OKC Thunder Wing Hoping for Bounce Back in Conference Finals Rematch

One of Oklahoma City's defensive stars is looking to have a better night from downtown in Minnesota.

Nov 30, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) shoots a jump shot during the first half against Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City secured another big win on Thursday night, but it might need a better performance from its defensive star to secure the second half of this back-to-back.

After beating the LA Clippers 122-101 in Paycom Center on Thursday, the Thunder are set for a matchup in Minnesota on Friday night. In another nationally televised contest, Oklahoma City will be looking to get a new winning streak rolling after its 16-game streak was snapped in Vegas last weekend.

While the score from the Thunder’s win over the Clippers might show that the game was an easy win, Oklahoma City wasn’t always at the top of its game offensively. Of course, that didn’t matter much when the Thunder were able to force 28 turnovers and use dominant second and third quarters to secure and expand the lead.

Still, Lu Dort’s rough night was a bit of an eye-opener for the Thunder. As Oklahoma City’s offense sputtered from time to time, Dort’s inability to knock down outside shots was a clear issue.

He finished the night playing only 18 minutes while shooting 0-of-6 from the field, including an 0-of-5 mark from deep. Add in just one rebound, one assist and one turnover, Dort was nearly nonexistent in the stat sheet, but he still managed to play some solid defense on Kawhi Leonard throughout the night.

Nov 19, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) runs down the court against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Of course, Dort’s defense, particularly against opposing stars, is what makes him so valuable to the Thunder. Although Anthony Edwards is questionable ahead of Friday’s matchup, Dort’s ability to potentially make his impact minimal will make his minutes important, regardless of how he performs offensively.

Still, this matchup could give Dort a chance to get back into a rhythm after struggling to begin the year, shooting just 29.8% from deep thus far after establishing himself as a 40% shooter over the past two seasons. As any NBA player will tell you, getting back on the floor as soon as possible after a rough game is ideal, and Dort won’t have to wait long to try and nail some of the same shots he missed on Thursday.

Although this season hasn’t gone according to plan offensively for Dort thus far, it’s still only December, and getting back on track can start with just one solid game. With this game being a premier matchup, Dort might be able to channel some of his usual magic when the lights are brightest.

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