Upcoming Road Stretch Provides OKC a Chance to Gain Momentum as Season Winds Down

The Thunder have struggled on the road all season, but with a four game stretch upcoming they have a chance to right the tides and move up in the standings.

Oklahoma City is in a unique position in the Western Conference playoff race, and they have what could be the most important stretch of their season.

The Thunder enter Monday, once again, a game under .500 with a chance to make a run both in the standings and in their overall record. OKC has a four game road trip beginning on Tuesday in Los Angeles and ending in Portland on Sunday. The games include two games against the Clippers, a game against the Lakers and Trailblazers.

The games are winnable for OKC as all the teams are within reach in the Western Conference standings and in similar positions in their season. However, like most teams in the Western Conference, the Thunder struggle to win on the road.

OKC is 13-21 on the road this season, but this stretch of games presents the Thunder a great opportunity to find their stride away from Paycom Center. The Thunder are in sole possession of eighth in the West after a win on Sunday against the Phoenix Suns. Oklahoma City is a game out of sixth place, and only three games out of fourth. However, the Thunder are also just a game ahead of being outside of the playoff picture.

Currently in the Western Conference, 10 teams are within four games of each other stretching from fourth place down to 12th place. This means the Thunder are in a position with only 11 games left that a bad stretch could be the difference between making a playoff appearance and missing the postseason once again.

The Thunder have been hot, and could use that momentum to power through the challenging road stretch. Following a five game losing streak after the All-Star Break, OKC has won seven of its last nine including wins over Brooklyn and Phoenix.

If the Thunder can find ways to play through Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as they have all season and stay healthy, OKC has a chance to win the four games on the road. The Thunder don’t have to win every game to remain in playoff contention, but they do need to avoid a losing record in this stretch before returning to the Paycom Center for four of their last seven contests following the west coast swing.

If the Thunder could pick a time to have their best road performance of the season, the upcoming stretch could be the best time for the team to find a way to win a couple of road games. 

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