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 entered the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat on Monday night trailing by 2 points despite leading by 9 at halftime lead. The Heat then ran off 15 straight points to start the fourth, giving Miami a 94-77 lead and effectively sealing the Thunder’s fate for the night.
After beating the Milwaukee Bucks on Valentine’s Day, the Thunder has now lost 4 of their last 5 games to fall to 12-19 on the season. Tonight, they host the San Antonio Spurs, who are currently 16-11 on the season.
The Spurs are experiencing quite the turnaround after missing the playoffs last season for the first time since the 1996-97 season. Now San Antonio is right back on track to get back into postseason action, but they haven’t played a game in 10 days due to health and safety protocols.
The Thunder gets a chance at a depleted Spurs roster, but Gregg Popovich is considered one of the best coaches in NBA history for a reason, so don’t count San Antonio out of this one.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Théo Maledon
- SF: Luguentz Dort
- PF: Darius Bazley
- C: Al Horford
Spurs
- PG: Dejounte Murray
- SG: Patty Mills
- SF: Lonnie Walker
- PF: LaMarcus Aldridge
- C: Jacob Poeltl
Injuries
Thunder
- Trevor Ariza is OUT (not with team).
- Moses Brown is OUT (G League; two-way).
- Josh Hall is OUT (G League; two-way).
- George Hill is OUT (right thumb surgery).
- Ty Jerome is OUT (G League; on assignment).
- Aleksej Pokusevski is OUT (G League; on assignment).
Spurs
- DeMar DeRozan is OUT (personal reasons).
- Rudy Gay is OUT (health and safety protocols).
- Keldon Johnson is OUT (health and safety protocols).
- Devin Vassell is OUT (health and safety protocols).
- Quinndary Weatherspoon is OUT (health and safety protocols).
- Derrick White is OUT (health and safety protocols).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 19-25 against the Spurs in the regular season (13-10 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 10 matchups against the Spurs at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
- The Thunder is 0-1 (0-1 at home, 0-0 on the road) against the San Antonio Spurs so far this season.