Tip-Off: 6 PM CT
Location: Paycom Center (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
I never thought we would be here. We’re 11 games into the season, and the Oklahoma City Thunder is somehow 5-6 and riding a 4-game win streak, the longest streak for the franchise since August of 2020 in the NBA Bubble. The team is in a very different place since then, and while I’m not entirely certain OKC is tanking—at least in a traditional sense of the word—I don’t expect them to win very many games the rest of the season, starting with tonight.
Tonight, the Thunder hosts Kevin Durant, James Harden, and the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have had a rocky start to the season with the drama surrounding Kyrie Irving’s decision to not get the covid-19 vaccine, but Brooklyn is still 9-4 and second in the Eastern Conference Standings.
The Nets are wrapping up a 6-game road trip tonight, and they have fared well by winning 4 of 5 so far. The Thunder is a 9-point underdog, and despite a string of incredible comeback victories, I’m just not convinced they can do it again tonight against a much more talented Brooklyn squad.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Luguentz Dort
- SF: Josh Giddey
- PF: Darius Bazley
- C: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Nets
- PG: James Harden
- SG: Joe Harris
- SF: Bruce Brown
- PF: Kevin Durant
- C: Blake Griffin
Injuries
Thunder
- Vit Krejci is OUT (G League – on assignment).
- Theo Maledon is OUT (G League – on assignment).
- Tre Mann is OUT (G League – on assignment).
- Paul Watson is OUT (G League – two-way).
- Aaron Wiggins is OUT (G League – two-way).
Nets
- Nic Claxton is OUT (non-covid illness).
- David Duke Jr. is OUT (G League – two-way).
- Kessler Edwards is OUT (G League – two-way).
- Kyrie Irving is OUT (not with team).
- Paul Millsap is OUT (personal reasons).
- Day’Ron Sharpe is OUT (personal reasons).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 16-8 against the Nets (7-4 at home, 9-4 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the season series against the Nets 6 times, lost it once, and tied 6 times.
- The Thunder went 1-1 against the Nets last season (0-1 at home, 1-0 on the road).