Tag Archives: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Thunder @ Phoenix Suns preview (Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals)

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  • #1 Oklahoma City Thunder (2-0) @ #8 Phoenix Suns (0-2)
  • When: Saturday, 25 April 2026 at 2:30pm CST
  • Where: Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, AZ
  • TV: NBC/Peacock
  • Series Record: OKC leads 2-0

The Tip-Off

The grabbing of the back of the leg and then the ginger walking. Two of the worst things you want to see from one of your best players when your team is in the postseason. The Lakers dealt with that a week before the playoffs started with Luka Doncic. Denver has been dealing with seemingly for the past year with Aaron Gordon’s hamstring and now Peyton Watson’s hamstring. And, of course, the Thunder this season with Jalen Williams. The major difference is that Oklahoma City has done a good job of weathering the storm in Dub’s absences. Discounting the last two games of the season, in which most of the top rotational players for OKC sat, the Thunder were 39-8 in games that Williams missed due to injury. That’s an 83% win percentage. I’m in no way saying that the Thunder can win a championship without Dub. But they are pretty well equipped to manage the loss until he can return and they have the experience from this past season to lean on.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -8.5
  • O/U: 212.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Isaiah Joe – OUT (personal)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

PHX

  • Grayson Allen – Questionable (hamstring)
  • Jordan Goodwin – Questionable (calf)
  • Mark Williams – OUT (foot)

Three Big Things

  1. Adapt To The Officiating – Referees are humans. We’ve seen how they’ve changed how they ref SGA due to pressure from the narrative-driven outside world. Now, that usually normalizes itself, but peer pressure, even from people you don’t know, is truly a thing. With OKC’s depth taking a bit of a hit with Dub and Isaiah Joe being out, it would behoove OKC to play smart on defense and avoid getting into any foul trouble.
  2. Control The Perimeter – For the playoffs, the Suns rank dead last in points in the paint. Part of that is that OKC is playing defense against them. But the majority of the reason for that is that Phoenix is just not a driving team. They don’t have a great play-maker, don’t have a great inside presence, and they generate most of their offense from the perimeter. Phoenix started hitting more shots in Game 2 and OKC needs to do their part to make sure Phoenix doesn’t stay comfortable shooting from outside.
  3. Ajay Mitchell – With the loss of Jalen Williams, so much more of the offensive load will rest on Mitchell’s shoulders. Whether he starts or not, I can definitely see more time for Mitchell with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, especially if we see early on, that Phoenix is doubling or blitzing SGA every time he touches the ball.

Phoenix Suns vs. Thunder preview (Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals)

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  • #8 Phoenix Suns (0-1) vs. #1 Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0)
  • When: Wednesday, 22 April 2026 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: ESPN
  • Series Record: OKC leads 1-0

The Tip-Off

With 8:05 left in the first quarter, Phoenix held a 12-9 lead and had a little momentum in the early going of the game. The jump shots were falling on their end and the Thunder were missing on the other end. If the Suns were going to steal a game, this is the recipe that would need to be used.

Then Jalen Williams happened.

An open three off a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kickout. Then an immediate steal and transition dunk off a Jalen Green turnover and the Thunder held their first lead of the game. A lead, they would never relinquish. A couple possessions later, Dillon Brooks tried to physically back Dub down, but was met with equal physicality and lost the ball, which popped up right into the waiting arms of Chet Holmgren. And, as Brooks is prone to do, he swiped in the direction of the ball, but caught Holmgren’s face. The ref reviewed it, hit Brooks with a Flagrant-1, and Holmgren hit four free throws (two from the flagrant and then two on a subsequent foul on the offensive possession). By the end of the first quarter, OKC held a 15-point lead.

If you are going to come back on OKC, though, the time to do it is when SGA is sitting on the bench. And that usually occurs in the first six minutes of the 2nd quarter and first six minutes of the fourth quarter (if the game is close enough (wink!)). So there was a little ray of hope for Phoenix (see what I did there?) heading into the 2nd quarter.

