OKLAHOMA CITY vs LA LAKERS
When: 2/10/2021 10:00 PM
Where: STAPLES Center, Los Angeles

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE: -11.5 Lakers
PREDICTION: LA LAKERS , OKLAHOMA CITY

Oddsmakers currently have the Los Angeles Lakers listed as 11.5 point favorites versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.5.

The Lakers are 12-4 against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles is third in the Western Conference with 51.4 points per game in the paint led by Anthony Davis averaging 12.3.

The Thunder have gone 5-10 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City has a 3-9 record in games decided by 10 points or more.

The teams square off for the second game in a row.

TOP PERFORMERS:

LeBron James is averaging 25.6 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers. Dennis Schroder is averaging 13.9 points and 3 rebounds while shooting 46.8% over the last 10 games for Los Angeles.

Al Horford leads the Thunder averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers while scoring 13.7 points per game and shooting 41.5% from beyond the arc. Darius Bazley is averaging 8.2 rebounds and 13.9 points per game over the last 10 games for Oklahoma City.

LAST 10 GAMES:

Lakers: 8-2, averaging 109.8 points, 41.7 rebounds, 24.4 assists, 7.6 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.6 points on 45.3% shooting.

Thunder: 4-6, averaging 110.3 points, 44.5 rebounds, 23.1 assists, 7.6 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116 points on 46.4% shooting.

INJURIES:

Lakers: Alex Caruso: day to day (hand), Anthony Davis: out (achilles), Kostas Antetokounmpo: out (knee), Jared Dudley: out (calf).

Thunder: Theo Maledon: out (health protocols), George Hill: out (thumb), Trevor Ariza: out (personal), Mike Muscala: out (concussion), Isaiah Roby: out (foot).

BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles hosts Oklahoma City looking to extend its three-game home winning streak.

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OKLAHOMA CITY vs LA LAKERS
When: 2/8/2021 10:00 PM
Where:

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: LA LAKERS , OKLAHOMA CITY

Oddsmakers currently have the LA LAKERS listed as 10.5 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at 218.

Winning games when you don’t play your best, particularly against teams under .500, is crucial during the NBA season, says Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. The woeful Detroit Pistons offer a case in point.

“Listen, we bring out the best in the Pistons,” said James, who finished with 33 points on 13-for-26 shooting, 11 assists and four steals after the Lakers beat the league’s worst team 135-129 in double overtime on Saturday at Staples Center.

“They’ve had two really good games versus us — another was tonight,” said James. “We give out credit where credit is due. They played well but we got enough stops and we made enough shots to win the game. Every game is going to have its own challenges and we accept all challenges, and we did that tonight.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder, who are two games under .500 at 10-12, will present another obstacle for the Lakers on Monday when they play the first of consecutive contests. They meet again Wednesday.

Against the Pistons, the Lakers, who own the NBA’s second-best record at 18-6, avoided an embarrassing loss to a club missing key performers including Blake Griffin (rest), Derrick Rose (personal reasons) and Wayne Ellington (calf).

Anthony Davis scored 30 points, Dennis Schroder contributed 22 points and eight assists and Kyle Kuzma added 14 points and six boards, but a late drought offensively almost cost the Lakers.

A lack of offense in the second half almost resulted in a setback for Oklahoma City on Saturday.

However, the Thunder prevailed in a 120-118 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Thunder, who had seven players score in double figures.

“We’re competitors at the end of the day,” Gilgeous-Alexander told the team’s website. “That’s first and foremost, and that’s one of things that we hang our hat on each night.”

Mike Muscala scored 22 points before leaving in the fourth quarter with a concussion. He isn’t expected to play the first game in Los Angeles. Hamidou Diallo finished with 15 points and six rebounds as the Thunder held on after blowing a 23-point lead.

Oklahoma City rolled to an 83-62 lead at the break, setting a franchise record for points in a half. However, the Wolves rallied by outscoring the Thunder 32-13 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 96-94 heading into the fourth.

A bucket by Darius Bazley, who finished with 13 points, with 1:16 remaining was the difference as neither team scored again.

