OKLAHOMA CITY vs CHARLOTTE
When: 12/26/2020 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: -3.5
PREDICTION: CHARLOTTE , OKLAHOMA CITY

Oddsmakers currently have the CHARLOTTE listed as -3.5 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at 218.

After a forgettable debut, rookie guard LaMelo Ball is hoping for a better performance on Saturday when the Charlotte Hornets host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Ball, the No. 3 overall pick in 2020 NBA Draft, went scoreless in Wednesday’s 121-114 loss to Cleveland. He missed all five of his shots from the floor and had three turnovers in 16 minutes.

“I told him just to forget this one,” veteran Gordon Hayward said of Ball’s debut. “Some days are diamonds, some days are stones.”

Ball was the first top-three pick to be held scoreless in his NBA debut since Otto Porter Jr. in 2013, and just the fourth in the last 15 seasons, joining Porter, Hasheem Thabeet and Greg Oden.

Porter has bounced back to a solid career, while Oden and Thabeet combined for just 329 career games.

Ball and Hayward are key to Charlotte’s hopes of making the playoffs — and posting a winning record — for the first time since 2016.

Hayward signed a four-year $120-million contract in the offseason as part of a sign-and-trade with Boston.

Hayward had 28 points and seven assists in the opener after missing the final two preseason games with a broken finger.

The Thunder are one of two NBA teams who enter Saturday without having played a game.

Oklahoma City’s scheduled season opener in Houston on Wednesday was postponed after the Rockets were left without the league-required eight players available due to COVID-19 testing and contact tracing protocol.

“We were expecting to get out there and get it going,” Oklahoma City’s Al Horford said. “But at the same time, I think the NBA is really trying to put our health first. It’s something that’s tough, but it felt like it was the right decision.”

Horford is one of the few veterans on the rebuilt Thunder.

Oklahoma City overhauled its roster in the offseason, going into full rebuild mode after last season’s surprise fifth-place finish in the Western Conference.

The Thunder traded Chris Paul, Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari, Dennis Schroder, Terrance Ferguson and Abdel Nader in the offseason, mostly stockpiling draft picks and young players.

Only five players remain from last year’s roster, and only 22-year-old Hamidou Diallo is from the 2018-19 roster.

The Thunder have won four consecutive meetings, with Charlotte’s last victory since coming in December 2017. Malik Monk is the only player remaining on either roster from the Hornets’ last win against Oklahoma City.

The Hornets will be without starting center Cody Zeller, who fractured his left hand in the loss to Cleveland.

Zeller is expected to miss four to six weeks, according to a report from ESPN.

Zeller missed just two games last season after injuries the previous two seasons limited him to just 82 games the previous two seasons combined.

Bismack Biyombo is likely to replace Zeller in the lineup. Rookies Vernon Carey Jr. and Nick Richards, neither of whom played in the opener, are possibilities for reserve minutes.

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OKLAHOMA CITY vs INDIANA
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, FS Indiana
LINE: -3
PREDICTION: Pacers 103, Thunder 101

Oddsmakers currently have the INDIANA listed as -3 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at 214.

The Indiana Pacers look like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference with six wins in their last seven games and are doing it without a superstar in the lineup. The Pacers will try to ride their balanced attack to a fourth consecutive win when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

Indiana is still without All-Star guard Victor Oladipo while he recovers from knee surgery and the team is relying on the entire rotation to do the scoring. “I think our guys are doing a good job of taking what the defense gives,” Pacers coach Nate McMillan told reporters. “What we talk about is getting organized – if we don’t have anything early, a good look or layup, we want to get organized and execute our offense. Those guys have been doing a really good job at doing that.” The Thunder pushed the Milwaukee Bucks to the end on Sunday before falling 121-119 and are winners of three of their last five while enjoying their own balanced scoring attack. Shooting guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the team in scoring at an average of 21 points and followed up his lowest-scoring game of the season – 12 points in a win over Golden State on Saturday – with 22 points on Sunday.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, FS Indiana

ABOUT THE THUNDER (4-6): Oklahoma City forward Danilo Gallinari suffered through one of his worst shooting nights while going 4-of-17 from the floor on Sunday but knocked down a 3-pointer down the stretch to keep his team close and is impressed with his young teammates. “We had a lot of fight in us and that’s something we’re going to bring every night,” Gallinari told reporters. “That’s something that we try and make a guarantee for this team to bring it every night.” Backup point guard Dennis Schroder helped keep the Thunder in the game with a season-high 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting Sunday – his third 20-plus effort in the last eight contests.