Then Jaylin Williams happened.

The Thunder led 37-23 when Jaylin Williams checked into the game for Isaiah Hartenstein. For the next 4.5 minutes, J-Will put on a defensive clinic, the likes we’ve never seen from Williams. In that time span, J-Will had 4 rebounds, 2 steals, an assist, and 2 points. That 14-point lead ballooned up to 23 by the time Williams sat back down with 6:01 left in the quarter. It was pretty much game after that…all on the back of two guys with the initials J. Williams.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -17.5
  • O/U: 215.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Thomas Sorber – OUT (knee/ACL)

PHX

  • Grayson Allen – Questionable (hamstring)
  • Jordan Goodwin – Questionable (calf)
  • Mark Williams – Questionable (foot)

Three Big Things

  1. 0-0 Mentality – I know this is the Thunder’s mantra. And they seem to be living by it 100% of the time. But we also know that human nature is real. And the possibility of letting up after demolishing a team while your best player has a subpar game is there. We kind of saw that in the Memphis series last postseason. OKC won the first game by 51 points and then won the second game by 19. But in Game 3, Memphis came out like an injured animal with their back against the wall and had the Thunder down by 29 points before Ja Morant left the game with an injured hip. It took a historic comeback in the second half for OKC to escape with a narrow victory in that game. By Game 4, Memphis kind of started to figure out the Thunder’s Rubik’s cube, even without Morant, and gave the Thunder a helluva game, losing by only two in the series clincher for OKC. There are many lessons that can be gleaned from last year’s postseason run, and these may be two of the most important ones: Sometimes your toughest opponent is complacency and you can’t take your margin of victory from the last game Linto the next game.
  2. SGA – OKC won by 35 despite SGA having shooting splits of 28/0/88. We used to make fun of Kyle Singler for having a shooting split total under 100, and SGA nearly did that in this game. With all that said, Phoenix was being physical with him and was sending doubles at various points in the game. But the evolution of SGA’s game is that he also had 7 assists and 0 turnovers. If “the others” are making enough shots and the defense is up to the Thunder standard, there may not be a necessity for a hyper-efficient SGA game.
  3. Take Care of Business – While the series on the other side of the bracket are both tied at 1 game apiece, the Lakers are taking care of business against the Rockets on OKC’s side of the bracket. The hope was that the 4/5 matchup would be a 6 or 7 game series, but the reality is this Kevin Durant-led team appears to be heading down the path most Durant-led teams have gone, and that’s implosion. A Lakers sweep would give them time to rest, heal up, and be ready for the second round. Not that it worries me that much, but making sure that OKC gets the same amount of time to rest up would be beneficial.

Phoenix Suns vs. Thunder preview (Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals)

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  • #8 Phoenix Suns (0-0) vs. #1 Oklahoma City Thunder (0-0)
  • When: Sunday, 19 April 2026 at 2:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: ABC
  • Series Record: 0-0

The Tip-Off

We’re finally here. October 21st, 2025, aka Ring Night, truly feels like it was years ago. The Thunder hoisting up the Larry O’Brien trophy on June 22nd, 2025, might as well have been a decade ago. The regular season this year didn’t feel like a statement it was the last two previous season. Instead, it felt like a slog. Like you were walking in wet cement as it begins to solidify. When you accomplish the ultimate goal in team sports, have a shortened offseason, and bring back basically the same roster, the regular season can, at times, feel like it takes on less meaning. Add to that, the list of walking wounded the Thunder trotted in night in and night out and the unspoken human nature component of “why try ridiculously hard every evening, if the ultimate prize lays at the end of a rainbow where you have to arrive as healthy as possible,” and now you see why the regular season felt a bit more joyless this year. And yet, with all that, as true Oklahomans can attest, they weathered the storm. Their fortitude and commitment to the job allowed them to finish with the best record in the league for the second straight season. That means home-court advantage for every Game 1 and Game 7* (if necessary). And as we saw last season, having home-court in Game 7, was a lot more important than having it in Game 1.

