Tip-Off: 8 PM CT
Location: Golden 1 Center (Sacramento, California)
Television: FSOK
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @TheThunderGuys for live-tweets during the game
After losing back-to-back games for the first time since starting the season 0-4, the Oklahoma City Thunder has won their last two to get back on track. The Thunder is still third in the Western Conference, just one game back in the loss column from the Denver Nuggets.
Tonight, the Thunder plays the Kings in Sacramento, the third meeting of the season already between the two teams. Despite Sacramento’s struggles over the past decade, the Kings have put together a solid young core, and they have kept their name in the early playoff discussion.
The Kings have beaten the Thunder in both meetings so far this season, which is only the second time in the OKC’s franchise history that they have lost to Sacramento twice in the same season. The key to winning tonight will be containing Sacramento’s athletic bigs, and between Steven Adams, Jerami Grant, and Nerlens Noel, the Thunder have a good shot.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Russell Westbrook
- SG: Terrance Ferguson
- SF: Paul George
- PF: Jerami Grant
- C: Steven Adams
Kings
- PG: De’Aaron Fox
- SG: Buddy Hield
- SF: Justin Jackson
- PF: Nemanja Bjelica
- C: Willie Cauley-Stein
Injuries
Thunder
- Alex Abrines (illness) is OUT.
- Terrance Ferguson (personal) is OUT.
- Andre Roberson (left patellar tendon) is OUT.
Kings
- Marvin Bagley (left knee bone bruise) is OUT.
- Bogdan Bogdanovic (sore right foot) is OUT.
- Iman Shumpert (right hip contusion) is OUT.
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 29-9 against the Kings (17-2 at home, 12-7 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the regular season series against the Kings 9 times and tied it once.
- The Thunder won last year’s regular season series with the Kings 3-1.
- The Thunder has won 5 of the last 8 matchups with the Kings, but OKC has lost the last two.
- The Thunder is 0-2 against the Kings so far this season (0-1 at home, 0-1 on the road).
Game Notes
- The Thunder has won 2 games in a row and is 7-3 in the last 10, while the Kings most recently lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday and are 6-4 in their last 10 games.
- Oklahoma City is 7-7 on the road while Sacramento is 7-6 at home.
- Oklahoma City is 9-8 against the Western Conference while Sacramento is 9-11.
- Oklahoma City is 10-6 after one day of rest while Sacramento is 11-3 after one day of rest.
- The Thunder is 5-3 in December while the Kings are 6-3.
- The Thunder is 5-1 on Wednesday night while the Kings are 3-2.
- Oklahoma City Thunder Official Game Notes
- Sacramento Kings Official Game Notes
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