ABOUT THE PACERS (6-4): While the Pacers wait for Oladipo and center Myles Turner (ankle) to rejoin the team, power forward Domantas Sabonis is quietly becoming a star. The 23-year-old Gonzaga product posted his fourth straight double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds in Sunday’s 109-102 victory at Orlando and matched a season high with seven assists. Sabonis’s 21 points led the way on Sunday but T.J. Warren (19 points), Malcolm Brogdon (19) and Doug McDermott (18) each contributed to the balanced attack while reserve point guard T.J. McConnell enjoyed a second straight solid outing with 12 points and eight assists in 20 minutes.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pacers SG Jeremy Lamb (ankle) sat out the last three games and remains day-to-day.

2. Thunder C Steven Adams (knee contusion) sat out Sunday and is day-to-day.

3. The home team took each of the two meetings last season.

PREDICTION: Pacers 103, Thunder 101

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UTAH JAZZ vs OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Monday, December 10, 2018
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: -6
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , UTAH

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as -6 point favorites versus the UTAH, while the game’s total is sitting at 216.5.

The Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t lost two games in a row since opening the season 0-4, and they’ll try to avoid that fate when they host the Utah Jazz on Monday. The Thunder suffered a 114-112 loss at Chicago on Friday in the finale of a three-game road trip and go back on the road for two more following Monday’s contest.

“A slip-up is all it is tonight,” Oklahoma City’s Paul George told reporters of the setback to the Bulls. “We dropped one. But we’re going to keep it rolling.” Russell Westbrook notched his 109th career triple-double with 24 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists in the loss for Oklahoma City. The Jazz followed a 2-0 homestand with Sunday’s 110-97 loss at San Antonio despite receiving a combined 53 points from starting guards Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio. Monday marks the first meeting between the teams since the Jazz knocked off the Thunder in six games during the first round of the 2018 playoffs.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Utah), FS Oklahoma

ABOUT THE JAZZ (13-14): Both Mitchell and Rubio were 3-for-8 from 3-point range at San Antonio while their teammates combined to go 3-for-13 as Utah fell to 9-8 on the road. A bright spot was the play off the bench of veteran Thabo Sefolosha, who made all four of his shot attempts and is 9-for-12 over his last three games. Rudy Gobert had a rare outing without a double-double (12 points, seven rebounds), but he established a career high with seven assists.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (16-8): Oklahoma City was bothered by the shot-blocking presence of Gobert when the teams met in the playoffs, and is preparing to take on the 7-1 figure in the middle. “He clogs the paint. He doesn’t move around that area very much,” George said. “We’ll kind of figure out ways of attacking him. It’s not impossible.” Steven Adams will draw the individual matchup with Gobert after producing 21 points and 10 rebounds at Chicago.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Westbrook has registered five triple-doubles in his last eight games.

2. Mitchell is averaging 26 points over his last four road contests.

3. Oklahoma City won three of the four regular-season meetings in 2017-18, holding Utah to 96 points or fewer each time.

PREDICTION: Thunder 112, Jazz 104

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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER vs CHICAGO BULLS
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Friday, December 7, 2018
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 9
PREDICTION: CHICAGO , OKLAHOMA CITY

Oddsmakers currently have the CHICAGO listed as 9 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at 216.

The red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder look to post their fifth straight victory when they visit the struggling Chicago Bulls on Friday. Oklahoma City recovered from a 23-point deficit to record a 114-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday for its 16th victory in the past 19 games.

