Thunder Gameday: Windy City Showdown
Following a tough loss on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder will play once again on Saturday night. On the second night of a back-to-back, they’ll be in Chicago to take on an exceptional Bulls team.
Still without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City has needed other players to step up in his absence. Some nights that happens, and others it doesn’t as the offense crumbles.
ODDS:
The Thunder enter the day as 13-point underdogs to the Bulls, and the total over/under is 220.5 points.
KEYS TO THE GAME:
Chicago is the second-best 3-point shooting team in the NBA, knocking down 37.6% of its attempts. On the flip side, the Thunder are last in the league, converting on just 31.2% of their attempts from deep.
With that in mind, the Bulls take the fewest 3-point attempts in the league while Oklahoma City is top-ten in that category. As such, it might be in the Thunder’s best interest to not make this game a shootout from beyond the arc.
The superstar duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine has been unstoppable this season. They’re a huge reason Chicago has a top five offense in the league this season. Perimeter defense will be a major key for the Thunder in tonight’s matchup against the Bulls, as they look to slow that wing duo down.
On the flip side, the Bulls have been inconsistent defensively all season. They’re in the bottom third of the league in defensive rating to this point in the 2021-22 campaign, which has been one of their few weak spots.
If the young Thunder backcourt of Lu Dort and Josh Giddey are able to exploit that, OKC could have a chance in this one.
RECORDS:
Oklahoma City Thunder (17-38) vs. Chicago Bulls (35-21)
WHEN:
Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 7:00 PM CT
LOCATION:
United Center, Chicago, IL
TV/RADIO:
Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal
FINAL WORD:
“Just being a professional. Whenever the coach calls me, I’m ready. I’m here,” said veteran center Derrick Favors on Friday night when asked about his role on the team.
Whether he plays or not, he’s been a quality veteran on this team that’s helped the young roster mesh and develop as professionals.
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