Tip-Off: 7 PM CT
Location: Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City, OK)
Television: FSOK, NBATV
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @TheThunderGuys for live-tweets during the game
Riding a three-game losing streak and sitting at four games below .500, the Oklahoma City Thunder desperately need a win tonight. Oklahoma City has not fared well against Minnesota lately, dropping both matchups so far this season, and the last time the Timberwolves were in town, the home crowd was stunned as the Thunder lost on a near half-court heave buzzer beater.
Minnesota enters tonight’s game sporting a 13-9 record, and while both of these teams have dealt with similar lineup shakeups, the Timberwolves have definitely managed to find some chemistry much sooner than the Thunder has. Perhaps Oklahoma City will be able to turn over a new leaf tonight.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Russell Westbrook
- SG: Andre Roberson
- SF: Paul George
- PF: Carmelo Anthony
- C: Steven Adams
Timberwolves
- PG: Jeff Teague
- SG: Jimmy Butler
- SF: Andrew Wiggins
- PF: Taj Gibson
- C: Karl-Anthony Towns
Injuries
Thunder
- None
Timberwolves
- Jeff Teague (sore right achilles) is a game time decision.
- Nemanja Bjelica (sprained left foot) is a game time decision.
- Justin Patton (fractured left foot) is out indefinitely.
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder are 27-9 against the Timberwolves (15-3 at home, 12-6 away), including 0-2 this season.
- The Thunder have lost 3 of the last 4 games agains the Timberwolves, but they have won 13 of the last 16.
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder have won the 4-game regular season series against the Timberwolves 7 times and tied twice.
- The Thunder scored a season-high 38 fourth-quarter points against the Timberwolves on October 22nd in a 113-115 loss in Oklahoma City.
- The Thunder scored 116 points in a loss in Minnesota on October 27th, the second-most points scored by Oklahoma City this season.
- Karl-Anthony Towns scored a season-high 33 points and recorded a season-high 19 rebounds against the Thunder in Minnesota on October 27th.
Game Notes
- The Thunder is 6-3 at home this season, while the Timberwolves are 6-5 on the road.
- The Thunder is 3-9 against the Western Conference, while the Timberwolves are 10-3.
- The Thunder has lost three games in a row and five of the last six, while the Timberwolves have won two games in a row and three of their last four.
- After losing by single digits in its first ten losses, the Thunder has lost the last two games by 16 and 13.
- Oklahoma City is four games below .500, its worst mark of the season.
- Taj Gibson was with the Thunder for the final 23 games of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs last season.
Be sure to check out our latest edition of “Thunder Things with the Thunder Guys.”
Article written by Zack Low. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to like us on Facebook.