Thunder Gameday: Busy Schedule Continues in Phoenix

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be on the second night of a back-to-back in this contest following an overtime loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns will be well rested as it’s their first game since before the NBA All-Star break.

With that in mind, the roster is still not fully built out for the Suns, as Kevin Durant is not ready to make his debut. Regardless, Phoenix is still extremely talented and will be a tough test for the Thunder tonight.

How much will fatigue play into this contest for Oklahoma City?

ODDS:

The Thunder enter the day as 8-point underdogs to the Suns, and the total over/under is 232.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

Again, the Suns still aren’t at full strength, but have plenty of firepower on offense. Combine that with the fresh legs relative to the Thunder and it’s easy to understand why they’re heavy favorites at home in this one.

Oklahoma City will need to have a secondary scorer step up in this contest, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can only do so much himself. Whether that’s Lu Dort or Josh Giddey having a big night as scorers, or Isaiah Joe knocking down several triples, the scoring needs to be better distributed outside of Gilgeous-Alexander.

Keep an eye on Deandre Ayton in this matchup, as the Thunder frontcourt is pretty thin and lacks the height and strength to counter his attack. This will be Dario Saric's first game against the Suns since being traded to OKC, and the same goes for former Thunder forward Darius Bazley playing against his old team.

RECORDS:

Oklahoma City Thunder (28-30) vs. Phoenix Suns (32-28)

WHEN:

Friday, Feb. 24, 2023 at 9:00 PM CT

LOCATION:

Footprint Center - Phoenix, AZ

TV/RADIO:

ESPN, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

FINAL WORD:

Following this contest, the Suns will head to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks. Meanwhile, the Thunder will have just one day off before hosting the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.