Tip-Off: 7 PM CT
Location: Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City, OK)
Television: Fox Sports Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live-tweets and discussion during the game
The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up an impressive win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 31-point performance, and now OKC is over .500 for the first time since winning their season opener.
I’m not sure what type of tanking the Thunder is doing at this point, but after a 5-game road trip, they are finally back at home tonight as they host the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are 5-5 on the season, which includes key wins over the Clippers and the Lakers.
San Antonio is without DeMar DeRozan due to personal reasons, but LaMarcus Aldridge is a well-known Thunder killer, so this should make for a good matchup. The difference this season is that Al Horford is a more mobile big for the Thunder, so perhaps he will have better luck defending Aldridge.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: George Hill
- SF: Luguentz Dort
- PF: Darius Bazley
- C: Al Horford
Spurs
- PG: Dejounte Murray
- SG: Lonnie Walker
- SF: Keldon Johnson
- PF: Trey Lyles
- C: LaMarcus Aldridge
Injuries
Thunder
- Trevor Ariza is OUT (not with team).
- Ty Jerome is OUT (sprained left ankle).
Spurs
- DeMar DeRozan is OUT (personal reasons).
- Drew Eubanks is OUT (health and safety protocols).
- Devin Vassell is QUESTIONABLE (left knee soreness).
- Quinndary Weatherspoon is OUT (left knee surgery).
- Derrick White is OUT (fractured left second toe).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 19-24 against the Spurs in the regular season (13-9 at home, 6-15 away) and 10-8 against them in the playoffs (7-2 at home, 3-6 away).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City, the Thunder has won the season series with the Spurs once, lost it 4 times, and tied 7 times.
- The Thunder went 2-2 against the Spurs last year (1-1 at home, 1-1 on the road).
- The Thunder has won 7 of the last 9 matchups against the Spurs at Chesapeake Energy Arena.