16 Second Chance Points per game. With Isaiah Hartenstein being out, the onus will fall on Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams to secure defensive rebounds and prevent those 2nd chance points. In their last meeting, Phoenix’s near 4th quarter comeback was spurred by 7 offensive rebounds and 9 second chance points in the final quarter.
  3. Track Meet – Both of these teams like to create turnovers and get out in transition. The Thunder and Suns are #1 and 2, respectively, in points off turnovers. Where they differ completely is in how they defend turnovers. OKC is the #1 team in defending points off turnovers, while Phoenix is 28th in that same category. If OKC can play their game, they can win the turnover battle and the points off turnover battle.

The Day After: HOU vs. OKC – Game 1 of 82 Recap

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Ring night. Banner night. And boy, was it a banner night. Not just for the Oklahoma City Thunder. But also for the NBA on NBC. Talk about an opening game to restart their new media relationship with their old friend, the NBA. The intro, the song, Michael Jordan. It’s like we never left 90’s.

Then the game tipped off and became an instant hardwood classic. In the end, the Thunder held on to win 125-124 in double overtime. With that said, here are some notes from the game.

  1. SGA is still him – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got off to an unusually slow start on Tuesday. The reigning MVP started off 2/5 in the first half and went into halftime with only 5 points. Despite this, it truly felt like a game where SGA was okay with taking what the defense gave him and trusting his teammates. Houston was using their length to crowd the paint and doubling SGA for the majority of the game. He only registered one assist in the first half, but his gravity allowed his teammates to get good looks, especially Chet Holmgren (we’ll get to him soon). The second half, though, was a different story. It started off the same, but SGA was able to shake loose on consecutive 12-foot jumpers, which seemed to open up the defense and gave SGA some rhythm offensively. After that, he was MVP Shai, and seemingly hit every big shot he had to in order to will OKC to a victory. Late in the 4th and during the OT’s, SGA hit shot after shot to either tie the game or put the Thunder up. His two free throws in double-OT were the game-winners, and fouled Kevin Durant out, which prevented him from being on the floor on Houston’s final possession. In total, SGA finished with his customary 35 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Just another Tuesday on the basketball court.
  2. Y’all must’ve forgot – Before going down with a broken hip in the 10th game of the year last season, Chet Holmgren was well on his way to a possible All-NBA, All-Star, DPOY, etc. type season. In those nine games to start last season, Holmgren was averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.9 blocks, while shooting 40% from deep on nearly four attempts per game. He was even garnering early MVP buzz. The Holmgren we saw late in the season and into the playoffs was still good, but you could tell that he didn’t have the ramp-up runway to shake off the rust from that type of injury. In the first half of this game, Holmgren’s offensive aggressiveness, especially against the zone, is what kept OKC in the game, despite SGA getting off to a slow start. His ability to get into the teeth of the zone (from the nail) and maneuver from there was huge for OKC staying resolute despite Houston’s length being very disruptive. When it was all said and done, Holmgren finished with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists, while shooting 40% from deep.
  3. Alperen Sengun – Thank God the Thunder have won a championship and have Holmgren in tow. Because if they were to be currently title-less, Sengun would be wrestling James Harden for the title of “the one who got away”. It’s always frickin’ Houston. Alpie was amazing in this game. Despite being on the floor with the current and a former MVP, Alpie, many times, looked like the best player on the court. If that 3-point shot is real, the league may have another Jokic-type monster on their hands. Sengun does a great job of noticing mismatches and taking advantage of them quickly. When the Thunder had Alex Caruso on Sengun, he would either take the three when the close-out was soft or try to back Caruso down when the close-out was aggressive. When Chet was on him, Sengun used his size advantage to back Holmgren to the basket. Sengun was also their go-to player in clutch situations. A great game in a losing effort for Sengun, who finished with 39 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and a block, while shooting 5-8 from deep and 10-11 from the line.
  4. Cason Wallace – That third year leap may be showing up for the Thunder once again. Wallace, like SGA, got off to an extremely slow start in this game. He was 0-1 in the first half and not overly aggressive. But in the 2nd half, Wallace transformed defensive energy into offensive rhythm, and started becoming a problem for Houston. (See what I did there!) Wallace registered all four of his steals in the 3rd and 4th quarters and helped keep the Thunder at arm’s length throughout the 2nd half. But it was his shot-making that was key to OKC winning. With 2:01 left in the 4th, Wallace hit a three that brought OKC to within one of the Rockets. Then in double OT, Wallace hit a three from the same spot as the one in the 4th with 1:32 left to give OKC a one point lead at the time. If Wallace can consistently put the “3” in “3&D”, the NBA may be in trouble.
  5. Western Conference – Once again, the Western Conference is going to be a bloodbath. Due to the age of many of the rosters, injuries (nothing major, just the nagging kind) may have a say in where teams finish. But if everyone remains relatively healthy, conference play is going to be a chore. Tuesday night showed us why the NBA opened up with four teams from the West. Cleveland and New York will get their shine tonight, but the class of the NBA resides west of the Mississippi.
  6. Ajay Mitchell – Remember the name. Chet Holmgren wasn’t the only player keeping the Thunder afloat in the first half. Mitchell provided some sauce off the bench for OKC. In 15 minutes, Mitchell had 16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block on 3-6 shooting from deep. His 4-point play at the halftime buzzer may have been the play of the game and may have provided OKC with the momentum they needed in the 2nd half. With Jalen Williams and Nikola Topic out for the foreseeable future, Mitchell’s ability to handle the ball and play-make may be extremely important to OKC success early in the season.

