Tip-Off: 7 PM CT
Location: Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
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 (22-16) is fresh off a 113-92 victory over the Houston Rockets (25-12) after Russell Westbrook made his return to OKC on Thursday night, and now that the emotional wave has come back down to a normal level, the Thunder can move on with the rest of the season.
Tonight the Thunder hosts the owner of the Western Conference’s best record, the Los Angeles Lakers (31-7), and if we learned anything from the first two matchups of the season between these two teams, tonight’s game should be a good one.
The Lakers edged the Thunder in back-to-back games that were just a few days apart, but LA won both games by a total of just 8 points. Anthony Davis scored 34 points in the first matchup and 33 in the second one, but he will sit tonight with a tailbone injury.
Lebron James is also out of the game tonight with a cold. The absences of James and Davis give OKC an advantage, as both are guys who have historically put up big numbers against the Thunder.
Without Davis last night, the Lakers managed to handle the Dallas Mavericks just fine, which just goes to show how solid of a team LA really is, but now that Lebron is also out, we will see just how deep this Lakers squad is.
The Thunder needs to continue to play their game of moving the ball around and sharing the wealth, and if they can do that, they very well could get the win tonight.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Chris Paul
- SG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SF: Terrance Ferguson
- PF: Danilo Gallinari
- C: Steven Adams
Lakers
- PG: Rajon Rondo
- SG: Avery Bradley
- SF: Kentavious Cauldwell-Pope
- PF: Kyle Kuzma
- C: JaVale McGee
Injuries
Thunder
- Luguentz Dort (G League; two-way) is OUT.
- Kevin Hervey (G League; two-way) is OUT.
- Nerlens Noel (left sprained ankle) IS OUT.
- Andre Roberson (return to play management) is OUT.
Lakers
- Avery Bradley (flulike symptoms) is PROBABLE.
- DeMarcus Cousins (rehab, right knee) is OUT.
- Anthony Davis (gluteus maximus contusion) is QUESTIONABLE.
- Danny Green (sore right hip) is OUT
- Talen Horton-Tucker (G League Assignment) is OUT.
- Lebron James (flulike symptoms) is OUT.
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 23-17 against the Lakers (13-7 at home, 10-10 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the season series against the Lakers 7 times, lost 3 times, and tied once.
- The Thunder has won 12 of the last 15 against the Lakers in OKC.
- The Thunder is 0-2 (0-1 at home, 0-1 on the road) against the Lakers so far this season.
Game Notes
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