OKC Thunder: 5 Key Games for the 2023-24 Season

Following the first five key games from the Oklahoma City Thunder's upcoming schedule, we will reach further into the season past the All-Star break.

Once again, there will be more interesting first-time matchups for rookie Chet Holmgren, as well as important games for the Thunder to potentially come away with a win.

While the excitement for the NBA season typically lessens after the All-Star break, a playoff contending team with the likes of Holmgren, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey could keep eyes invested in Oklahoma City all season.

Thursday, Nov. 30 vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Chet's First Look at the "King"

Lakers superstar LeBron James' greatness goes without saying. And in year 21, he's still one of the best players in the entire NBA.

Many of the incoming players over the past several seasons grew up watching James play in Cleveland and Miami, so playing him for the first time can be quite the surreal experience for young talent.

Holmgren did face James in a CrawsOver Pro-Am game in 2022, but it was the game where the rookie would suffer a season-ending Lisfranc injury to his right foot. This will be the first proper time, and one with a lot of attention.

However, Anthony Davis will likely be the player Holmgren goes against the most this game, who's another top player in the NBA. Davis is elite defensively and very skilled offensively, so containing "The Brow" with impending James drive's will be tough.

Fortunately, Holmgren will get three more opportunities later into the season.

Tuesday, Jan. 2 vs. Boston Celtics: JT, JB Take on OKC

Boston's Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been one of the top duos in the NBA since their emergence as All-Star players, leading the Celtics to consistent contention.

Seeing Oklahoma City take on Boston is always one to look forward to due to the talent that the Celtics possess. Between Tatum, Brown and the addition of Kristaps Porzingis, there are a lot of matchups to be interested in for Holmgren.

A win here during the their six-game stretch against Eastern Conference teams could be a statement for Oklahoma City.

Thursday, Feb. 13 at Orlando Magic: No. 1 vs No. 2 on National Television

While this won't be the first time of the season that the top two picks in the 2022 NBA Draft — Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren — go against each other, it will be the first time on a large scale TNT platform.

The game will surely have high anticipation, given that the top two picks in any respective draft will get comparisons drawn to each other throughout their career.

Banchero won the Rookie of the Year award last season, but Holmgren was unable to have any opportunity to take that award for his own.

Both players have incredibly talented skillsets at their young ages, while also playing for exciting young teams filled with potential stars. They will look to outdo each other and prove who the best man from the 2022 class is.

Thursday, March 14 vs. Dallas Mavericks: Luka Magic

While the Oklahoma City Thunder will see Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks before Mar. 14, this game will be televised on TNT in the final stretch of the season.

Both Dallas and Oklahoma City could be in very similar positions in the Western Conference by the last month, so a win here for both sides could make an impact on the playoff picture.

Doncic is one of the most fascinating players to watch in the NBA because of his unique skillset and scoring ability, and seeing Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic trade buckets with one another is basketball cinema.

Potentially, this could be an early playoff preview.

Sunday, March 24 at Milwaukee Bucks: Holmgren Takes on the "Greek Freak"

Among the NBA ranks, few are more intimidating to play than Giannis Antetokounmpo.

With freakish size and athleticism, Antetokounmpo has dominated the league for several seasons now, including such accolades as becoming a two-time MVP and NBA Champion in 2021.

It might be Holmgren's most difficult matchup of his career, trying to defend Antetokounmpo in the paint is nearly impossible on most shot attempts from the "Greek Freak".

A lot of media attention will be on Holmgren to see how he can handle Antetokounmpo, but with his high-level shot blocking ability, Holmgren may be able to get one of the highlight plays of the season.

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