Tip-Off: 7 PM CT
Location: Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Television: Bally Sports Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live-tweets and discussion during the game
The Oklahoma City is in the middle of their worst losing streak of the season right now. For the sixth time during the 2020-21 NBA campaign, the Thunder has lost 3 consecutive games, but none of those other streaks has been as bad as this one.
Losing by an average of 36.3 points per game, the season is very clearly headed in a tanking direction. The first two losses of the current losing streak were to the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers, both playoff potentials, but the last one, a 24-point loss to the Detroit Pistons, shows just how bad it is.
Tonight, the Thunder hosts the Charlotte Hornets, who are without some of their top performers in Gordon Hayward and rookie sensation LaMelo Ball. The Hornets are short-handed, much like OKC, but Charlotte is the favorite, and for a good reason.
At this rate, I’m not quite sure if the Thunder can win another game unless a couple of guys get healthy and get back in the lineup. In the meantime, don’t lose your heads, Thunder fans. It won’t always be like this.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Théo Maledon
- SG: Svi Mykhailiuk
- SF: Kenrich Williams
- PF: Aleksej Pokuševski
- C: Moses Brown
Hornets
- PG: Devonte’ Graham
- SG: Terry Rozier
- SF: Miles Bridges
- PF: P.J. Washington
- C: Bismack Biyombo
Injuries
Thunder
- Darius Bazley is OUT (left shoulder contusion).
- Luguentz Dort is OUT (concussion protocol).
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is OUT (plantar fascitis in right foot).
- Josh Hall is OUT (concussion protocol).
- Darius Miller is QUESTIONABLE (strained left groin).
- Mike Muscala is OUT (sprained right ankle).
- Isaiah Roby is OUT (concussion protocol).
Pistons
- LaMelo Ball is OUT (fractured right wrist).
- Gordon Hayward is OUT (sprained right foot).
- Malik Monk is OUT (sprained right ankle).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 18-5 against the Hornets (9-2 at home, 9-3 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the regular season series against the Hornets 8 times, lost it once, and tied it 4 times.
- The Thunder won the season series with the Hornets 1-0 last season (0-0 at home, 1-0 on the road).
- The Thunder has won 5 matchups in a row against the Hornets.
- The Thunder is 1-0 against the Hornets so far this season (0-0 at home, 1-0 on the road).