“Obviously, we went into halftime with a big lead and we didn’t keep our foot on the pedal, let them back in it,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 13 points in the fourth quarter. “But at the end of the day, we did enough to get a win.”

Oklahoma City’s Al Horford (rest) and Isaiah Roby (foot) missed the contest.

The Lakers pounded the Thunder 128-99 at Oklahoma City on Jan 13. James scored 26 points. Gilgeous-Alexander had a team-high 17 points.

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MINNESOTA vs OKLAHOMA CITY
When: 2/6/2021 8:05 PM
Where:

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , MINNESOTA

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as 2 point favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.

Minnesota Timberwolves (6-16, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (9-12, 13th in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota takes on Oklahoma City for a Northwest Division matchup Saturday.

The Thunder are 1/3 in division games. Oklahoma City is 3-9 in games when turning the ball over more than opponents and averages 14.7 turnovers.

The Timberwolves are 2/3 against division opponents. Minnesota ranks eighth in the NBA scoring 48.8 points per game in the paint led by Karl-Anthony Towns averaging 9.5.

The teams meet for the second game in a row.

TOP PERFORMERS: Al Horford is shooting 45.5% and averaging 13.7 points. Darius Bazley is averaging 6.9 rebounds and 12.6 points per game over the last 10 games for Oklahoma City.

Jarred Vanderbilt is second on the Timberwolves with 6.3 rebounds and averages 6.7 points. Malik Beasley is averaging 20.9 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 47.5% over the last 10 games for Minnesota.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 4-6, averaging 109.9 points, 43.2 rebounds, 23.1 assists, 8.2 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.7 points on 45.9% shooting.

Timberwolves: 3-7, averaging 104.8 points, 42.8 rebounds, 24 assists, 8.6 steals and 6.5 blocks per game while shooting 42.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.2 points on 45.9% shooting.

INJURIES: Thunder: Theo Maledon: out (health and safety protocols), George Hill: out (thumb), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: out (knee), Luguentz Dort: out (knee), Trevor Ariza: out (personal).

Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns: out (health and safety protocols), Juancho Hernangomez: day to day (health protocols), Jarrett Culver: out (left ankle), Naz Reid: day to day (right wrist), D’Angelo Russell: day to day (right quad).

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HOUSTON vs OKLAHOMA CITY
When: 2/1/2021 8:00 PM
Where:

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: 4
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , HOUSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as 4 point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 224.

Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas was encouraged by how his team responded after falling behind by double digits in the last two games.

But Silas is hoping for a better start Monday when the Rockets visit the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first of two games there.

“I wish we were starting games better, really,” Silas said. “At least we’re fighting back. That’s one of the things I love about this group — their competitiveness. Hopefully, at some point, we won’t have to get down so much early, but we’re going to fight back.”

Houston has won five in a row to climb back to .500 for the first time since early January.

In Thursday’s 104-101 win over Portland, the Rockets trailed by 20 in the first quarter before erasing that deficit by halftime and pulling off the win.

Saturday night, Houston was down by 11 in the first quarter at New Orleans before using a 48-point second-quarter outburst to take control.

It was the third-most points the Rockets had ever scored in a quarter.

“That’s a testament to our defense,” John Wall said. “We got out, got stops, we’re running in transition, was communicating on both ends of the floor. And that makes our team better. When we’re committed on the defensive end with all five guys, we’re a tough team to compete against because that gets us out in transition, lets us get pace into the game.”

Victor Oladipo, acquired in the mid-January trade of James Harden to Brooklyn, has keyed the Rockets’ recent resurgence.

He’s averaging 22.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists in six games with Houston.

“We have a bunch of guys who love to play basketball and they’re fighters,” forward P.J. Tucker said. “Even the games we get down … you’ve got to expect us to come back because we got a lot of guys with a lot of pride and they’re going to fight every single night and try to win.”

The Thunder are coming off a 147-125 loss to Brooklyn on Friday night, the most points the franchise has allowed in regulation since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008.

One encouraging sign to come out of that game for the Thunder was the play of rookie Theo Maledon, who has started the last three games with George Hill out with a sprained right thumb.

Maledon made 8 of 9 shots from the floor against the Nets, hitting all six 3-pointers he attempted to tie an NBA rookie record for most 3-pointers without a miss.

