Riding a 5-game winning streak and having just defeated the Boston Celtics 127-123 at home, the Oklahoma City Thunder arrived in Atlanta on Wednesday morning just a little over 12 hours before tipping off against the Hawks Wednesday night. The Thunder got off to a rough start, trailing the Hawks 11-0 before getting on the scoreboard. Down by 16 with just 3 minutes to go, it looked like the final outcome was decided, but OKC did what they do, and they kept fighting.
With a little over 3 seconds on the clock, the Thunder had a chance to tie the game and force overtime. Head coach Mark Daigneault drew up a beautifully designed play using Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a decoy before giving Isaiah Joe the final shot. Joe narrowly missed it, and while it was disappointing for OKC to lose to a team they would typically beat with ease, it was understandable considering all the circumstances. As far as Isaiah Joe getting the final look, fans should look at that opportunity as an investment. Sure, he missed the shot, and the Thunder lost, but seeing Daigneault have that much confidence in him will surely pay dividends down the road.
OKC looks to get back on track on Friday night as they continue their road trip with a stop in Brooklyn against the Nets. The Thunder hosted the Nets on New Year’s Eve, and after getting off to a slow start, they handled Brooklyn just fine to come out on top 124-108. Brooklyn’s struggles have continued as they have suffered double-digit defeats to the New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets since then, so they are going to try to break their 5-game losing streak by getting a win in front of the home crowd.
A day of rest is sure to do the Thunder well, so I would expect them to look more like their typical selves against the Nets. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was just announced as December’s Western Conference Player of the Month, and Chet Holmgren was announced as December’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month, so don’t be surprised if both of those guys pop off tonight.
Tip-Off: 6:30 PM CT
Location: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, New York)
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, Brooklyn Nets Official Game Notes
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Josh Giddey
- SF: Luguentz Dort
- PF: Jalen Williams
- C: Chet Holmgren
Brooklyn Nets
- PG: Spencer Dinwiddie
- SG: Mikal Bridges
- SF: Cameron Johnson
- PF: Dorian Finney-Smith
- C: Nic Claxton
Injury Report
Thunder
- Ousmane Dieng is OUT (G League — on assignment).
- Keyontae Johnson is OUT (G League — two-way).
Nets
- Armoni Brooks is OUT (G League — two-way).
- Noah Clowney is OUT (G League — on assignment).
- Keon Johnson is OUT (G Leaguer — two-way).
- Ben Simmons is OUT (nerve impingement in left lower back).
- Dennis Smith Jr. is PROBABLE (lower back soreness).
- Lonnie Walker IV is PROBABLE (strained left hamstring).
- Dariq Whitehead is OUT (G League — on assignment).
- Jalen Wilson is OUT (G League — two-way).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 19-9 against the Nets (9-5 at home, 10-4 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the season series against the Nets 7 times, lost it once, and tied 7 times.
- The Thunder went 2-0 against the Nets last season (1-0 at home, 1-0 on the road).
- The Thunder is 1-0 against the Nets so far this season (1-0 at home, 0-0 on the road).