OKC Thunder: 3 keys to victory versus the Clippers

OKC Thunder key No. 3:  Be prepared for the ‘former club/teammate’ game

While we’ve noted stopping the two-headed monster will be virtually impossible it’s important to note Shai Gilgeous Alexander is motivated to perform well.

After telling the Canadian he was essentially untouchable the Clippers acquiesced to Sam Presti’s demands, including him as part of the trade package for George.

As much as that was a winning situation for SGA with the Thunder now building a team around him and his skill set,  it offers great motivation for Shai to remind the Clippers precisely what they gave up.

Moreover, setting the example in LA by ideally earning at least one win in the two consecutive games would be great for team morale.

Last season SGA his best performance versus the Clippers featured 32 points.

All stats courtesy of basketball reference or NBA Stats.

Game specifics:

Records:

• Thunder: 6-7
• Clippers: 11-4

The Venue:  Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

Tipoff:  10:00 PM ET  | 9:00 PM CT

TV: Fox Sports  Oklahoma | NBA League Pass

Radio: WWLS 98.1 FM OKC

Odds:

Injuries:

More from Thunderous Intentions

• Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
• Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

Thunder:

• Al Horford missed the last three games for personal reasons (birth of child) and won’t play Friday.  Since he’ll logically have to quarantine upon his return it’s likely he misses the entire weekend in LA.
• Josh Hall is out following the health and safety protocols.
• Ty Jerome (ankle) – out indefinitely
• Trevor Ariza (personal) out indefinitely

Clippers:

• Jay Scrubb  had foot surgery and is out indefinitely.

History:

The teams have played each other 218 times in regular-season history with the Thunder holding a 138-80 advantage. Last season the clubs played on four occasions with the Clippers taking three of the four contests.

Enjoy the game and check back tomorrow for grades and three takeaways.