“I think he’s capable of that more often,” Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Works hard. Does the right things. The basketball gods are just rewarding him.”

Maledon is averaging 13.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists since moving into the starting lineup and has just four turnovers in 85 minutes.

Hill’s absence has allowed Maledon, who has normally served as Gilgeous-Alexander’s backup, to adjust to a new role.

“He’s a point guard,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “But that doesn’t mean he can’t play on the court with another one.”

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OKLAHOMA CITY vs LA CLIPPERS
When: 1/24/2021 4:00 PM
Where:

TV: 4:00 PM
LINE: -13
PREDICTION: LA CLIPPERS , OKLAHOMA CITY

Oddsmakers currently have the LA CLIPPERS listed as -13 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at 221.5.

Day games in Los Angeles aren’t always sunny affairs for the Clippers.

The infamous 51-point beatdown by the Dallas Mavericks on a Sunday afternoon last month is one of their most embarrassing performances in franchise history. The Clippers trailed by an NBA-record 50 at the break.

“We just have to come ready,” Clippers forward Paul George said of Sunday’s matinee matchup at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“That’s all it is, just come ready (and) just be prepared and get into our preparation early. That’s all it is. Simple as that. … Everybody’s just got to start that engine early.”

The Clippers will attempt to extend their season-high six-game winning streak in their second meeting with the Thunder in less than 48 hours.

Los Angeles motored to a 120-106 win over Oklahoma City on Friday behind 31 points and eight rebounds from Kawhi Leonard and 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists from George, who spent two seasons with the Thunder before being traded to the Clippers prior to the 2019-20 season. Serge Ibaka contributed 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting and 11 rebounds against his former club.

Nicolas Batum, whose wife gave birth to a baby girl hours before Friday’s game, added 14 points by hitting 5 of 6 shots, including all four of his 3-pointers.

“Just seeing him having a beautiful daughter and then come back and want to play the same night just shows his dedication,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “It means a lot to the team. Just happy for him.”

The Clippers also have enjoyed the pleasure of their recent play. They have averaged 123.8 points and limited opponents to 105.2 points per game during their streak.

In Friday’s game, the Clippers raced out to a big lead early and dominated for almost the entire contest. After leading by as much as 27, they allowed the Thunder to creep within 10 points late in the third quarter before resuming control in the fourth.

“They were the aggressor, but I thought we really helped them out,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault told the Daily Oklahoman. “We gave them a lot of pretty clean plays. Once we got the game under control, I thought we played pretty well. I was really happy with the way we stood up tonight. It was kind of a landslide there early in the game.”

Ex-Clipper Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points and eight assists for the Thunder, who have lost four of their last five contests.

“I just try to be aggressive and then make the right basketball play — whether that be getting in the paint to score or getting in the paint to pass,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, according to the Oklahoman. “I really just try to be aggressive for my teammates. I know when I’m in that mode that it’s easier on them.”

Luguentz Dort scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half. George Hill finished with 12 points, Mike Muscala had 11 and Hamidou Diallo chipped in 10 for Oklahoma City.

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OKLAHOMA CITY vs DENVER
When: 1/19/2021 9:00 PM
Where:

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: -10
PREDICTION: DENVER , OKLAHOMA CITY

Oddsmakers currently have the DENVER listed as -10 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at 220.5.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were warmed up and ready to play the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night when the game was abruptly postponed due to contact tracing issues with the Sixers.

So instead of a chance to get over the .500 mark, Oklahoma City had an impromptu practice to get ready for a road matchup with the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.

The gap in the schedule might have been welcome for some, but chances are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would have preferred to play. Gilgeous-Alexander has been surging recently, averaging 25.2 points over the last five games, including a 33-point effort in a comeback win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.

He hit 13-of-19 shots in the victory but wasn’t completely satisfied with his big night.

“I still had a few mishaps and mistakes there down the stretch and that can’t happen if we want to be the best basketball team that we can be, so I’m going to go back and watch film and learn from them,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

Gilgeous-Alexander is part of a makeover by Oklahoma City over the past few years. The team traded point guard Chris Paul to Phoenix in the offseason and sent Steven Adams to New Orleans in a four-team deal that netted George Hill, four other players and draft picks. The Thunder also moved Danilo Gallinari to Atlanta in a sign-and-trade deal.