The Season Series

  • Game 1 – November 28th, 2025 – The first meeting between OKC and Phoenix was notable, not only because it was one of their NBA Cup Group Play games, but also because it was the return of Jalen Williams back into OKC’s lineup after missing the first 19 games of the season recovering from offseason wrist surgery. Oklahoma City won 123-119, in a game that saw them lead by as many as 15 points early in the fourth quarter, only to squander that lead away and have it be a one-point game with 2 minutes left in the game. Some shot-making and play-making late in the fourth from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped close the door on the Suns. OKC was led by SGA (37 points and 8 assists) and Chet Holmgren (23 points and 8 rebounds).
  • Game 2 – December 10th, 2025 – Both of these teams met again in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals, and this time, the result was never in question. Phoenix was without Devin Booker and OKC’s defense took full advantage of Phoenix missing their main offensive engine, winning 138-89. The only other notable thing in this game was Grayson Allen getting ejected in the 3rd quarter due to a Flagrant-2 on Chet Holmgren.
  • Game 3 – January 4th, 2026 – This was during the time in the season where OKC looked like their confidence was waining a bit after the losses to San Antonio in December. OKC appeared to have control for most of the game, but Phoenix kept it close and finally overtook the Thunder in the end on a Booker game-winning three with 0.7 seconds left in the game, winning 108-105. Phoenix completely destroyed OKC on the boards in this game, grabbing 10 more offensive rebounds and 20 more rebounds total.
  • Game 4 – February 11th, 2026 – Probably the most definitive J-Dub game of the season, as OKC won 136-109. He led the way, scoring 28 points on 11/12 shooting from the field, before exiting the game in the third quarter with a reaggravation of his hamstring strain. Up to that point, it felt like his wrist issues were behind him and he could start to put some games together. But, alas, it wasn’t in the cards at that time. Six other players scored in double figures for the Thunder, in a game that lacked both SGA and Booker.
  • Game 5 – April 12th,2026 – The G-League Suns beat the G-League Thunder, 135-103. Branden Carlson led the way for OKC with 26 points and 10 boards and Payton Sandfort pumped in a career-high 23 points on 5/9 shooting from deep.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -14.5
  • O/U: 215.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)

PHX

  • Grayson Allen – Questionable (hamstring)
  • Mark Williams – Questionable (foot)

Three Big Things

  1. Jalen Green – One player the Thunder haven’t had to account for in their previous meetings this season was Jalen Green. The mercurial shooting guard was absent from all 5 of the regular season games due to various injuries. But he has shown up for Phoenix in the last two play-in games, scoring a total of 71 points on 10/21 shooting from deep. If Green is getting hot at the right time, it could be an added weapon Phoenix could throw at OKC. One of the ways that Phoenix can beat OKC is in shot-making variance and Green can add to that.
  2. Size – Despite having Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro on their roster, Phoenix has seemingly fallen in love with their small-ball lineup that features Ryan Dunn and Royce O’Neal as their bigs. It’ll be interesting to see the lineups that Suns coach Jordan Ott deploys. Regardless, OKC’s platoon of big men (Chet, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams) should fare very well on the interior against the Suns.
  3. Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Joe – Probably the biggest X-factors for the Thunder outside of the performance of their Big-3. Joe has been on a consistent tear here over the past couple of months, shooting over 41% from deep since the new year. In addition, his defense and overall offensive game have allowed him to stay on the floor and be less of a liability as an overall rotational piece. And Mitchell has been a revelation this season as a play-maker, ball handler, and offensive engine with or without SGA or Dub in the lineup with him. If those two can continue into the playoffs what they’ve been doing in the regular season, it could spell big trouble for the rest of the teams left in the playoffs.

