OKC Thunder: Lu Dort headlines Canadian content in battle vs. Raptors

Game Specifics:

Records:

• Thunder: 20-36
• Raptors: 23-34

The Venue:  Amelie Arena, Tampa Bay Florida

Tipoff:  7:00 PM ET  | 6:00 PM CT

TV: Fox Sports  Oklahoma | NBA League Pass

Radio: WWLS 98.1 FM OKC

Injuries:

The Raptors were fined $25k for listing Kyle Lowry and OG Anunoby out for rest instead of a specific injury and subsequently did not submit their injury report on Saturday.

If you scan every team’s injury reports this season invariably every one of them will have an incorrect injury listing.  Some examples: The Thunder listed Darius Bazley as being out for a shoulder contusion while the injury was much worse.  Matthew Dellavedova was listed as out for a concussion for several months.  When the Clippers rest Kawhi Leonard often for a minor injury they don’t say why.

So the fact the NBA would fine the Raptors for such a small thing (OG – rest after suffering COVID and Lowry on and off issue with a toe infection) is contradictory to how every other team is treated.

On Friday, Fred VanVleet was the only Raptors starter playing and wasn’t close to 100 percent. It’s conceivable all five starters will be out Sunday.

As per the NBA injury report …

OKC Thunder:

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss his 13th consecutive game with plantar fasciitis
• Mike Muscala is out with an ankle injury missing his 18th of the last 19 games.
• Josh Hall is in the concussion protocol program.
• Aleksej Pokusevski will be out with a sprained right arm.
• Gabriel Deck – not with the team yet

Raptors (assumed)

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Kyle Lowry sat Friday for rest (toe infection) and may be out again. He’s missed 10 of the last 12 contests.

Fred VanVleet returned after missing seven games but didn’t appear to be 100 percent playing 23:23. He may or may not play.

Pascal Siakam missed two of the last five games. He lost 15 pounds during his bout with COVID and uses an inhaler to help with breathing but still isn’t 100 percent.

OG Anunoby sat Friday presumably due to his own issues returning from COVID and may or may not play.

Gary Trent Jr., missed the last two games with an ankle injury and may be out again.

Jalen Harris has a right hip pointer which is expected to keep him out.

History:

All-time the two clubs have played 48 times with the Thunder holding the 30 win edge to the Raptors 18 victories. They split their two meetings last season.

If the Raptors starters can’t go keep your eyes on Paul Watson, Yuta Watanabe, Freddie Gillespie, Gillespie, Birch, and rookie Malachi Flynn who is getting more burn with Lowry and VanVleet dealing with injuries.

Even if the Raptors core is all out it doesn’t necessarily equate to an automatic win for the Thunder as Toronto is deep. Paul Watson who just returned from missing 11 games due to contracting COVID got his first NBA start on Friday and scored a career-high 30 points on 10 of 13 from the field and 8 of 11 from deep.