Tag Archives: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings vs. Thunder preview (Game 16 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (14-1, 1st in the West) at Sacramento Kings (3-11, 14th in the West)
  • When: Wednesday, 19 November 2025 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: SAC: 109.8 (25th) / OKC: 118.7 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating: SAC: 120.4 (27th) / OKC: 103.2 (1st)
  • Net Rating: SAC: -10.6 (26th) / OKC: 15.5 (1st)

The Set-Up

In the last preview for these two teams, I essentially wrote a eulogy for Russell Westbrook’s career. The Thunder were playing at home and this was one of two possible games the Thunder faithful had to watch Westbrook ball out in person. Due to how late in the offseason it took for Sacramento to sign Westbrook and the lack of offers from other teams, it felt like we were closing in on the swan song of Westbrook’s career. Westbrook doesn’t strike as the kind of player that would announce a farewell tour. Instead, he feels like the kind of player that either retires in the offseason without warning, plays until the wheels fall off, or goes silently into the night if no team in the league shows interest in him.

With how he played in the first few games of the season, I thought we were in the “wheels are falling off” timeline. But since the first of November, Westbrook has been averaging 15.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.9 assist, and nearly 1 steal a game, with 44/38.5/73 shooting split. Nothing terribly impressive, but also nothing to where you are shoveling dirt onto a body. There is still an NBA player there, so maybe we may get another season or two of Westbrook visits to OKC. Or, honestly, this may be the last visit as an NBA player. So enjoy it. Cheer him when he’s announced and appreciate everything he’s done for OKC.

This is the 3rd and final meeting of the season between these two teams. Oklahoma City won the first meeting 107-101. After being down for most of that game, the Thunder used a 17-4 run in the final 6 minutes of the game to secure the victory. Then, the Thunder shellacked the Kings in Sacramento 132-101 in the Thunder’s first NBA Cup game.

Betting Info presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -18.5
  • O/U: 231.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)
  • Aaron Wiggins – OUT (adductor strain)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (wrist)
  • Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

SAC

  • Keegan Murray – OUT (thumb)
  • Domantas Sabonis – OUT (knee)

Three Big Things

  1. Monster Hart – The last time these two teams played, Hartenstein scored a career-high 33 points to go along with 19 rebounds. Part of that was due to the fact that Domantas Sabonis was out that game. While we would never mistake Sabonis for being a defensive stud, we also know that he’s big enough to at least contend with Hartenstein and keep him relatively in check. The husk that is Drew Eubanks and rookie Maxime Raynaud were no match to Hart. And that same scenario plays out today with Sabonis being out.
  2. Perimeter Defense – Sacramento’s one saving grace is that they are top-10 in 3pt percentage. But in true Kangz fashion, they are 29th in 3-point attempts. In their first meeting of the season, the Kings started the game off by shooting 6-14 from 3 in the first half, buoyed by an unfathomable 3-4 shooting performance from deep for Westbrook. That shooting variance changed in the 2nd half and allowed OKC to get back in the game and eventually win. About the only chance Sacramento has in this game is in hoping for that kind of positive shot variance for an entire 48 minutes.
  3. 4th quarters – Another game, another opportunity to rest players at the end of game. Don’t discount this when the Thunder are playing deep into May and June. These moments of respite will come in handy as the season progresses and gets more difficult.

 

Sacramento Kings vs. Thunder preview (Game 5 of 82)

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  • Sacramento Kings (1-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0)
  • When: Tuesday, 28 October 2025 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: SAC: 111.8 (20th) / OKC: 113.6 (18th)
  • Defensive Rating: SAC: 114.0 (14th) / OKC: 104.4 (1st)
  • Net Rating: SAC: -2.2 (18th) / OKC: 9.2 (4th)

The Set-Up

It’s kind of crazy being a fan of a team who’s extremely proficient up and down the organization. From ownership to the front office to the coaching staff to the players (and this includes their G-League team), the Oklahoma City Thunder are as efficient as they effective. It’s always been one of their key tenants in building a team culture that targets purposeful action. Things that you see in other successful organizations: the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat, the Pittsburgh Steelers, etc. Organizations that from the top on down have an expectation and a plan to execute those expectations.

