Preview: OKC Thunder hope to bounce back against Orlando
Oklahoma City has not made a habit of stepping up to the plate against the sub-.500 teams this season. They escaped the loss against Sacramento last week, so hopefully that trend continues against the 18-41 Orlando Magic.
This is the second and final meeting between the two team this season. The Magic took the first one in Orlando back on November 29. Here are a few thing OKC can focus on to make sure they do not account for two of Orlando’s rare wins.
Battle in the paint
Steven Adams is having his best season as a pro, statistically and intangibly. He will have his hands full in this one against Nikola Vucevic, who will be in his third game back from a two month injury hiatus.
Adams is a stout defender, but it will be up to the other Thunder players to provide him with help. Outside of Vuc, Bismack Biyombo is the only other noteworthy true big man on the roster. He is not a big threat offensively, but with penatrators Aaron Gordon and Jonathon Simmons, there will still be plenty of action around the basket.
New and improved Aaron Gordon
Much like Vucevic, Aaron Gordon is in his third game back since missing time (nine games spanning the break). His shot has not been falling in 2018 like it did to start the season – 50 percent field goal percentage through December and only 36 percent in 2018.
He saw some shots fall in Orlando’s last game, scoring 20 points to go with seven boards and seven assists. He has added the three ball to his repertoire (36 percent this season) and has two games with 40+ points. One of his 40 point performances was against OKC.
Gordon is in the conversation as one of the NBA’s most improved players and is a tough player to guard with his combination of size and skill.
Winning mentality
The Magic have already beaten the OKC Thunder once this season. Losses to poor teams have unfortunately surprised Thunder fans less and less as the season has gone on. This is a game, especially at home, that the Thunder should win.
Even with their poor record, the Magic are middle-of-the-road in almost all major statistical categories. Their biggest weakness is on the boards, where they rank 25th in the league.
To take this win, the blue and orange need to take this Orlando squad seriously. A winnable game does not do a team any good if they come out sluggish and do not capitalize. Here is hoping OKC takes care of business.