The Thunder and the Play-In Tournament

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There is, of course, an obvious connection to the Play-In Tournament and the Oklahoma City Thunder. As the No.1 seed in the Western Conference, the Thunder will face the winner of the second Western Conference play-in game that will take place on Friday, April 17th. One of the Trailblazers, the Suns, the Clippers, or the Warriors will be the first step in the Thunder’s quest to be the first repeat champion in eight seasons. A collection of teams the Thunder went a combined 13-3 against.

But Oklahoma City may have ulterior motives in their viewership of the Play-In Tournament. Depending on how things shake out, OKC has the possibility of netting up to two lottery picks in what is considered by many to be a stacked 2026 NBA Draft. They own an unprotected Clippers’ first round pick from the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deal. Yes, seven years later, that deal is still the gift that keeps on giving. They also own a top-4 protected first round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers. That pick came via the trade that sent Al Horford to Philly at the beginning of the Thunder’s rebuild in 2020. For a team that just finished with the best record in the league and is a championship contender, getting even one lottery pick in a draft like this is a nightmare for the rest of the association.

What’s even scarier, is that something like this already happened to the Thunder a couple of years ago. In the 2022 Play-In Tournament, the Clippers came into that as the 8th seed. In the 7/8 game, they went on the road and played the Minnesota Timberwolves. They ended up losing that game, 109-104, as Patrick Beverly celebrated in front of the Minnesota crowd like he had won the MVP, Finals, Finals MVP, and a billion dollar lottery all in one felled swoop. The loss didn’t eliminate the Clippers, though. In the second play-in game, the Clippers hosted the winners of the 9/10 game, the New Orleans Pelicans. Before the game though, Clippers star Paul George tested positive for Covid-19 and had to sit out that game. The Clippers, now missing both George and Kawhi Leonard, put up a spirited fight, even going up by 10 entering the fourth quarter, but ultimately lost the game down the stretch, 105-101. That loss knocked them out of the playoffs and into the lottery. It was already known that the Thunder would get the Clippers pick regardless of where it landed (remember, the gift that keeps on giving). But now, the Thunder had, not just one, but now two picks in the lottery of the 2022 Draft.

We all know what happened after that. The Thunder luckily jumped up in the lottery and got the 2nd pick. The Clippers’ pick landed at 12. Chet Holmgren was picked by the Thunder with the 2nd pick. And with the Clippers’ pick (WTTP, if you know, you know), the Thunder drafted a draft combine rising star from the University of Santa Clara by the name of Jalen Williams. And the rest, as we know, is history. Williams became an All-Star and All-NBA player by his third season and helped the Thunder win their first championship in Oklahoma City. All because a team lost twice in the Play-In Tournament.

Can it happen again? Maybe. Maybe not. Single game results can be so varied. Things like home-court advantage may not necessarily matter in this type of setting. But to have the opportunity to get, not just one, but two lottery picks in a draft like this is crazy. The Thunder brass will definitely be locked into the Play-In Tournament. Not just for the purposes of scouting their possible first round opponent, but also for the purposes of seeing where their picks are going to land. The way you keep a dynasty rolling is by resupplying with talent from the draft. Rookies are usually cheaper than more established players. With the Thunder definitely going head first into the tax and possibly into the second apron next season, having the ability to draft top-tier (cheaper) talent is tantamount to their ability to continue contending. OKC will need Philadelphia to lose twice and the Clippers to lose once. It’s happened once already. Is it in the cards to happen again? I don’t know, but we’ll definitely be watching.

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

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  • 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Detroit Pistons vs. Thunder preview (Game 76 of 82)

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  • Detroit Pistons (54-20, 1st in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (59-16, 1st in the West)
  • When: Monday, 30 March 2026 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: Peacock/NBCSN
  • Offensive Rating: DET: 117.0 (9th) / OKC: 117.3 (7th)
  • Defensive Rating: DET: 108.7 (2nd) / OKC: 106.3 (1st)
  • Net Rating: DET: 8.3 (3rd) / OKC: 11.0 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: DET: Winners of 2 in a row and 9 of their last 11 games / OKC: Winners of 2 in a row and 14 of their last 15 games
  • Magic Number (to clinch the No. 1 seed throughout the playoffs): 6

