OKC Thunder: 3 keys to victory vs. the Miami Heat

The OKC Thunder look to get back to .500 tonight as they prepare for their bout against the reigning Eastern Conference Champions, the Miami Heat.

Despite what their record and placement within the standings may have insinuated, the OKC Thunder are a lowkey solid squad that finds themselves competing on any given night.

Saturday was a prime example of this, as the, then, 1-3 Thunder took down the 4-1 Orlando Magic in exhilarating grit and grind fashion.

Some fans may want to see the team tank; others may wish to see a surprise postseason run similar to 2019-20.

Whatever the case may be, at the moment, they are 2-3 and are playing with the competitive culture we’ve grown to love about this franchise throughout its existence.

If Oklahoma City wishes to keep the ball rolling tonight against the Miami Heat and capture their first win streak of the season, they’ll likely want to hone in on these 3 specific keys to victory:

OKC Thunder key No. 1) Al Horford

Ok, we understand that we have stated Al Horford to be a “key” on numerous occasions before, but this time he will undoubtedly be critical to an OKC victory, as they will be going up against the tantalizing All-Star center, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat and need to try and combat his firepower upfront.

Off to a solid start to his tenure with the Thunder, the veteran big man is posting averages of 10.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and half a block per game on 47 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from deep.

Sure, many expect Horford to be off the team by season’s end, but in the meantime, they’ll need him to man down the middle, especially tonight against Adebayo who is having a sensational start to 2020-21, posting 19 points, eight rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and a block per game on a stellar 63 percent shooting from the floor.