OKC Thunder See Some Regulars Return to Rotation in Bucks Preseason Clash

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the stretch run of their six-game preseason slate. Tonight's contest against the Milwaukee Bucks will mark the fifth of six exhibition games for the Bricktown Ballers. Just the third game in an NBA venue as these two teams face off in the Fiserv Forum on the league's new streaming partner, Peacock.

This marks a dress rehearsal game for each side. The National TV aspect coupled with the regulars for each side littering the starting lineup.

Oklahoma City is deploying a starting lineup that features superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander flanked by a trio of defensive-aces in Lu Dort, Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso with Isaiah Hartenstein patrolling the paint in the middle.

This is just Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort, Caruso and Hartenstein's second preseason contest their first an impressive outing against the Charlotte Hornets last Thursday. What made this game interesting prior to the first five being announced was the lengthy travel party for Oklahoma City in part headlined by Chet Holmgren who has yet to make his exhibition play debut and it appears will only have one more shot to do so.

Milwaukee in this home tune up game rolls out Giannis Antetokounmpo in their starting lineup alongside Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., AJ Green and Bobby Portis Jr. The Bucks lead the league in Jr.'s included in the starting lineup (I assume).

Even though this preseason clash is only granting us a half of basketball between two of the best players in the world it is still better than nothing and special to see Gilgeous-Alexander and Antetokounmpo share the floor in any capacity.

These two teams are familiar with one another after last season's NBA Cup Championship where the Bucks took home the prize and it lead to sweeping overreactions around this Oklahoma City Thunder team which shortly subsided in June when the Bricktown Ballers hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Oklahoma City is more than poised to be contenders this season, pegged as the preseason favorite to go back-to-back. Milwaukee is a more polarizing team regarding how pundits project they will fair this season. Rumors continue to swirl around Antetokounmpo's future in Cream City.

The Bucks and Thunder will meet again Jan. 26 and Feb. 12 during the regular season. Thunder on SI will have complete coverage of this matchup and all season long.

Oklahoma City has one last preseason contest on Friday, Oct. 17 against the Denver Nuggets before the regular season tips off on Oct. 21 inside the Paycom Center when the Thunder battle the Houston Rockets.