Revamping the roster has made the Thunder much younger and prone to bouts of inconsistency, much like the young but playoff tested Nuggets. Denver has won the Northwest Division the last two seasons but has put in uneven performances while adjusting to roster changes.

Sunday night was an example. The Nuggets had chances to beat Utah at home but missed several layups and had defensive breakdowns that let the Jazz leave town with a 109-105 victory. The only thing Denver has been able to bank on every night is the play of Nikola Jokic.

The 7-foot Jokic is averaging a triple-double 13 games into the season (25.0 points, 11.4 rebounds and 10.3 assists), and has not had a down game this season. He has five triple-doubles and double-doubles in the other eight games.

Despite those gaudy numbers, he has yet to help his team string together three consecutive victories this season.

“I think it is what it is; I think that league is even,” Jokic said after the loss to Utah. “It’s really tough to have a big winning streak, because you can always have an off night. Maybe if you’re really good. Some teams are having, I don’t know how many wins in a row. For us, it’s hard, because we have to play really, really good to win games.”

The Nuggets should get a boost later in the week with third-leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. expected to return from COVID-19 quarantine. The 6-10 forward has missed the last nine games but head coach Michael Malone said he is hopeful Porter will return when the team hits the road on Friday.

He won’t be available Tuesday, but if all goes well he will play Friday at Phoenix.

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PHILADELPHIA vs OKLAHOMA CITY
When: 1/17/2021 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: 3
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , PHILADELPHIA

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as 3 point favorites versus the PHILADELPHIA, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.5.

The Philadelphia 76ers are still trying to figure out how to win without Joel Embiid.

Heading into Sunday’s road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 76ers are 0-3 this season without Embiid in the lineup.

Philadelphia is 7-0 with its starting lineup intact and 2-5 when missing one or more starters.

Embiid doesn’t figure to be the only starter out for the 76ers, as Seth Curry has missed six consecutive games, the last five after testing positive for COVID-19.

Philadelphia will be without its All-Star center for the second consecutive game after Embiid remained in Philadelphia for the two-game road trip, which began Saturday with a 106-104 loss in Memphis.

Embiid is dealing with right knee soreness.

“Get over it and win the game,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said, rejecting the notion that missing Embiid or others was an excuse.

Rivers said the 76ers are going to continue to be cautious with Embiid.

“We want him to play as many games as he can play,” Rivers said. “But again, we have to be smart; it is a long season. We want everyone, not just Joel, we want everyone to be healthy and at their prime state when they get to the playoffs.”

The 76ers haven’t had much success in Oklahoma City with or without Embiid, going 1-10 there since the Thunder franchise began.

Overall, the Thunder are 20-3 against Philadelphia, their best mark against any opponent since 2008-09.

In his third year, Shake Milton figures to play in his home state for the first time. Milton has been inactive in each of the 76ers last two visits to Oklahoma City. Over the last three games, Milton is averaging 27.7 points, by far the best three-game stretch of his career.

Oklahoma City is coming off one of the biggest comebacks in franchise history. The Thunder trailed Chicago by 22 points in the third quarter before coming back to win 127-125 in overtime.

That game, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said was an important growing experience for an inexperienced Thunder team.

“That’s the type of mentality we’re trying to nurture,” Daigneault said. “Even if we didn’t win it, we stood back up, which was progress for us. There’s no guarantee you’re going to win when you continue to compete but if you continue to compete, you give yourselves a chance.”

Sunday’s game is the finale of a four-game homestand for the Thunder. The win over the Bulls was their first at home this season.

For the third consecutive game, the Thunder will face off against a key piece of its recent run of success before an offseason roster overhaul.

Sunday, it’ll be Terrance Ferguson playing against Oklahoma City for the first time after being traded with Danny Green to the 76ers in a package that brought Al Horford and Theo Maledon to the Thunder.

Ferguson has yet to break into the 76ers regular rotation, though and didn’t play in the loss to Memphis.

Neither Embiid nor backup forward Mike Scott, who also has right knee pain, made the two-game road trip.