The Tip-Off

The end of season grind for playoff teams can be a balancing act of roster shuffling and getting real game-time reps in preparation for the postseason. Oklahoma City finds itself firmly entrenched in one of the top two positions in the West. But it also has to find games where it can play it’s normal starting unit, which has only seen about 8 games of action all season long. Finding time to catch a rhythm with the likes of Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, and Isaiah Hartenstein, while also looking out for their health is the teeter totter of all teeter totters. If the Thunder can get all their players to the postseason healthy and in rhythm, great. If they can’t, then the real struggle begins.

This is the second and final meeting of the regular season between the Thunder and Pistons. Detroit won the first meeting 124-116 in a game that saw the Thunder without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, and Isaiah Hartenstein. In that game, four Thunder players scored at least 20 points, with Jaylin Williams leading the way with a career high 30 points.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -12.5
  • O/U: 218.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf injury management)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring injury management)

DET

  • Cade Cunningham – OUT (chest/lung)
  • Jalen Duren – OUT (knee)
  • Tobias Harris – OUT (hip)
  • Duncan Robinson – OUT (hip)
  • Isaiah Stewart – OUT (calf)

Three Big Things

  1. Trap-Game Potential – Detroit is down five of their top 8 rotation players. That doesn’t mean that the Pistons won’t fight. Just like the Thunder gave the Pistons a run for their money in Detroit while missing many of their top rotational players, the Pistons can do the same if the Thunder aren’t on their A-game.
  2. SGA slump? – Over the past 2 games, SGA has shot 16/42 from the floor (38%), 1/13 from deep (8%), and has missed three free throws in each of those games. For a player who is famed for his efficiency, this is a slump of biblical proportions. For context though, the previous five games before this two-game run, SGA had shooting splits of 66% from the field and 53% from deep, while averaging 31 points per game. So it could be nothing. Or, it could be everything. I’m hoping it’s just a blip on the radar and not something like a lingering injury. Ausar Thompson, one of the best defenders in the league, will be hounding SGA all night tonight.
  3. Daniss Jenkins – Over the past 5 games, Jenkins has been averaging 20.6 points and nearly 8 assists per game. He has been the catalyst that has helped Detroit remain afloat since the injury to Cade Cunningham. He’ll be missing a huge chunk of his supporting cast tonight, but he has shown the ability to take over games and leave his imprint on the floor.

 

New York Knicks vs. Thunder preview (Game 75 of 82)

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  • New York Knicks (48-26, 3rd in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (58-16, 1st in the West)
  • When: Sunday, 29 March 2026 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: NBC/Peacock
  • Offensive Rating: NYK: 118.7 (3rd) / OKC: 117.2 (7th)
  • Defensive Rating: NYK: 112.1 (5th) / OKC: 106.3 (1st)
  • Net Rating: NYK: 6.6 (5th) / OKC: 11.0 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: NYK: Lost their last game, winners of 7 straight before that / OKC: Won their last game, went 15-2 in their previous 17.
  • Magic Number (to clinch the No. 1 seed in the West): 7

The Tip-Off

OKC has the hardest remaining schedule in the league, per Tankathon.com. Seven of their last 8 games are against current post-season qualified teams, with five of those games coming against teams that in the top-4 of their conferences. Now, as this is the end of the season, the rosters may not always play out in full strength, but the possibility is still there. In addition, the Thunder are being chased by San Antonio, who has a much easier schedule to finish out the year. If you are a fan of games of consequence in April, this is the year for you. Enjoy the last 8 games of the season…not just in OKC, but throughout the NBA. There’s an air of vulnerability with the Thunder and teams are trying their hardest for positioning and opportunity.

