Tip-Off: 7 PM CT
Location: Toyota Center (Houston, Texas)
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’s slide continues after a 101-99 loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday. The 5-game losing streak has only featured one double-digit loss, and each matchup has been close enough for the Thunder to win, but they just haven’t been able to finish the job. Tonight, the Thunder takes on the streaking Houston Rockets, who have won two in a row to push their win total for the season to three.
The Rockets have not been shy at all about losing as John Wall continues to sit despite expressing his wishes to return to play. Regardless, Houston may actually start trying, lest they be punished by the league, and starting with tonight’s matchup, the Thunder and the Rockets play each other twice in three days.
Jalen Green is out for the Rockets, so we won’t get a star rookie matchup between Green and Thunder rookie Josh Giddey, but with Houston picked as a narrow favorite to win the meeting, the game should make for a fun one.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Luguentz Dort
- SF: Josh Giddey
- PF: Darius Bazley
- C: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Rockets
- PG: Kevin Porter Jr.
- SG: Eric Gordon
- SF: Garrison Matthews
- PF: Jae’Sean Tate
- C: Christian Wood
Injuries
Thunder
- Kenrich Williams is OUT (sprained right ankle).
Rockets
- Josh Christopher is OUT (G League — on assignment).
- Usman Garuba is OUT (G League – on assignment).
- Jalen Green is OUT (strained left hamstring).
- Daishen Nix is OUT (G League – two way).
- John Wall is OUT.
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 24-24 against the Rockets in the regular season (16-9 at home, 8-15 on the road) and 7-9 against the Rockets in the playoffs (5-2 at home, 2-7 on the road).
- The Thunder has won the season series with the Rockets 7 times, lost it 4 times, and tied 2 times.
- The Thunder won the regular season series last season against the Rockets 2-1 (1-1 at home, 1-0 on the road).
- The Thunder is 1-1 against the Rockets so far this season (1-0 at home, 0-1 on the road).