The Thunder are likely to be without Horford for the third consecutive game. After missing Wednesday’s game for rest, Horford has remained away from the team for personal reasons, missing the win over Chicago and Saturday’s practice.

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OKLAHOMA CITY vs ORLANDO
When: 1/2/2021 7:05 PM
Where:

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: ORLANDO , OKLAHOMA CITY

Oddsmakers currently have the ORLANDO listed as point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at .

After starting 4-0 for the first time in franchise history, the Orlando Magic got a bit of a reality check in Thursday’s loss to Philadelphia.

The Magic are hoping to get back on track Saturday when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I like our team,” Orlando coach Steve Clifford said. “I like who we can become. We’re not putting enough into guarding the ball and helping. We’re not.

“Things that we’ve been very good at for two years we’re not going, and that’s the hard things.”

The Magic shot a season-low — by a wide margin — 34.7 percent from the floor and 25 percent from behind the 3-point line in the 116-92 loss while struggling defensively, especially in guarding the 3-point line.

Orlando was also hit with the injury bug in that loss, with Evan Fournier and Chuma Okeke leaving the game and Terrence Ross sitting out after suffering a hamstring injury in Tuesday’s win in Oklahoma City.

Fournier left Thursday’s game with back spasms.

Ross is listed as probable for Saturday’s game while Fournier is questionable. Okeke is expected to miss several weeks with a left knee bone bruise.

Dwayne Bacon said injuries weren’t an excuse and that the Magic, hoping to make a leap after back-to-back first-round playoff exits, needed to be able to sustain their drive.

“We came out with no focus, no intensity, no will to want to win to begin the season 5-0,” Bacon said. “I’m not going to sit here and say you’re going to have nights like that just to say it, but you are. But that’s when you’ve just got to push through.

“We know it’s a weird year. We know we’re going to play every other night but at the end of the day, we’ve got to be able to play through whatever and play whenever.”

Orlando isn’t the only team looking for a bounce back.

The Thunder have lost three consecutive games, but in the first of those two losses — including a 118-107 loss to Orlando earlier in the week — Oklahoma City was competitive until the end.

That wasn’t the case Thursday in a 33-point blowout loss to New Orleans where the Thunder scored just 80 points for the first time since a post-season loss in August to the Houston Rockets.

After being a complementary piece during his first two NBA, the first with the Los Angeles Clippers and last year with the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is adjusting to being the No. 1 option.

Gilgeous-Alexander had his toughest game of the season Thursday, going just 3 of 10 from the field.

George Hill, one of the few veterans on the Thunder, said the season would be a process, not only for Gilgeous-Alexander but the rest of the roster.

“We’re a super, super young team and a lot of them don’t have any experience on the court,” Hill said. “We’re just out here rolling the ball, rolling the dice, trying to figure it all out together. But their heart and effort is there, and that’s all you can ask from a young player.”

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NEW ORLEANS vs OKLAHOMA CITY
When: 12/31/2020 8:05 PM
Where:

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 5
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , NEW ORLEANS

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as 5 point favorites versus the NEW ORLEANS, while the game’s total is sitting at 213.5.

After playing his first seven NBA seasons with Oklahoma City, Steven Adams makes his first appearance there as a visitor Thursday night when the Thunder host his New Orleans Pelicans.

“It’s not like I died or anything. I’m gonna see them again, so that’s fine,” Adams said of Oklahoma City after he was traded in a November deal that netted George Hill, four other players and draft picks for the Thunder.

Adams was one of the biggest pieces in the Thunder’s offseason overhaul that also included trades of Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari and Dennis Schroder among others.

Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti has made a habit of trading away big pieces during the past few years, especially dealing Russell Westbrook and Paul George during the 2019 offseason.

“I think the No. 1 thing for us to recognize in these situations is we have to put the best interest of the organization first,” Presti said of the three-team trade that sent Adams packing after 530 games with the Thunder. “That doesn’t make the decision easier by any stretch.

“It wasn’t my best day or work, I can tell you that. But I feel passionate about relentlessly pursuing a bright future for this organization. If you’re comfortable during that period of time, I don’t know that you’re doing anything that’s going to lead you to be different.”

