The Oklahoma City Thunder played in front of a nationally televised audience on Tuesday night for the first time all season, and despite their best efforts, they suffered a narrow 112-111 loss to the Miami Heat. The Heat shot 40 free throws on the night, knocking down all 40 to set an NBA record in the process. The competition doesn’t get any easier for the Thunder on Thursday night as they travel to Philadelphia to take on Joel Embiid, James Harden, and the 76ers.
The Sixers are 25-15 on the season and sit at 4th in the Eastern Conference standings. These two teams met just two weeks ago on New Year’s Eve, a matchup that Philadelphia controlled easily from start to finish. OKC continues to play without a true big man, and while it has been difficult at times, the Thunder has found a way to make it work. Tonight’s task of slowing down Joel Embiid will not be an easy one, though.
Embiid is second in the NBA in scoring with 33.6 points per game, and he’s tied for 2nd in the league with 11.6 free throw attempts. Based on OKC’s game on Tuesday night, the Thunder don’t want to spend another game watching the opponent constantly shooting free throws, so they will need figure out a way to defend Embiid—and other guys like James Harden, for that matter—without fouling.
Game Details
Tip-Off: 6 PM CT
Location: Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Television: Bally Sports Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live tweets and discussion during the game
Game Notes: Oklahoma City Thunder Official Game Notes, Philadelphia 76ers Official Game Notes
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Josh Giddey
- SF: Jalen Williams
- PF: Luguentz Dort
- C: Eugene Omoruyi
76ers
- PG: James Harden
- SG: Tyrese Maxey
- SF: P.J. Tucker
- PF: Tobias Harris
- C: Joel Embiid
Injury Report
Thunder
- Ousmane Dieng is OUT (non-displaced fractured right wrist).
- Chet Holmgren is OUT (right foot surgery).
- Aleksej Pokusevski is OUT (left tibial plateau; non-displaced fracture).
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is OUT (sprained right ankle).
76ers
- Julian Champagnie is OUT (G League — two-way).
- Louis King is OUT (G League — two-way).
- Jaden Springer is OUT (G League — on assignment).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 20-7 against the Sixers (10-3 at home, 10-4 on the road).
- In 14 seasons, the Thunder has won the season series with the Sixers 9 times, tied it 3 times, and lost it twice.
- The Thunder lost the season series with the 76ers a year ago 0-2 (0-1 at home, 0-1 on the road).
- The Thunder is 0-1 against the 76ers so far this season (0-1 at home, 0-0 on the road).