Forward Paul George scored 25 of his 47 points in the final quarter and completed his team’s comeback with the winning 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds to play. “It felt good. I had the hot hand,” George told reporters of the stellar performance that fell one point shy of his career best. “Honestly, when you’re in the zone, everything is just kind of slowed down. Everything is timing, from the ball dribbling to the steps to get to the basket, everything seems calculated and slowed down.” Jim Boylen made his debut as coach on Tuesday but the Bulls fell 96-90 to the Indiana Pacers to suffer their season-worst seventh straight setback and 11th in their last 12 contests. “I really like this team. I like these guys,” Boylen told reporters after his game as Fred Hoiberg’s replacement. “I thought we competed. I thought we battled. That’s a big, physical team. I’m really proud of this group. We have a lot of mistakes to clean up, we have a lot of things I think we have to get better at. It was awesome.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, NBCS Chicago

ABOUT THE THUNDER (16-7): George and point guard Russell Westbrook continue to mesh well in their second season together and the former MVP was mighty impressed with George’s fourth-quarter splurge. “I love it,” Westbrook told reporters of George’s ability to take over games. “When you’re able to sit back and watch and see the time he’s put in and how it’s been so much better for him this year and see it pay off in a moment we much need it, it’s great. I’m just happy that he’s on my team.”Westbrook had 21 points, 17 assists and 15 rebounds in the victory for his 108th career triple-double, snapping a tie with Jason Kidd for third most in NBA history.

ABOUT THE BULLS (5-20): Power forward Lauri Markkanen recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds against Indiana in his second game after missing the first 23 due to an elbow injury. But the second-year pro is still looking to find his shooting touch after going 8-for-24 against the Pacers and 12-of-38 in the two games. “I don’t think I had too many bad shots,” Markkanen told reporters. “They were quite open and they all felt good. Just get my timing back – had so many offensive rebounds I had my hand on the ball and I just couldn’t grab it. All that little stuff will get better if I keep playing.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Thunder won both of last season’s meetings, holding the Bulls to an average of 74 points.

2. Chicago SG Zach LaVine tallied 20 or more points in 20 of his 24 appearances but scored just 13 against the Pacers.

3. George also collected a season-best 15 rebounds against the Nets while posting his seventh double-double of the season.

PREDICTION: Thunder 109, Bulls 103

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PHOENIX SUNS vs OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Monday, November 12, 2018
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as 8.5 point favorites versus the PHOENIX, while the game’s total is sitting at 217.

The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a bit of a letdown at Dallas on Saturday, watching a seven-game winning streak come to an end in a sub-par defensive performance. The Thunder will try to right themselves at home and get back in the win column when they host the Phoenix Suns on Monday.

Oklahoma City built up enough confidence during the winning streak that it was able to easily brush aside the rare off night on Saturday, in which it shot 39.2 percent while allowing the Mavericks to go off at 55.8. “It’s one game. We’re playing good basketball,” Paul George told reporters. “Tonight wasn’t our night, but it doesn’t take away the games that we’ve had over the whole course of the last eight games. We’re still in high spirits. We still have a positive group moving forward. It didn’t do anything to our confidence.” The Suns dropped their last three games and 10 of the last 11, including a 117-110 setback at the Thunder on Oct. 28. “Stick with it, stay together,” Phoenix small forward TJ Warren told reporters after the most recent loss, a 119-99 setback at New Orleans on Saturday. “Everything is not going to be pretty, but we’ve just got to fight through the adversity. Keep staying together.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Arizona (Phoenix), FS Oklahoma

ABOUT THE SUNS (2-10): Phoenix is breaking in No. 1 overall draft pick Deandre Ayton, and the 20-year-old center is already stepping into a role as a team leader. “I just think we’re too cool sometimes,” Ayton told reporters after Saturday’s setback. “I think we need a wake-up call. Just be straight forward and say we’ve got a lot of building to do. Once we look in the mirror and just say we have a lot of work to do, we’re not that good.” Ayton recorded his third straight double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds on Saturday and is averaging 16.1 points on 60.4 percent shooting and 10.9 rebounds.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (7-5): Oklahoma City star Russell Westbrook missed the last three games with an ankle injury and remains day-to-day, leaving the team without its most dynamic playmaker. The Thunder made up for the loss by turning it up at the defensive end in wins over Cleveland and Houston but struggled to defend the 3-point line in Saturday’s setback. “The biggest difference was obviously the 3-point shooting,” Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan told reporters.” They shot it really well, and we had our opportunities and didn’t shoot particularly well. They made some timely shots when we were making runs. Give them credit for doing that.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Thunder PG Dennis Schroder is averaging 20.3 points while starting in place of Westbrook in the last three contests.