Annnnnnd then, there’s the Sacramento Kings. A team whose two decade-long status as a middling team has given rise to a nickname that acts as the alter ego to their wishes of a well run organization: the Kangz. The Kings of the early 2000’s that featured Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, and Doug Christie were the darlings of the NBA. Unfortunately, they ran into the beginning run of the Shaq/Kobe Lakers and were never able to scale that mountain. From there, it’s been flub after flub that has kept the team at or near the middle and away from the talent of the early lottery. When they’ve had the opportunity to draft high in the lottery, they’ve completely blown it (namely, 2018 when they drafted Marvin Bagley III over Luka Doncic). When they’ve gotten good young talent (De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis), they haven’t been able to build a team around them and sustain any type of success. Now, they are just trying their best to stay above water which will net them another middle of the pack season where they will be in the high lottery. Thank the basketball gods that I reside in Oklahoma.

This is the first of three meetings this season between the Kings and Thunder. The Thunder swept the season series last year, winning by an average of 23.7 points and have won five in a row against the Kings.

Betting Info presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -10.5
  • O/U: 227.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Chet Holmgren – OUT (back soreness)
  • Isaiah Joe – OUT (knee)
  • Thomas Sorber – OUT (knee – ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (testicular procedure)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (wrist)
  • Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

SAC

  • Nique Clifford – OUT (hamstring)
  • Keegan Murray – OUT (thumb)

Three Big Things

  1. Strengths vs. Weaknesses – The Sacramento Kings are defensively weak on the interior. They allow 56 points per game in the paint (24th), 22.3 points off turnovers (28th), 18.3 second chance points (24th), and are last in the league in rebounds grabbed. Conversely, the Thunder score 54.5 points in the paint (10th), 22.3 points off turnovers (5th), and are 4th in the league in rebounds, which opens up the opportunity for 2nd chance points.
  2. Two-big Lineup – One of the biggest storylines heading into this season was whether the Thunder would continue to lean into the 2-big lineup or start to move away from it. Four games in, the Thunder have started the 2-big lineup in all the games and each of the big men is averaging a double/double. Last season, in 316 minutes played, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein had an offensive rating of 122.9, a defensive rating of 109.4, and a net rating of 13.5. This season, the offensive rating is 123.1, the defensive rating is 104.3, and the net rating is 18.8. In 2-man lineups that have played at least 80 minutes (20 minutes/game), the 2-big line-up is second behind the SGA/Cason Wallace 2-man lineup. In short, the two-big lineup is working much better so far this season.
  3. Russell Westbrook – There may not be too many more opportunities to see the King of the Prairie in his original field of play. Russell Westbrook was who OKC needed when they needed a hero the most. We all know what Russ means to the franchise. He’ll be the second number in the rafters and the first statue outside the arena. He’ll likely have a street in the city named after him. But we all saw how uneasy it was waiting for Westbrook to sign with the Kings a week before the season started. We don’t know when the end will come, but we all know the end is near. So appreciate any opportunity to cheer Westbrook on. On this team, he is no longer a threat like he was with the Denver Nuggets. Do what we do and give the man a raucous applause when he enters the game…because we don’t know how many more times we have to do this.

Thunder @ Sacramento Kings preview (Game 72 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (59-12) at Sacramento Kings (35-36)
  • When: Tuesday, 25 March 2025 at 9:00PM CST
  • Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
  • Offensive Rating – SAC: 115.7 (7th) / OKC: 118.9 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – SAC: 115.1 (20th) / OKC: 106.2 (1st)
  • Net Rating – SAC: 0.6 (15th) / OKC: 12.7 (1st)

The Set-Up

To understand how dominant the Thunder have been this season, you have to look at things from the perspective of player advanced metrics. When you look at Player Impact Estimate (PIE) and filter it for players who play at least 24 minutes a game, the Thunder have 3 players on that list (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jalen Williams). They are the only team to have three players in the top 35. As far as Offensive Rating, the Thunder have eight players in the top 50 of players who have averaged over 20 minutes a game (SGA, Chet Holmgren, Aaron Wiggins, Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, and Dub). Defensively, though, is where they shine. The Thunder have eight players in the top 16 for Defensive Rating for players who have played at least 20 minutes per game. For Net Rating, that number goes 8 players in the top 15. It would almost be an understatement to say this team has been historically good this season.