This is the second and final meeting of the regular season between the Thunder and Knicks. The Thunder won the first meeting 103-100 in Madison Square Garden in a game that saw the Knicks get two opportunities to tie the game in the finals seconds only to miss the shots. In that game, Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 28 points and 8 rebounds.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -8.5
  • O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Brooks Barnhizer – Day to Day
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)

NYK

  • Kevin McCullar Jr. – OUT (calf)
  • Deuce McBride – OUT (pelvis)
  • Landry Shamet – OUT (knee)

Three Big Things

  1. Perimeter Defense – The Knicks are 7th in 3-pointers made, 11th in 3-pointers attempted, and 4th in 3-point percentage per game. The dribble and drive game of Jalen Brunson facilitates the open looks for Karl-Anthony Towns and New York’s plethora of 3-and-D wings. The point of attack defense on Brunson will be crucial to limiting this aspect of New York’s offense. Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso will need to be on their defensive game today.
  2. Jalen Williams – New York struggles a little on offense against the Thunder because of Jalen Williams’ ability to guard KAT one on one. Dub wasn’t available for the last game between these two, but having a fully healthy Williams to matchup against KAT can open up rotational options for the Thunder.
  3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – It’s been a while since SGA has had a defining game. I know, I know…how can you average 30+ points per game, lead the best team in the league, and be in the midst of a record (20 points scored per game) and still need defining games? But we were spoiled to a stretch there where OKC was winning games of consequence and SGA was hitting game-winner after game-winner that essentially shut-down the MVP at that time. But then NBA twitter and the talking heads got bored with that and in entered Victor Wembanyama into the MVP chat. So SGA has about 5 more games left this season (I doubt he plays the remaining games this year) to make a statement and let people who may have forgotten know “the MVP still resides in Oklahoma City”.

Chicago Bulls vs. Thunder preview (Game 74 of 82)

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  • Chicago Bulls (29-43, 12th in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (57-16, 1st in the West)
  • When: Friday, 27 March 2026 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: NBATV / FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: CHI: 112.6 (24th) / OKC: 117.1 (8th)
  • Defensive Rating: CHI: 117.1 (23rd) / OKC: 106.2 (1st)
  • Net Rating: CHI: -4.5 (23rd) / OKC: 10.8 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: CHI: 3-5 in their last 8 games / OKC: Lost their last game, winners of 12 of their last 13
  • OKC Magic Number Count – 8, to clinch the #1 seed throughout the playoffs

The Tip-Off

Here lately, it has felt like the Thunder are playing every game on Friday the 13th and the San Antonio Spurs are Jason Voorhees. And no matter how fast the Thunder run, the Spurs are right there continually nipping at their heels. (Cha-cha-cha) Win 12 in a row…the Spurs go 11-1 in that same stretch. Look at the strength of schedule for their remaining games, and the 2 game lead the Thunder hold over the Spurs constantly feels like its only a step away. But is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. The Thunder weren’t really tested last season until the 2nd round of the playoffs, which may have played a part in their inexperience during certain situations in the playoffs. Having to be battle-tested in the regular season could show it’s worth in the playoffs this season. While the Thunder did eventually win the title, there are some players on the roster this season that didn’t necessarily play a big part in the rotation last year (namely Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain). In addition, it also puts the onus on the Spurs to have to continue playing all the way through the end of the season, which limits their ability to rest their players.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between the Thunder and Bulls. OKC won the first meeting, 116-108, in a game that saw five Thunder players score at least 17 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was out for that game and the leading scorer for OKC was Jared McCain off the bench with 20 points.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -18.5
  • O/U: 238.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Brooks Barnhizer – OUT (personal)
  • Chet Holmgren – OUT (hip contusion)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)

CHI

  • Zach Collins – OFS (toe)
  • Rob Dillingham – Probable (knee)
  • Noa Essengue – OFS (shoulder)
  • Jaden Ivey – OFS (knee)
  • Yuki Kawamura – Day to Day (quad)
  • Isaac Okoro – Probable (knee)
  • Nick Richards – Questionable (elbow)
  • Anfernee Simons – OUT (wrist)
  • Jalen Smith – OFS (calf)
  • Guerschon Yabusele – Questionable (ankle)