Adams is averaging 8.3 points and 8.5 rebounds through four games with New Orleans. He had 11 points and eight boards in Tuesday’s 111-86 loss at Phoenix, where the Pelicans shot just 12.5 percent (3 of 24) from 3-point range.

Since making 19 of 42 3-pointers in a season-opening win over the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans has canned only 18 of 83 attempts (21.7 percent) from behind the arc.

Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy said the hot shooting in the opener masked other problems in the offense that have been evident in every game except Sunday’s 98-95 win against the San Antonio Spurs.

“Our offense right now is completely discombobulated,” Van Gundy said. “Other than the San Antonio game, we don’t take care of the ball, we’re not getting good ball movement, we’re not screening. We’re really not doing much of anything well offensively.”

The Thunder have lost two consecutive home games by a combined 12 points since winning their opener on the road at Charlotte.

Oklahoma City was without two starters in Tuesday’s 118-107 loss to Orlando — Hill and Al Horford.

Horford should be back Thursday after missing the game against the Magic for rest on the second of a back-to-back. Hill sat out due to neck spasms.

With Horford and Hill out, coach Mark Daigneault went with Justin Jackson and Isaiah Roby in the starting lineup after neither played in the season’s first two games.

Roby, who was scoreless in three previous NBA games in 2019-20, took advantage of the opportunity with 19 points and seven rebounds.

“These guys are all in the NBA for a reason,” Daigneault said. “They’re all here for a season, and we never want to underestimate one of our own players.”

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ORLANDO vs OKLAHOMA CITY
When: 12/29/2020 8:05 PM
Where:

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 5
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , ORLANDO

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as 5 point favorites versus the ORLANDO, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.5.

The Orlando Magic are saving the best for last during their 3-0 start to the season.

Going into their Tuesday road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Magic are averaging 38.3 points in the fourth quarter.

Markelle Fultz has been a big reason for Orlando’s late-game success.

The guard scored a combined 16 points in the last two fourth quarters, both road wins at Washington.

He scored more than 20 points in each of those games after reaching the 20-point mark just six times in his first 105 career games.

“He makes big plays late in the game,” Magic coach Steve Clifford said. “He wants the ball and he plays with a lot of courage late in the game.”

While Fultz has played a big part late, the Magic’s success goes far beyond him.

Orlando features one of the most balanced offenses in the league, with four players averaging at least 17.3 points per game and none averaging more than 23.3.

In the Magic’s most recent game, a 120-113 triumph over the Wizards on Sunday, Orlando outscored Washington 43-19 in the fourth quarter to pull out the win.

The Magic have outscored their opponents by 14.3 points per game in the fourth quarter, twice coming back from a deficit to start the quarter and once extending what was a one-point lead going into the fourth into a double-digit win.

The Magic have won their first three games for the first time since 2009 and just the fourth time in the 32-year history of the franchise. The Magic have never started a season 4-0. They will try to break through that barrier at a place where they’ve had little success in recent years.

Orlando is just 2-10 against the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder are coming off a 110-109 home loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Oklahoma City led by 12 points in the second quarter and by nine in the fourth quarter before a Donovan Mitchell-led comeback guided the Jazz to the win.

Mitchell hit the go-ahead hoop with seven seconds to play.

Oklahoma City, which overhauled its roster in the offseason to get younger — and cheaper — as part of a rebuild, has at least been competitive early, starting the season with a pair of games that have come down to the wire.

Both times, first-year coach Mark Daigneault put the ball in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands with a chance to win it on the final possession.

Gilgeous-Alexander hit the game-winner on Saturday in Charlotte in the season opener but missed a chance for an encore Monday when his layup attempt was unsuccessful just before the buzzer.

Daigneault believes playing tight games can only benefit his young team.

“Really valuable,” the coach said. “This is the reality of a competitive league (and) we competed all the way through.”

Oklahoma City will be without guard Ty Jerome on Tuesday for the third consecutive game. Jerome, who is sidelined due to an ankle injury, will be back in the “not-too-distant future,” Daigneault said Monday.

The Magic are expected to be without James Ennis (hamstring) and Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) again. Neither has played this season.

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