Tip-Off: 8 PM CT
Location: Ball Arena (Denver, Colorado)
Television: Fox Sports Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live-tweets and discussion during the game
Twice in three days. That’s how many times the Oklahoma City Thunder forced—and subsequently lost in—overtime against the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. Not only did the Thunder push the champs to the edge, but they did it with just 8 active players. It doesn’t matter who this team faces, they’re going to throw everything they’ve got into it.
Tonight, the Thunder continues their current road trip as they take on the Denver Nuggets in the Mile High City. Just a few months ago, the Nuggets were in the Western Conference Finals; now, they are just 13-11 and sitting at 7th in the Western Conference standings.
The Nuggets have one of the best big men in the game in Nikola Jokic, and that’s where the Thunder defense struggles the most. Jokic might be the best passer in the NBA at any position, let alone at center, so he’s a dangerous component to take into consideration, regardless of who he’s playing against.
As competitive as OKC has been, they are firmly cemented near the bottom of the Western Conference, but at least they’re not as bad as the Minnesota Timberwolves, right? Depending upon who all is back and able to play, the Thunder might have another long night ahead of them. Still, expect these guys to fight to the bitter end as they have done time and time again through the first 24 games of the season.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Hamidou Diallo
- SG: Luguentz Dort
- SF: Kenrich Williams
- PF: Darius Bazley
- C: Al Horford
Lakers
- PG: Jamal Murray
- SG: Will Barton
- SF: Michael Porter Jr.
- PF: Paul Millsap
- C: Nikola Jokic
Injuries
Thunder
- Trevor Ariza is OUT (not with team).
- Moses Brown is OUT (G League; two-way).
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is OUT (left knee sprain).
- Josh Hall is OUT (G League; two-way).
- George Hill is OUT (right thumb surgery).
- Ty Jerome is OUT (G League; two-way).
- Theo Maledon is OUT (health and safety protocols).
- Aleksej Pokusevski is OUT (G League; two-way).
- Isaiah Roby is OUT (right foot soreness).
Nuggets
- PJ Dozier is OUT (strained right hamstring).
- Gary Harris is OUT (left adductor strain).
- Greg Whittington is OUT (left knee arthroscopy).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 22-25 against the Nuggets (15-10 at home, 7-15 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the season series with the Nuggets 6 times and lost it 6 times.
- The Thunder went 1-2 (1-1 at home, 0-1 on the road) against the Nuggets last season.
- The Thunder has lost 11 of the last 13 matchups against the Nuggets.
- The Thunder is 0-1 (0-0 at home, 0-1 on the road) against the Nuggets so far this season.