Three Big Things

  1. Take Care of Business – The Thunder are at home after a long road trip and playing a team that has no business competing with them. In addition, they are the healthiest they’ve been all year. With the Spurs nipping at their heels, there should be no reason why the Thunder don’t do the necessary things to put this team away quickly and early in the game.
  2. Perimeter Defense – The Chicago Bulls score 37.7% of their points from the 3-point line. That’s 6th best in the league. They were just scorched by the #3 team in that statistical category in their last game against Boston. While the Thunder’s defensive philosophy has worked for the most part of the past couple of seasons, there are still nights where their inside-out principle works against them. It would behoove the Thunder to not let ball-handlers into the lane and to run out to the 3-point shooters for Chicago.
  3. Downhill Scoring – The Bulls rank 4th worst in the league in paint defense, allowing 53.4 points per game. With Zach Collins and Jalen Smith out for the season and Nick Richards questionable, it would behoove the Thunder to constantly attack the paint and run their offense through their paint touches tonight.

Thunder @ Philadelphia 76ers preview (Game 72 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (56-15, 1st in the West) @ Philadelphia 76ers (39-32, 7th in the East)
  • When: Monday, 23 March 2026 at 6:00pm CST
  • Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA
  • TV: FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: PHI: 114.1 (15th) / OKC: 117.1 (7th)
  • Defensive Rating: PHI: 114.6 (16th) / OKC: 106.1 (1st)
  • Net Rating: PHI: -0.5 (19th) / OKC: 11.0 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: PHI: Winners of 4 of their last 5 / OKC: Winners of 11 straight

The Tip-Off

I don’t have a big issue with the ejections or the suspensions, if the play or player warrants it. I just want consistency throughout the punishment process. My objection to Ajay Mitchell’s suspension is “was he just supposed to take the slap to the face?” Since when did the NBA turn into a religious organization that mandates turning the other cheek when struck or being pacifists when the other team is escalating the situation? How can a player (Anthony Gill) be fined after the game, but suffer no consequences in-game? Would the NBA’s behavior czar, James Jones, be so keen on doing nothing if he got slapped in the face? Like, make it make sense, because if it doesn’t make sense, then teams will try to approach the Thunder like this in the playoffs in hopes of getting the right person suspended for a game or more.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between the Thunder and Sixers. OKC won the first meeting by 25 in a game that saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren combine for 56 points on 22/30 shooting from the field. The Thunder were only up by 2 at halftime and completely dominated Philly in the 2nd half.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -16
  • O/U: 224.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Ajay Mitchell – OUT (suspension)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)

PHI

  • Dominick Barlowe – Questionable (ankle)
  • Johni Broome – OUT (knee)
  • Joel Embiid – OUT (oblique)
  • Paul George – OUT (suspension)
  • Quentin Grimes – Questionable (illness)
  • Tyrese Maxey – OUT (finger)
  • Kelly Oubre Jr – OUT (elbow)

Three Big Things

  1. Welcome Back, Dub – Jalen Williams returns to the lineup after reaggravating his hamstring on February 11th. I know the Thunder would never put any of their players in danger of reinjury, but it’s still scary as OKC navigates the rest of the season in hoping that Dub is truly over his hamstring issues. We’ve seen how hamstring injuries have affected Aaron Gordon and the Denver Nuggets through their series with OKC last postseason and throughout this season. OKC has proven throughout the regular season that they can navigate the choppy waters without Dub. But the postseason is an entirely different monster and having a healthy Dub available is probably the biggest X-factor for OKC.
  2. Β Jared McCain – It was only 1.5 seasons, but McCain’s impact on Philly was felt when he got traded at the deadline in February. Tyrese Maxey was feeling some sort of way when the trade happened, and Sixers GM Darryl Morey had to explain that he was “selling high” when he shipped McCain off for a 2026 Houston Rockets first and three future second round picks. After struggling with injuries for much of the past season, McCain has assimilated almost seamlessly onto the Thunder and has become a key rotational piece off the bench. His floor spacing and play-making has filled a need the Thunder were vastly seeking in this injury-plagued season. In 19 games since the trade, McCain is averaging 12.3 points on 41% shooting from deep for OKC. Supposedly, there will be a video tribute for McCain tonight, which is high praise, considering he only played 60 games for the franchise and also considering that this is Philadelphia we’re talking about. Philly sports have gone soft.
  3. Big Man superiority – With Joel Embiid being out, the Sixers will need to rely on Adem Bona and Andre Drummond. I fully expect the Thunder’s big man trio of Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams to dominate in all aspects of post play.

