Tip-Off: 7 PM CT
Location: Target Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
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 continues to win games with a shortened roster, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not. It’s obviously nice to see guys playing at a high level, and winning is the whole purpose of playing, but at the same time, what is it going to cost the organization down the line? If the Thunder wants a better chance at a higher draft pick, they have to start losing some games sometime soon.
Tonight, the Thunder wraps up a 4-game road trip with a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Regardless of how you feel about tanking, this isn’t a game that OKC should lose. The Timberwolves are dead last in the Western Conference, STILL behind the Houston Rockets, who have lost 20 consecutive games.
The Thunder will have to try pretty hard if they want to fall in Minnesota, but I’m not banking on that happening. These young guys are hungry and trying to prove something, so don’t be surprised if OKC heads home with a big win.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Théo Maledon
- SG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SF: Aleksej Pokuševski
- PF: Isaiah Roby
- C: Moses Brown
Timberwolves
- PG: Ricky Rubio
- SG: Anthony Edwards
- SF: Josh Okogie
- PF: Jarred Vanderbilt
- C: Karl-Anthony Towns
Injuries
Thunder
- Darius Bazley (left shoulder contusion) is OUT.
- Luguentz Dort (sore left great toe) is OUT.
- Josh Hall (sore left knee) is OUT.
- George Hill (right thumb surgery) is OUT.
- Al Horford (rest) is OUT.
- Meyers Leonard (not with team) is OUT.
Timberwolves
- Malik Beasley is OUT (league suspension).
- Jarrett Culver is QUESTIONABLE (strained left great toe).
- Jordan McLaughlin is OUT (health and safety protocols).
- D’Angelo Russell is OUT (left knee surgery).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 35-14 against the Timberwolves (18-6 at home, 16-8 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the 4-game regular season series against the Timberwolves 8 times, lost it twice, and tied it twice.
- The Thunder is 1-1 (1-1 at home, 0-0 on the road) against the Timberwolves so far this season.