The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up a rare win on Friday when they defeated the Indiana Pacers 129-125 in overtime. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to impress since returning from a sprained ankle, and Tre Mann has proven himself more than worthy of the increased playing time over the second half of the season.
The Thunder is still plagued by a number of injuries, including a strained left shoulder for Luguentz Dort and a sore hip for Josh Giddey, but there is no time for rest as OKC hosts the Sacramento Kings tonight.
The Kings are just 22-40 on the season and one spot ahead of the Thunder in the Western Conference standings. Sacramento continues to dwell in the cellar of the league, but maybe trading for Domantas Sabonis is a move that can help the Kings out down the road.
With just a little over a month left in the regular season, the Thunder likely won’t try to win too many games as they try to increase their odds of a better draft pick, but it’s hard not to expect a close one at home against one of the bottom-tier teams in the league. As is typically the case, OKC is the underdog yet again, but this one will likely come down to the wire.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Tre Mann
- SF: Aaron Wiggins
- PF: Darius Bazley
- C: Isaiah Roby
Kings
- PG: De’Aaron Fox
- SG: Justin Holiday
- SF: Harrison Barnes
- PF: Maurice Harkless
- C: Domantas Sabonis
Injuries
Thunder
- Luguentz Dort is OUT (strained left shoulder).
- Josh Giddey is OUT (right hip soreness).
- Ty Jerome is OUT (left hip soreness).
- Mike Muscala is OUT (right ankle soreness).
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is OUT (third metatarsal fracture in right foot).
- Kenrich Williams is OUT (sprained right knee).
Kings
- Terence Davis is OUT (ECU tendon recovery in right wrist).
- Richaun Holmes is QUESTIONABLE (back soreness).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 33-17 against the Kings (19-4 at home, 14-13 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the regular season series against the Kings 10 times, lost it twice, and tied it once.
- The Thunder went 0-3 against the Kings last season (0-1 at home, 0-2 on the road).
- The Thunder is 1-2 against the Kings so far this season (1-0 at home, 0-2 on the road).