Thunder vs. Houston Rockets preview (Game 1 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (0-0) vs. Houston Rockets (0-0)
  • When: Tuesday, 21 October 2025 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: NBC/Peacock

The Set-Up

What do you do when you’ve accomplished the goal you’ve set out to accomplish every year since your existence? Do you rest on your laurels and reminisce about how it felt to reach the mountaintop? Do you become the “y’all remember when” guy? Or do you recognize that to reach the mountaintop again, you have to, as Thunder GM Sam Presti would so eloquently put it, “divorce yourself from the past” and begin anew? The mantra of having a 0-0 mindset while stacking days will be tested this season. Everything this team does this season will be compared to last year. That happens when you bring back every rotational piece that helped you reach your goal. But with that continuity, does complacency creep in? Everyone is saying the right things. Now it’s time to show the right things. Ring night. Banner night. Then the new journey begins.

This is the first of three meetings this season against the Houston Rockets. Last season, the Thunder won the season series 3-2. They faced each other in the NBA Cup semifinals, where the Thunder emerged victorious on their way to the NBA Cup finals.

Betting Info (brought to you by FanDuel)

  • Line: OKC -7
  • O/U: 228

Injury Report

OKC

  • Isaiah Joe – OUT (knee)
  • Thomas Sorber – OUT (knee)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (testicular surgery)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (wrist)
  • Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

HOU

  • Isaiah Crawford – Questionable (ankle)
  • Dorian Finney-Smith – OUT (ankle)
  • Jae’Sean Tate – OUT (ankle)
  • Fred VanVleet – OUT (knee)

Three Big Things

  1. Jumbo Line-up – The Rockets will feature a starting line-up where the shortest player out there will be 6’7″. (Don’t do the stupid hand shakey thing…and you just did it) If this was two seasons ago, it might be a little worrisome for the Thunder. But with Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, and Jaylin Williams all healthy to begin the season, this shouldn’t worry the Thunder too much. In fact, with the Rockets’ lack of a pure point guard/ball handler, outside of Reed Sheppard, and the lack of spacing, it may actually play into the Thunder’s defensive chaos machine.
  2. Brooks Barnhizer – It’ll be interesting to see if Barnhizer gets any burn in this game. He played in all six preseason games where he averaged 30 minutes, 9.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2 steals on 44/42/72 shooting splits. The most interesting stat to me is that he averaged 4.2 free throw attempts in those six games. This team loves controlled aggressivity and Barnhizer has that in spades. Last year, as a rookie, Ajay Mitchell averaged 21 minutes per game in the preseason and was a part of the rotation from the start of the season until an injury forced him out of the rotation. With the Thunder being down a couple key rotation pieces due to injury, I could see Barnhizer getting some action early in the season and parlaying that into a role in the rotation.
  3. Oh the irony – Kevin Durant…here in OKC, on ring night. To see Durant looking up onto what used to be his kingdom, only see a banner being raised that he had no part in obtaining. Chef’s kiss. I may disagree with NBA commissioner Adam Silver that the NBA is a highlight only league. But this right here, this is WWE-level script writing. Bravo! Now cue Roundball Rock!

The Source: Presti Quotables

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Back in the 90’s, magazines were all the rage for being in the know for whatever you were consuming. If you loved sports, there was a weekly dose of information called Sports Illustrated. If nature was your thing, National Geographic had you covered. World news…Time. Silly comics…MAD. If you were a music head, you were probably ordering a monthly subscription to Rolling Stones or Vibe. But you were a hip-hop head, your readable rotation probably involved magazines like Word Up!, XXL, and The Source. The latter of those had a section called Hip-Hop Quotables, where the magazine highlighted a specific verse or song that was lyrically chef’s kiss. If you were a rapper at that time, you wanted your verse to be featured on Hip-Hop Quotables.

