With just two games to go, the Oklahoma City Thunder has just gone goal: win or miss the play-in.
The Thunder has squandered multiple opportunities to confirm a playoff spot down the stretch, and now it is all coming down the very end. OKC is currently tied with the Dallas Mavericks at 38-42, but because of winning the regular season series, the Thunder owns the tiebreaker. At this point, the Thunder must at least match whatever Dallas does in their final two games, and based on opponents, the Mavericks have a much easier schedule. Still, OKC has a shot.
Tonight, the Thunder takes on the Jazz for the final road game of the season. Because Utah is all but eliminated from play-in contention, they appear to be giving in full to tanking as almost their entire regular starting lineup is sitting out due to a variety of injuries. With that in mind, OKC SHOULD be able to pick up the win and head home to take on Memphis on Sunday. Still, based on how up and down the Thunder has played the last couple of weeks, Thunder fans shouldn’t count their eggs before they hatch.
Game Details
Tip-Off: 8 PM CT
Location: Vivint Arena (Salt Lake City, Utah)
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, Utah Jazz Official Game Notes
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Josh Giddey
- SF: Luguentz Dort
- PF: Jalen Williams
- C: Jaylin Williams
Jazz
- PG: Kris Dunn
- SG: Ochai Agbaji
- SF: Talen Horton-Tucker
- PF: Kelly Olynyk
- C: Udoka Azubuike
Injury Report
Thunder
- Luguentz Dort is QUESTIONABLE (strained right shoulder).
- Chet Holmgren is OUT (right foot surgery).
- Aleksej Pokusevski is OUT (left knee contusion).
- Kenrich Williams is OUT (scapholunate ligament rupture in left wrist).
Jazz
- Jordan Clarkson is OUT (sprained fourth finger in left hand).
- Rudy Gay is OUT (lower back soreness).
- Walker Kessler is OUT (concussion protocol).
- Lauri Markannen is OUT (left hand contusion).
- Collin Sexton is OUT (left hamstring injury maintenance).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 35-20 (22-6 at home, 13-14 on the road) against the Jazz in the regular season and 2-4 (2-1 at home, 0-3 on the road) in the playoffs.
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the season series against the Jazz 10 times, lost it twice, and tied once.
- The Thunder went 0-4 against the Jazz last season (0-2 at home, 0-2 on the road).
- The Thunder is 2-1 against the Jazz so far this season (2-0 at home, 0-1 on the road).