Tip-Off: 7:30 PM CDT
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas)
Television: Fox Sports Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @TheThunderGuys for live-tweets during the game
The Oklahoma City Thunder moved to 2-0 on the season after beating down the New Zealand Breakers in front of a home crowd at Chesapeake Energy Arena last Thursday night. Now the Thunder travels to Dallas to take on the Mavericks for the second time this preseason.
In the first matchup, the Thunder led for most of the game before eventually winning , but the Mavericks were without Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Dončić. Tonight, it will be the Thunder missing some stars as Chris Paul and Steven Adams both take the night off to rest.
With Paul and Adams out, you can expect Billy Donovan to experiment a bit with some lineups in order to get a feel for which young guys might be playable come regular season.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Dennis Schröder
- SG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SF: Terrance Ferguson
- PF: Danilo Gallinari
- C: Nerlens Noel
Mavericks
- PG: Delon Wright
- SG: Luka Dončić
- SF: Tim Hardaway Jr.
- PF: Dorian Finney-Smith
- C: Kristaps Porzingis
Injuries
Thunder
- Steven Adams (rest) is OUT.
- Chris Paul (rest) is OUT.
- Andre Roberson (return to play management) is OUT.
Mavericks
- Jalen Brunson (sore left hamstring) is QUESTIONABLE.
- Dorian Finney-Smith (left hip flexor strain) is QUESTIONABLE.
- Dwight Powell (left hamstring strain) is OUT.
Players to Watch
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, Thunder | The second-year point guard could see a lot more of the ball in his hands tonight due to Chris Paul receiving the night off to rest. Gilgeous-Alexander has a lot of potential as a young talent, and while he does not need the ball in his hands in order to make plays, he likely benefits when he gets to be the floor general. It will be interesting to see what his playtime looks like tonight with Paul being out of the lineup.
Luka Dončić, G/F, Mavericks | The reigning Rookie of the Year missed the first matchup against the Thunder due to a rare back-to-back in the preseason, but in the Mavericks’ other two games, he has led his team in scoring with varied success shooting the ball. Terrance Ferguson will likely draw the defensive matchup, so watching the two go head-to-head should be fun.
Game Notes
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