If you’ve followed the Oklahoma City Thunder any in their 18 years of existence, you know that a Sam Presti press conference is usually good for several quotables. The man is well-versed in many forms of prose and can pull out a quote or lyric from the recesses of his mind. As the Thunder open up their championship-defending campaign, Presti once again blessed us with several quotables in preparation for the 2025-26 NBA season. Here are some from Thursday’s presser:

Shots fired at NBA commissioner Adam Silver for his comments regarding the cost associated with having multiple TV partners across multiple streaming services and his quip that content can be consumed for free on social media because basketball is a “highlight-based sport”. Presti, and in turn, the Thunder, have always prided themselves in being students of the game, and not just consumers of the moment. When you stack days and live a 0-0 mentality, highlights are just plays that happen in the moment.

Chess is often associated with intelligence and experience. How do you attack and then how do you counter. But, as Presti said, that’s assuming everyone is playing with the same players on the board. Chess would make sense if everyone had an MVP candidate on their team or a DPOY candidate that can step out and hit 3’s. But in reality, that isn’t the case. In poker, you are given a set of cards, and from there, you decide what to do. Six years ago, the Thunder saw the deck they had in hand, and decided to pivot (or fold) from that current state. And so began the rebuild. While it was uncomfortable (shitty hands) for a little, eventually the team came up aces with their young players and a championship was the end result. Presti knew when to hold them and when to fold them.

“My whole life is consistent.” Yep, checks out. Presti knows ball.

One of the staples of the Thunder ethos is “no agenda basketball”. Presti said that when describing Cason Wallace’s play when they drafted the guard in 2023. And he repeats that, in other words/phrases, of course, in describing Chet. What I love about “Presti-speak” is that he takes a phrase and then parses out synonyms that basically mean the same thing.

 

 

If you were looking for a theme for this year, it’s “turning the page”. Presti mentioned it  multiple times during the press conference and eludes to the fact that the Thunder can’t rest on the laurels of last season. Continuous improvement was also a theme Presti touched on multiple time during the presser.

Frickin’ bars, man. Stop guarding the past. Build towards the future. If this whole GM thing doesn’t work out for Presti, he’s got a helluva future as an inspirational speaker or life coach.

This is nothing new when it comes to Presti. In every preseason presser, he always stresses the goal is to put yourself in position to go after an opportunity if it presents itself. The Thunder have never been a “title or bust” team. It’s always been about setting yourself up to have the opportunity to compete for championships. To Presti, winning a championship does nothing to change that mindset.

 

These two quotes have to go together. With all the fear being stoked that the 2nd apron will eventually tear this team apart, the reality is that the Thunder are only just now in the beginning of their run, haven’t even dipped their toes into the luxury tax (and likely won’t this season), have their core signed for the next six seasons, and still have a treasure trove of assets. Not only that, but the ownership group has been saving money throughout the rebuild specifically for this moment and more money should be coming, in the form of possible expansion and the new arena. Oh, and the Thunder already have a championship in their coffers before they start getting financially penalized.

If your job has a mission statement, just keep repeating it if you are the boss.

And finally:

Keep smiling, champ. Keep smiling.

 

Jalen Williams sheds the wrist brace

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As shown on Jalen Williams’ Instagram page, the brace that once covered his right wrist is now no longer present. The surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament was performed on July 1st, 2025. At the time, the expected re-evaluation period for such a surgery was at least 12 weeks. As of today, we are at 11 weeks, post-surgery. At the time, Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti stated that he expected Williams to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 NBA regular season.

Williams tore the ligament on April 9th, 2025, in a game against the Phoenix Suns. He went on to miss the last two games of the regular season, but played in all the postseason games, as the Thunder made their run to win the championship. As documented in Williams’ post-surgery vlog, he received lidocaine injections in his wrist before each game and before some practices. He also took multiple cortisone shots and developed injection-site callouses in his wrist. He said that during the playoff run, he had to relearn how to shoot, using more of a finger-tip guided shot, instead of his usual wrist-guided shot.

The Thunder start training camp in a couple of weeks and play their first preseason game on October 5th, 2025 against the Charlotte Hornets. Their championship title defense begins on October 21st, 2025 against the Houston Rockets.

 

Thunder @ Indiana Pacers Preview (Game 3 – NBA Finals)

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Where We Currently Stand

  • Game 1 – 111-110 Pacers – Indiana led for 0.3 seconds of the game. Thunder led throughout, but played “not to lose” late in the game which resulted in Indiana mounting a comeback and having the last meaningful possession of the game, which resulted in a go-ahead midrange jumper from Tyrese Haliburton. Series: 1-0 IND
  • Game 2 – 123-107 OKC – Thunder use a 19-2 run in the 2nd quarter to build up a 18-point halftime lead that Indiana could not overcome this time. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was masterful in this game, putting together a 34 point, 8 assist, 5 rebound, 4 steal, and 1 block stat line. Series: Tied 1-1
  • Game 3 – June 11th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST in Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN.
  • Gambler’s Corner
  • Line: OKC -5.5
  • O/U: 227.5

Game 3 Adjustments

1. More Aggressive Haliburton – Tyrese Haliburton is inherently an unselfish player. He would much rather prefer a democratic offensive system, instead of a totalitarian one where he’s the focal point. But that doesn’t mean that he can’t be that guy. In the fourth quarter of Game 2, Haliburton asserted himself a bit more and scored 12 of his 17 points on 5/6 shooting. Another surprising stat is that Haliburton hasn’t attempted a free throw in the Finals yet. While he’ll never be mistaken for a free throw merchant (3 attempts per game during the regular season), his lack of aggressiveness in the Finals has hurt the Pacers. I see that changing in Game 3.

