Game Preview: Thunder take on Warriors for second time this week
For the second time in three days, the Oklahoma City Thunder will face off against the Golden State Warriors on the road. In the first matchup, the Warriors got the best of the Thunder, extending their five-game losing streak.
Lu Dort will be a player to keep an eye on in tomorrow’s injury report, as Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault mentioned after Thursday’s game that he’s facing a couple of different minor injuries. Additionally, 7-foot rookie Aleksej Pokusevski has missed the last two games due to injury and could be a major factor if he returns on Saturday.
ODDS:
The Thunder enter the day as 14.5-point underdogs to the Warriors and the total over/under is 223.5 points.
KEYS TO THE GAME:
Thursday’s matchup between the Thunder and Warriors came down to 3-point shooting. Steph Curry and Mychal Mulder single-handedly made more threes (13) than Oklahoma City did as a team (9). Golden State knocked down 19 as a team which ultimately put the Thunder away.
Surprisingly, the Warriors also beat OKC on the glass, pulling down ten more rebounds than the Thunder. In Saturday’s matchup, 3-point shooting and rebounding will be some of the main factors that determine who comes out on top.
Finally, the turnover battle could have major implications, especially if the Thunder get back into the habit of being loose with the ball. They’ve been better the last four games, but prior to that were by far the worst in the NBA in limiting turnovers.
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RECORDS:
Oklahoma City Thunder (21-46) vs. Golden State Warriors (34-33)
WHEN:
Saturday, May 8, 2021 at 9:00 PM CT
LOCATION:
Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
TV/RADIO:
Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal
FINAL WORD:
After Saturday’s matchup against Golden State, Oklahoma City will only have four games remaining in the season. Two of these will come against Sacramento as the Thunder will stay out west and play the Kings twice in the following three days. With each game remaining, the Thunder’s draft lottery odds could swing pretty significantly depending on the outcome.
