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1 week ago
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The Oklahoma City Thunder volition beryllium looking to interruption a franchise-record 13 consecutive regular-season victories erstwhile they play big to the Los Angeles Clippers connected Friday.
Having mislaid each of their past 7 visits to the Paycom Center since March 2020, the Clippers volition caput into the play looking to interruption this hoodoo and unafraid the archetypal triumph of the year.
Match preview
© Imago
The Oklahoma City Thunder kicked disconnected the caller twelvemonth successful benignant arsenic they rolled past the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-105 erstwhile the 2 sides squared disconnected astatine the Paycom Center.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his red-hot streak arsenic helium knocked down 40 points connected 65% shooting from the tract — registering 40+ points for the 3rd clip successful 5 games — to spell with 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
Gilgeous-Alexander was amongst 4 OKC starters to driblet treble figures, including Jalen William's 14 and Luguentz Dort's 14, portion Isaiah Hartenstein tallied 15 points and 10 rebounds to grounds his 13th double-double of the campaign.
With their New Year's Day result, the Thunder person present won 7 consecutive matches since their 97-81 nonaccomplishment against the Milwaukee Bucks successful the 2024 NBA Cup title crippled connected December 18, and person tied a franchise-record 12 consecutive regular-season victories.
This blistering tally of results has seen Mark Daigneault's men amended to a 27-5 grounds for the season, strengthening their pb astatine the apical of Western Conference standings arsenic they boast a 0.844 winning percent aft the opening 32 games.
While Oklahoma person entered the caller twelvemonth connected a high, they volition request to amusement their mettle implicit the adjacent tally of matches arsenic they look the Los Angeles Clippers, the New York Knicks (home and away), reigning champions Boston Celtics and a red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers successful a nine-day period.
© Imago
On the different hand, the Los Angeles Clippers added different to their increasing database of dense defeats arsenic they were connected the receiving extremity of a 122-86 blowout nonaccomplishment against the San Antonio Spurs successful the aboriginal hours of New Year's Day.
With the Clippers shooting 30-87 from the field, Victor Wembanyama knocked down 27 points successful 26 minutes of enactment to spell with 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks to animate the Spurs to their 17th triumph of the campaign.
This marked a 5th crippled this play successful which the Clippers person mislaid by astatine slightest 20 points, including a 120-98 decision against the Denver Nuggets connected December 14, a 108-80 location nonaccomplishment against the Timberwolves connected December 5 and November's 126-94 decision against the Celtics.
Prior to Wednesday morning's loss, Tyronn Lue's men were connected a three-game winning streak, brushing speech the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans to adjacent retired the twelvemonth connected a beardown note.
The Los Angeles Clippers are present 19-14 from their 33 matches this play to beryllium sixth successful the Western Conference standings, conscionable 1 triumph supra the rivals and next-door neighbours Los Angeles Lakers.
While the Clippers volition look to shingle disconnected their mediocre outing against the Spurs and unafraid their archetypal triumph of the year, they person mislaid each of their past 7 roadworthy games against the Thunder, stretching backmost to a 109-94 triumph successful March 2020.
Oklahoma City Thunder form:
Los Angeles Clippers form:
Team News
© Imago
The Oklahoma City Thunder stay without respective players down the spine of the squad arsenic Chet Holmgren (hip), Adam Flagler (metacarpal) and Nikola Topic (ACL) proceed their spells connected the sidelines.
Alex Ducas is presently recuperating from a backmost wounded and volition beryllium retired Friday's clash portion Alex Caruso is besides retired of contention aft sustaining a hep wounded against the Washington Wizards connected Boxing Day.
Since the NBA Cup heartbreak, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 34.7 points per crippled crossed the consequent 7 matches and the 26-year-old is the second-leading scorer successful the league (31.2), lone down Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.6).
As for the Los Angeles Clippers, Terance Mann missed the crippled against the San Antonio Spurs connected Wednesday greeting done a fractured near mediate digit and the defender is ruled retired of this weekend's clash.
He is joined connected the wounded array by level wide Kawhi Leonard, who remains ruled retired arsenic helium continues his agelong roadworthy to afloat fittingness aft sustaining a terrible genu wounded successful April.
Oklahoma City Thunder imaginable starting 5:
Wallace, Dort, Hartenstein, Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander
Los Angeles Clippers imaginable starting 5:
Powell, Harden, Dunn, Zubac, Jones
We say: Oklahoma City Thunder to triumph by 7+ points.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are successful red-hot signifier astatine the infinitesimal and volition beryllium backing themselves against a Los Angeles Clippers broadside who person mislaid each of their astir caller 3 meetings.
OKC person their sights connected the franchise's regular-season consecutive wins record, and portion Lue's men volition beryllium looking to bounce backmost from their mediocre shooting show against the Spurs, we foretell the Thunder volition travel retired connected top.
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