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 Thunder got right back on the tanking track on Thursday with a 109-95 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, but they still sit tied for the 5th-worst record in the league with just 9 games to go. Taking a look at the upcoming schedule, it’s very possible that the Thunder does not win another game, but they do play the Sacramento Kings three times, so perhaps they will win at least one of those.
Tonight the Thunder hosts the Indiana Pacers, a familiar foe that defeated OKC 122-116 just a week and a half ago. The Thunder continues to miss key players, and after Thunder newcomer Gabriel Deck made his debut on Thursday, he may get his first start tonight.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are just 9th in the Eastern Conference, a half a game ahead of the Washington Wizards, so they are desperately trying to get a chance to make the playoffs. Indiana has a lot of questions surrounding their injury report for tonight, so who knows, maybe this one will be closer than expected. Either way, I doubt it’s even as close as the 6-point loss the Pacers handed the Thunder on Wednesday, April 21st.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Théo Maledon
- SG: Svi Mykhailiuk
- SF: Gabriel Deck
- PF: Darius Bazley
- C: Moses Brown
Pacers
- PG: Malcolm Brogdon
- SG: Edmond Sumner
- SF: Caris Levert
- PF: Doug McDermott
- C: Oshae Brissett
Injuries
Thunder
- Luguentz Dort is OUT (strained right hip).
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is OUT (plantar fasciitis in right foot).
- Mike Muscala is OUT (right ankle sprain).
- Aleksej Pokuševski is OUT (left knee contusion).
Pacers
- Goga Bitadze is QUESTIONABLE (sprained left ankle).
- Malcolm Brogdon is QUESTIONABLE (sore right hamstring).
- Jeremy Lamb is QUESTIONABLE (sore left knee).
- Domantas Sabonis is QUESTIONABLE (sore lower back).
- Myles Turner is OUT (partial plantar plate tear in the right toe).
- T.J. Warren is OUT (stress fracture in left foot).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 11-13 against the Pacers (7-4 at home, 4-9 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the season series against the Pacers 3 times, lost it 3 times, and tied 6 times.
- The Thunder lost the season series 0-2 (0-1 at home, 0-1 on the road) last season.
- The Thunder is 0-1 against the Pacers so far this season (0-0 at home, 0-1 on the road).