This is the third meeting of the season between these two teams. The Thunder have won the first two meetings in convincing fashion, once in Sacramento and once in Oklahoma City. The average margin of victory for the Thunder in those two games was 27.5.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -9.5
  • O/U: 231.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Ousmane Dieng – OUT (calf)
  • Alex Ducas – OUT (quad)
  • Chet Holmgren – Questionable (hip)
  • Ajay Mitchell – OUT (toe)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
  • Cason Wallace – Questionable (knee)
  • Aaron Wiggins – Questionable (Achilles)
  • Jalen Williams – Questionable (hip)

SAC

  • Devin Carter – Questionable (illness)
  • Doug McDermott – Questionable (elbow)
  • Malik Monk – Questionable (illness)

Three Big Things

  1. Double Big – If Chet Holmgren returns tonight, this will be a good test for the double big lineup. Isaiah Hartenstein should be the Domantas Sabonis assignment, while Holmgren will have to stick onto Keegan Murray. In addition, the Kings can also trot Jonas Valanciunas out there to compete with the Thunder’s size. But as we’ve seen in the past, the Thunder would likely welcome the Valanciunas minutes with open arms.
  2. Perimeter Defense – The Kings are a mid-range oriented team. They score 60.7% of their points from 2-point range (8th in the league) and just 29.3% of their points from 3-point range (23rd in the league). For comparison, the Thunder are league average at 58% of their points coming from 2 and 42% coming from 3. That’s to be expected when two of your main offensive engines are Sabonis and mid-range king DeMar DeRozan. In addition, if Malik Monk plays, he always seems to give the Thunder fits as a microwave scorer.
  3. First to 60 – The Thunder are one of three teams in the league that still have a chance to hit the 60-win mark (Cleveland and Boston are the others). A win tonight gives them the first place ribbon in that race.

Western Conference Play-In Preview

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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)

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  • 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Houston Rockets vs. Thunder preview (Game 58 of 82)

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  • Houston Rockets (25-32, 12th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-17, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Tuesday, 27 February 2024 at 9:00pm CST
  • Where: PayCom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – HOU: 112.8 (24th) / OKC: 119.6 (3rd)
  • Defensive Rating – HOU: 112.8 (8th) / OKC: 111.4 (4th)
  • Net Rating – HOU: -0.1 (18th) / OKC: 8.2 (2nd)

The Set-Up

I’ve never solved the puzzle that is the Rubik Cube. I try and then eventually just give up. And I’ve never really done a deep dive into how to solve it either. But to some people, the Rubik Cube became an obsession. They researched it, spoke to people who had solved it before, and kept trying. Eventually, they figured the trick to the Cube and solved it. Now, you have people that can solve a Rubik Cube in less than a minute.

This season has been a lot like the solving of the Rubik Cube for the Thunder. Some teams flummoxed OKC early on, but through research (game film) and speaking with experts (Coach Daigneault), the Thunder have begun to figure teams out. Denver completely demolished the Thunder early in the season. Then the Thunder won the next three. Sacramento has given OKC issues for the past few seasons. The Thunder now seem to have figured that puzzle out. Houston plays like world-beaters every time their opponent has OKC written on their jersey. The Thunder turned a 16-point deficit into a 13-point victory on Sunday. Here’s hoping the puzzle of bad starts against Houston gets solved tonight.

This is the third of four meetings this season between these two teams. Houston dominated OKC in their first meeting in Houston, winning 110-101 (it wasn’t that close). OKC returned the favor on Sunday, winning 123-110. Their final meeting of the season will be on March 27th.

