Gameday preveiw: OKC Thunder get first shot at Ryan Saunders led Wolves
History:
OKC holds the predominant edge all-time with a 29-11 in win margin. The Wolves won the season series last year taking three of four matches and took the opening match this season 114-112.
Projected Line-ups
OKC Thunder Starters:
Point Guard: Russell Westbrook
Shooting Guard: Terrance Ferguson
Small Forward: Paul George
Power Forward: Jerami Grant
Center: Steven Adams
OKC Thunder Bench
Point Guard: Dennis Schroder, Raymond Felton
Shooting Guard: Alex Abrines, Deonte Burton
Small Forward: Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Abdel Nader
Power Forward: Patrick Patterson
Center: Nerlens Noel
Injury Notes:
- Paul George is dealing with a minor knee injury but a review of all the sites for updates on injuries list him as probable to play.
- Alex Abrines remains away from the team in what is becoming an odd situation given the lack of details.
- Dennis Schroder is nursing a quad injury and is questionable for play Tuesday.
- Andre Roberson: remains out rehabbing from the patellar tendon injury with a projected return date of either January or February.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Starters:
Point Guard: Jeff Teague
Shooting Guard: Josh Okogie
Small Forward: Andrew Wiggins
Power Forward: Taj Gibson
Center: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves Bench:
Point Guard: Tyus Jones, Jerryd Bayless
Shooting Guard: Jared Terrell
Small Forward: James Nunnally, Luol Deng,
Power Forward: Dario Saric, Anthony Tolliver
Center: Gorgui Dieng
- Derrick Rose: has missed the last five games with a right ankle sprain and is listed as out for this match.
- Robert Covington has missed the last three games with a bone bruise in his right knee. He is listed as out for this game with no definitive timetable set for his return.
Game Specifics:
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- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
The Venue: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The Tip: 7:00 PM CT (8:00 PM ET), Tuesday, January 8, 2018
TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma, NBA TV is featuring the game as part of their ‘Players Only’ schedule.
Radio: Oklahoma City – WWLS 98.1FM OKC / 930AM (ESP)
The Odds: The Thunder are 8 point favorites, with an over-under of 228.5 points
Closing Thought:
As with any change at the top, it’s typical for teams to be fired up to show their support to the new man in charge. While Saunders has been with the team long enough to know all the players they (and in particular Wiggins and Towns) will want to get him his first win.
Jumping on the Wolves early is essential as feeding the Wolves confidence or momentum wouldn’t behoove the Thunder. In their last meeting, Minnesota built a 35-25 first quarter lead over OKC and the Thunder spent the entirety of the game attempting to claw their way back. Therefore dictating the pace and getting an early lead over the Wolves should take precedence.
Next. The top ten biggest villains in Thunder history. dark
After the game check back with Thunderous Intentions to review the post game player grades, Topic: Thunder podcast crew breaking down the game and key takeaways the morning after.