The Oklahoma City Thunder is all set to host the Phoenix Suns on Friday night for their first game of the Emirates NBA Cup. OKC is grouped with Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Utah Jazz, and the San Antonio Spurs, and tonight is a good opportunity to get ahead in the standings for an opportunity to play in the Knockout Round next month.
Both the Thunder and the Suns are dealing with injuries, but I think Phoenix’s are worse considering how these teams matchups. Is Jusuf Nurkic plays tonight, he could be a major factor for the Suns, but with no Kevin Durant or Bradley Beal, the Thunder have a chance to cause problems in the backcourt like they have been so good at doing so far this season.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Favored in Western Conference Battle with Suns
The Oklahoma City Thunder got off to a rough start on Wednesday night as they hosted the surging Houston Rockets, and despite managing to adjust with no Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder were unable to finish the game on top, suffering a 132-126 defeat in overtime. The competition gets no easier on Friday night as the Thunder play host to the Phoenix Suns, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is likely to miss yet again.
View More Oklahoma City Thunder | Game #73 Preview: Phoenix Suns
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is doubtful to play due to a quad contusion, and without him, the Thunder absolutely should not win this game. The Suns are already a tough opponent on paper, even if they haven’t played up to a high standard so far this season, but they have won 4 of their last 5, which includes a solid 104-97 victory over the Denver Nuggets on the road on Wednesday. Unless SGA ends up playing, OKC shouldn’t win this game…that doesn’t mean they can’t, but I’m going to take Phoenix for now.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | OKC a Rare Home Underdog Against Suns with SGA Likely to Miss
Despite being one of the top three-point shooting teams in the league, the Oklahoma City Thunder managed to knock down just 7-of-30 attempts for a 23.3% rate. That’s well below their average, and while that wasn’t the only problem with that game, that was definitely one that stuck out. OKC now looks to get back on track as they wrap up a 2-game road trip with a visit to the Suns in Phoenix.
View More Oklahoma City Thunder | Game #10 Preview: Phoenix Suns
The Wizards are missing star shooting guard Bradley Beal, and without him, the Thunder very clearly has the superior backcourt. Washington doesn’t really have anybody that can stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, so he should be able to score at will, and because he will draw extra attention, teammates will find themselves with open shots. Washington is 7-6 without Beal, and they have won 5 of their last 6 overall, three of those wins coming without Beal. OKC will need to slow down Washington’s bigs and control the boards, but if the Thunder can do that, then they should be able to pull out the win for the home crowd.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Favored at Home Against Wizards
Now the Thunder is set to host the Washington Wizards on Friday night. OKC defeated the Wizards in Washington last November off an incredible display from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which included a game-winning three to seal the deal 121-120. Both teams are dealing with some injuries that will surely have an impact on the game.
View More Oklahoma City Thunder | Game #39 Preview: Washington Wizards
Tonight the Thunder continues their road trip as they take on the Washington Wizards. The Wizards are riding a 4-game win streak, and Bradley Beal is set to make a return after missing 5 games due to COVID-19 protocols and conditioning issues. In his absence, Kristaps Porzingis has played well, especially in the last two games, scoring 31 and 25 points respectively.
View More Oklahoma City Thunder | Game #15 Preview: Washington Wizards
The Oklahoma City Thunder got off to an ugly start on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets before rallying to make it a close game. It’s going to take some of that resilience to survive the upcoming schedule as the Thunder play 5 of their next 6 games on the road, starting with tonight’s game against the Washington Wizards.
View More Oklahoma City Thunder | Game #40 Preview: Washington Wizards
This line was a bit crazy the last time out because news broke late that Lu Dort wasn’t playing and it pushed the spread up. However, we were able to lock the Wizards at 10.5 early on and held on for the cover. I know that Dort should make more than a one-point difference but OKC is only covering the spread 32% of the time as a home underdog and the Wizards are covering 57% of the time on the road. I’ll take Washington by at least 10 points here.
View More Thunder Against The Spread | Prepare For Deja Vu Against The Wizards