Magic Numbers

  • To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 16
  • To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 19

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -9.5
  • O/U: 235.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

HOU

  • Steven Adams (knee) – OUT
  • Tari Eason (lower leg) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. The Josh Giddey conundrum – The Houston Rockets were the first team this season to really lean on the “put the center on Giddey and let them roam” defense that OKC has been seeing over the past two months. In Sunday’s game, the Thunder involved Giddey in a lot more action around the floor (pick and rolls, off-ball action, etc) to cause the defense to react to the movement. The beautiful thing about a home and home is that it almost has the feel of a playoff series where adjustments are made from game to game. It will be interesting to see how Houston adjusts to OKC putting Giddey in motion on the offensive end.
  2. Attack the paint – Houston has prioritized in long-winged perimeter defenders such as Tari Eason, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr, and Amen Thompson. Where they lack is on the interior. While it may be a chore in getting into the paint, once they arrive, there isn’t much stopping from getting to the rim. For as good as Alperen Sengun has been on the offensive end, the defensive struggles are starting to become more and more apparent with every passing day.
  3. Gordon Hayward – While it has looked a little clunky, I think the Hayward trade will turn out to be very successful for the Thunder. He has yet to take a three in the three games he has played with OKC. That means one of two things for me: either Hayward is still figuring out where on the floor to be in order to compliment OKC’s big 3 or defenders are staying closer to Hayward than they would someone like, oh, I don’t know, Josh Giddey, and giving the big 3 more space to operate. I’m calling my shot: Hayward hits two 3-pointers tonight.

Thunder @ Sacramento Kings preview (Game 23 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (15-7, 2nd in the West) @ Sacramento Kings (13-9, 6th in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 14 December 2023 at 9:00pm CST
  • Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
  • Offensive Rating – SAC: 114.5 (14th) / OKC: 117.8 (6th)
  • Defensive Rating – SAC: 115.0 (20th) / OKC: 110.2 (5th)
  • Net Rating – SAC: -0.5 (20th) / OKC: 7.6 (3rd)

The Set-Up

On Tuesday, the city of Oklahoma City voted on whether to continue a one cent sales tax to pay for a new arena to essentially keep the Thunder in the Great Plains state for the foreseeable future (25+ years). The result: A 71-29 landslide victory for those in favor of the city paying for a new arena. The noise about whether the city would be able to keep the team has now been deemed null and void. OKC did what Seattle couldn’t do: which is keep their team via arena vote.

With that out of the way, it is now time to fully focus on this team. The vote nullified an air of uncertainty that had been around since OKC Mayor David Holt first suggested this situation would be decided by a vote. A surprising start has fueled the idea that this team could possibly do things come playoff time. With the worry of the unknown out of the way, could this pave the way for the team to start using their sizeable asset chest to bring in star talent/veteran role players? I would say “hold off on that thought”. The organization seems content on seeing how this current squad plays out. They have the makings of having three bonafide stars and could see a Durant/Westbrook/Harden-type situation happening a lot sooner than later. Only time will tell. But the good thing is that we have plenty of time now.

This is the second of four meetings between the Thunder and Kings. Sacramento won the first meeting 105-98.

Betting Info

  • Line: SAC -1.5
  • O/U: 244.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

SAC

  • Alex Len (ankle) – OUT
  • Trey Lyles (illness) – Questionable

Three Big Things

  1. Attack the paint – In their last meeting against Sacramento, the Thunder settled way too much for mid-range jumpers. They were outscored in the paint, 46-58, and shot only 42% from the field. The Kings do not have a rim-protector and rank near the bottom of the league in blocks and points in the paint allowed.
  2. Little House of Horrors – It does not matter what the building is called (Arco, Golden 1, etc), the arena in Sacramento always seems to be a little house of horrors for the Thunder. Since the rebuild started in the 2020-21 season, the Thunder are 0-7 in Sacramento. In fact, over that span, that team is 1-10 vs. the Kings. For some reason, this team has the Thunder’s number. Which is a little worrying because I could definitely see the Thunder facing someone like the Kings in the first round of the playoffs this season.
  3. Play your game – The Kings are elite at defensive rebounding and getting back on defense. They lead the league in defensive rebound percentage and are 2nd in opponent fast break points. The team leading the league in allowing the least amount of opponent fast break points: the Houston Rockets. And we saw how well we fared against their defense. The Thunder have got to find a way to enforce their will on the Kings. Whether that’s turning them over to get into transition or running the break off a defensive rebound, the Thunder will have to get on the break to establish their game.