2. Defending SGA – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points on 11-21 shooting and it didn’t even look like he was trying too hard. Whether it was splitting weak double teams or just going at his primary defender (usually his country-mates Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin), SGA was in an offensive zone that only great scorers get into. The Thunder scheme was to try to get SGA loose and moving downhill early in the set, sometimes up to 7 feet outside the 3-point line. If Indiana is going to try to play tighter and more physically on SGA, you could see a game where he becomes more of a distributor. But it could also backfire on Indiana and we could see SGA get to the free throw line at Dwayne Wade-levels in this game.

3. The Others – Whether it’s Indiana’s Others or Oklahoma City’s Others, the Others will decide who wins Game 3. Will we see a big Pascal Siakim game? Will Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren have a defining game in this series? Will Indiana’s shooting get hot playing in front of their home crowd? Can OKC’s bench travel with them to Gainbridge?

4. Game 3’s – This is going to be the immovable object versus the unstoppable force. Oklahoma City has lost their last two Game 3’s and was down by 29 points at one point in Game 3 against Memphis before coming back to win that game. Indiana has lost all three of their Game 3’s in these playoffs by an average of 14.7 points. Something’s got to give in this Game 3.

5. Dominant OKC – While the series is tied 1-1, Oklahoma City has clearly been the better team in this series. They’ve led for 94 of the 96 minutes so far and have been able to mount double-digit leads with ease throughout the series. Now to see if they can continue doing that on the road.

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

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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.

Thunder @ Denver Nuggets preview (Game 8 of 82)

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OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets: Betting Odds, Game Preview, Keys to Game

  • Oklahoma City Thunder (7-0) at Denver Nuggets (4-3)
  • When: Wednesday, 06 November 2024 at 8:00pm CST
  • Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
  • Offensive Rating – DEN: 114.5 (7th) / OKC: 110.9 (19th)
  • Defensive Rating – DEN: 113.0 (17th) / OKC: 93.8 (1st)
  • Net Rating – DEN: 1.5 (11th) / OKC: 17.1 (1st)
  • TV: FanDuel Sports Network – Oklahoma

The Set-Up

This is the second meeting of the season between these two division rivals. The Thunder won the first game 102-87 behind an incredible (and as we’ve come to expect) defensive effort. The Thunder have now won four straight meetings against the Nuggets dating back to last season.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -7.5
  • O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (hand)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
  • Jaylin Williams – OUT (hamstring)
  • Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

DEN

  • Vlatko Cancar – Doubtful (ankle)
  • Aaron Gordon – OUT (calf)
  • DaRon Holmes II – OUT (Achilles)
  • Jamal Murray – OUT (concussion protocol)

Three Big Things

  1. Free Throws – Surprisingly, for a team featuring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder rank dead last in both free throw attempts and makes. If Oklahoma City is trying to emulate Boston’s style of offense, they are forgetting to allow the threat of 3-point shots set-up their ability to drive to the basket. SGA, usually a staple at the top of the drive per game stat, ranks 4th in drives at 19.4 drives per game. The “free throw merchant” is only averaging 5.7 free throw attempts per game in this early going. Jalen Williams is the next highest on the team at 2.6 FTA per game. While this has yet to be an issue for the team, free throw attempts and scoring were a major part of the Thunder’s game plan last season.
  2. Injured Animal – This game is good in testing the Thunder’s psyche. It’s human nature to look at your successes and wonder why you have to keep working so hard if you are going to succeed regardless. The Thunder find themselves facing an injured Denver squad that is missing two of their main components in Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon and likely looking to play in desperation mode in order to keep up in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. An injured animal is a dangerous one…unless the animal on the opposite side has a dangerous mindset also.
  3. Tired Chet – While Chet may be playing less minutes this season, he is shouldering a lot more of the load, especially as the defensive anchor on the best defense in the league. Add to that the fact that both his back-ups (Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams) are both out with injury, and you start to see why Holmgren is looking tired so early in the season. He has to guard the opposing team’s best big and usually, that involves a large discrepancy in mass and strength. He has held his own, don’t get me wrong. But he hasn’t had a chance to breathe early on in this season.