Boston Celtics vs. Thunder preview (Game 67 of 82)

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  • Boston Celtics (43-22, 2nd in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (51-15, 1st in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 12 March 2026 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: Prime Video / FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: BOS: 119.8 (2nd) / OKC: 117.0 (7th)
  • Defensive Rating: BOS: 111.8 (5th) / OKC: 106.2 (1st)
  • Net Rating: BOS: 7.9 (2nd) / OKC: 10.8 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: BOS: Lost their last game, 9-3 in their last 12 / OKC: Winners of 6 in a row, 9-1 in their last 10

The Tip-Off

There was a point around early February, where the Thunder were struggling with injuries and struggling with winning consistently. Many basketball prognosticators pointed to this particular point in the season when the Thunder would start to lose their grip on their #1 status in both the conference and the league. San Antonio and Detroit both nipping at their tail and a murderer’s row of opponents (New York (in NYC), Denver,Β  Boston, and Minnesota) lied ahead. The post All-Star break schedule was the one that was going to break the Thunder. What has happened since the All-Star break? A 9-1 record with the only loss being to the Detroit Pistons on a night where the Thunder were missing their top 6 players (SGA, Chet, Dub, Hartenstein, Ajay, and Caruso). This team is getting healthier and gaining some momentum at the right time in the season.

This is the first of two meetings this season between these two conference powerhouses. OKC swept the season series last season. These two teams were the favorites to meet in the Finals last season, but the injury to Jayson Tatum was too much for Boston as they lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs to the New York Knicks.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -6.5
  • O/U: 215.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Branden Carlson – OUT (back)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf contusion)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

BOS

  • Payton Pritchard – Probable (neck spasms)
  • Jayson Tatum – Questionable (Achilles recovery management)
  • Nikola Vucevic – OUT (finger)
  • Derrick White – Questionable (knee contusion)

Three Big Things

  1. Pace – Boston is the “slowest” team in the league, ranking dead last in Pace and Fast Break Points per game. But, with that, comes the ability to protect the ball, which they do to the utmost, ranking first in turnovers, committing just 12.1 turnovers per game. This will be where OKC has to win the game. Forcing turnovers and getting out in transition would get Boston out of their element and turn the game in OKC’s favor.
  2. Perimeter Defense – Boston is the most “jump-shootiest” of jump-shooting teams there is in the league. They rank 1st in 3-point attempts per game, last in free-throw attempts per game (usually an indicator of a jump-shooting team), and 28th in Points in the Paint per game. They rank 6th in percentage of points from the mid-range and 3rd in percentage of points from the 3-point line. This may change a bit with the return of Jayson Tatum, but even with Tatum in the lineup, the Celtics were normally known as a team at the top or near the top of 3-point attempts. To a team like OKC, which likes to play it’s defense inside-out, if Boston is hitting their shots consistently, it could make for a long night.
  3. 127 – Anytime you tie a record set by Wilt Chamberlain, you’re in rarefied air. Anytime you have the chance to break a record set by Chamberlain, you’re on a whole ‘nother level. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finds himself on the precipice of breaking the consecutive “20-points scored” games record. It’ll be interesting to see how Boston handles this. Are they going to throw the kitchen sink at SGA in order to try and avoid this milestone happening on their watch. Or will Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla just stick to his normal game plan and let the chips fall as they may.