Thunder @ Minnesota Timberwolves preview (Game 17 of 82 / In-Season Tournament Game #4)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (11-5, 2nd in the West) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (12-4, 1st in the West)
  • When – Tuesday, 28 November 2023 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where – Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
  • Offensive Rating – MIN: 113.2 (13th) / OKC: 117.9 (6th)
  • Defensive Rating – MIN: 106.8 (2nd) / OKC: 109.6 (7th)
  • Net Rating – MIN: 6.4 (4th) / OKC: 8.3 (3rd)

The Set-Up

If you are writing a story about the come-up of a great young team, you always have to have the protagonist. The rival the team has to overcome to make it to the top of that mountain. For the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls, it was the Detroit Pistons. For the Kobe/Shaq Lakers, it was the Sacramento Kings. For the Curry Warriors, it was Mark Jackson. For this iteration of the Thunder, we still don’t know who that team is. It could be the Orlando Magic. The San Antonio Spurs. Maybe the Houston Rockets.

Or it could be the team that we’ve already faced in a non-regular season scenario. These two teams faced off in the 2nd round game of the Play-In Tournament last season, with Minnesota out-dueling the Thunder on their way to a 120-95 victory. The Wolves were very physical and bested the Thunder in points in the paint, 58-30. The frontcourt tandem of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns combined to score 49 points and grab 19 rebounds, while shooting 19 free throws.

Season Series – This is the first meeting this season between these division rivals.

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

MIN

  • Jaylen Clark (Achilles) – Out
  • Jaden McDaniels (ankle) – Out
  • Jordan McLaughlin (knee) – Out

Three Big Things

  1. High stakes – Okay, so these may not be huge stakes. No one really cares about who’s number one in their conference 17 games into an 82-game season. I get it. But, man, would it feel good to be conference king for a day. If nothing else, a win gives you a leg up on a division/conference rival for future playoff seeding and knocks Minnesota out of the In-Season Tournament.
  2. Big rotation – It’ll be interesting to see how head coach Mark Daigneault handles the big rotation tonight. We saw in the Philly game his willingness to play two bigs in Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams. What could be most interesting is the Naz Reid vs. Kenrich Williams match-up that I think we’ll see some tonight.
  3. Shooting – I’ve got a secret for you guys. The Thunder, now hear me out, tend to do better when their 3-point shot is falling. I know, I know. Shocking! All kidding aside, the Thunder have turned into the quintessential modern NBA team. Most of their shots come from the 3-point line and in the paint. Only 7.6% of their points come from the mid-range. And while the Thunder do lead the league in 3-point percentage, when that shot isn’t falling, the offense can get very clunky. Players like Lu Dort and Cason Wallace, who started the season off hot, have now regressed to where they likely will be for the rest of the season. And if Isaiah Joe isn’t completely flame-throwing from deep, the offense looks even worse.

Thunder @ Golden State Warriors preview (Game 12 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (7-4) @ Golden State Warriors (6-6)
  • When: Thursday, 16 November 2023 at 9:00pm CST
  • Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
  • Offensive Rating – GS: 112.5 (15th) / OKC: 113.9 (9th)
  • Defensive Rating – GS: 110.5 (9th) / OKC: 109.2 (7th)
  • Net Rating – GS: 2.1 (11th) / OKC: 4.7 (6th)

The Set-Up

Catching breaks. In an 82-game season, there are times where you just catch a break. Maybe you catch a team where you are their 5th game in 7 nights. Sometimes you catch a team that is resting their (“injured”) star(s). Sometimes you just catch a team on an off-night. But there’s a duality in catching a team in a bad state. The other part to the equation is you have to come out and take advantage of the situation. When the Thunder played the Sacramento Kings nearly a week ago, they faced a Kings team that had lost 3 of their last 4 previous games and was without their star guard in De’Aaron Fox. The Thunder came out and completely laid an egg and lost, not just a regular season game, but an In-Season Tournament game.

The Thunder come into this game facing a Warriors team that is missing Steph Curry and Draymond Green. With all that said, this is still a dangerous squad. Game 6 Klay is always lurking, Andrew Wiggins used to be one of the biggest thorns in the Thunder’s side back a couple of seasons ago, and Chris Paul can always conjure up magic from time to time. The Thunder need to take advantage of the circumstances that have presented themselves and win these next two games.

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

GS

  • Steph Curry (knee) – Out
  • Draymond Green (suspension) – Out

Three Big Things

  1. Rebounding – I know this has been an issue all season. But rebounding is one of those things that can equalize a game for a team that is missing some of their key rotational pieces. Allowing a team like the Warriors extra possessions is not a recipe for success. The Thunder have done a better job of gang rebounding, but still rank near the bottom in every rebounding statistical category.
  2. SGA – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t play in the last Warriors game due to sprained knee. Even with his absence, the Thunder nearly won their last meeting against Golden State. Oklahoma City did a great job of attacking the lane and looking for the open shooter. It was almost Golden State’esque. With SGA in the line-up, the Thunder should be able to do even more damage on the interior, especially with the absence of Draymond Green.
  3. Limit the Others – This feels like the type of trap game where someone like Moses Moody or Jonathan Kuminga could go off for their career highs. Or someone like Dario Saric could have a “Wow that’s what he looked like before all the injuries” kind of game. The Thunder cannot be lulled into a false sense of security with Curry and Green out for the game.

Thunder @ Sacramento Kings preview (Game 9 of 82 / In-Season Tournament Game #2)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (5-3) @ Sacramento Kings (3-4)
  • When: Friday, 10 November 2023 at 9:00pm CST
  • Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
  • Offensive Rating – SAC: 109.3 (20th) / OKC: 115.2 (7th)
  • Defensive Rating – SAC: 113.4 (18th) / OKC: 113.9 (20th)
  • Net Rating – SAC: -4.1 (21st) / OKC: 1.3 (15th)

The Set-Up

The In-Season Tournament has actually succeeded in making some games matter in a time when regular season games usually don’t. I know. I know. Spare me the “all 82 games of the regular season matter” speech. If you’re a die-hard like me, you truly enjoy all 82 games. But to the lay fan, the only games that matter to them most of the time are the marquee games in the regular season and the playoffs. With this In-Season Tournament though, these four “group-play” games matter a ton if a team actually wants to make it to the elimination round and beyond.

Which is where the Thunder currently find themselves. After losing a heart-breaker to the Warriors in their first In-Season Tournament game, the Thunder now sit behind the 8-ball if their have any aspirations of playing in more than just these four “group-play” games. Two of their next 3 games are In-Season games and these are the two that would likely be considered very winnable.

Injury Report

OKC

  • Kenrich Williams (back) – Out

SAC

  • De’Aaron Fox (ankle) – Out
  • Trey Lyles (calf) – Out

Three Large Items

  1. Darn Injuries – The Sacramento Kings have struggled a bit coming out of the gates this season. While there are more than a few reasons for the struggle, the biggest reason is the absence of point guard De’Aaron Fox. He’s missed the last four games and the Kings are 1-3 without him. He is the engine that made one of the best offenses run last season and his loss has severely affected how Sacramento plays. Last season, the Kings were 12th in pace. This season, 24th. Another damning stat: last season the Kings were 13th in percentage of points off the fast break. This year, dead last.
  2. Attack the Rim – The Kings rank 18th in blocks per game. While not necessarily an indicator of how well a defense plays, Domantas Sabonis has never really been known as a rim protector. With SGA and Chet Holmgren getting more comfortable with each other on the offensive end with every game played together, this may be a situation where the Thunder can generate some easy looks based on the gravity those two players would command.
  3. Little House of Horrors – Sacramento has historically been a tough place for the Thunder to play. I’ve always called their arena(s) our little houses of horror. With what’s at stake with the In-Season Tournament, here’s hoping the Thunder man up a bit and prevent the Kings from lighting the beam.