2. The Suns went 19-of-20 from the free-throw line in Saturday’s loss.

3. Oklahoma City stretched its winning streak in the series to three straight with the 117-110 win on Oct. 28.

PREDICTION: Thunder 113, Suns 96

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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER vs DALLAS MAVERICKS
When: 9:00 PM  ET, Saturday, November 10, 2018
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

TV: 9:05 PM
LINE: 1
PREDICTION: DALLAS , OKLAHOMA CITY

Oddsmakers currently have the DALLAS listed as 1 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at 217.

The Oklahoma City Thunder aim to stretch their winning streak to eight games but will again be without star point guard Russell Westbrook. The former MVP will miss his third straight game due to an ankle injury when Oklahoma City visits the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.

The Thunder allowed an average of 83 points in the first two games Westbrook missed and were highly impressive during Thursday’s 96-80 home triumph over the Houston Rockets. “It’s just having the urgency of wanting to win,” backup point guard Raymond Felton told reporters after the victory. “That’s the way we’re playing right now. We’re playing like we’re hungry and we just gotta keep that.” Dallas could be in for a long night against the defensive pressure as it turned the ball over 25 times during Wednesday’s 117-102 road loss against the Utah Jazz. “It’s a big problem and we’ve got to get it solved,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. “You give up 31 points on 25 turnovers on the road in the Western Conference, and you’re going to have a rough night.”

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE THUNDER (7-4): Standout forward Paul George scored 20 points but also recorded a season-best six of the Thunder’s 11 steals during a contest in which the team held Houston to 20 or fewer points in three of the quarters. “We didn’t come in thinking this was going to be an offensive battle, where we’ve got to outscore them on the offensive end,” George told reporters. “We’re just going to stick to playing defense. We’ve got guys that can guard and want to guard. That’s just what it comes down to. (Defense) is what we’re going to hang our hat on.” George has recorded 31 steals, including four games of four or more thefts.

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (3-8): Hot-shot forward Luka Doncic is averaging a team-best 20.2 points and topped 20 six times after scoring 24 in the loss to Utah. The 19-year-old rookie made multiple 3-pointers in 10 straight games and is also averaging 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists while displaying a solid all-around game. “We knew the guy was a good player. We knew he could make plays, knew he could score,” Carlisle told reporters. “If you’re going to jump into this league as a young player, you better jump in with some force, some presence and some authority. Otherwise, you’re going to get hit in the face. That’s how tough of a league it is.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Thunder won eight of the past 11 meetings but the teams split last season’s four contests.

2. Dallas C DeAndre Jordan recorded 10 or more rebounds in a franchise-record 11 straight games.

3. Oklahoma City C Steven Adams scored a season-high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds against Houston for his fifth double-double of the season.

PREDICTION: Thunder 105, Mavericks 94

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HOUSTON ROCKETS vs OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Thursday, November 8, 2018
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 4.5
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , HOUSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as 4.5 point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 213.

Two teams that are recovering from slow starts square off Thursday when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Houston Rockets. The Thunder have won six straight after an 0-4 start while Houston has rolled off three straight road victories after opening 1-5.

Oklahoma City will likely be without point guard Russell Westbrook (ankle) for the second straight game but prevailed without him Wednesday with a 95-86 road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Thunder will get their first look at Carmelo Anthony in a Rockets’ uniform and the player who proclaimed he wouldn’t be a backup for Oklahoma City this season is averaging 14.7 points as a reserve for Houston. The Rockets are 3-0 on a five-game road trip and uncharacteristically scored fewer than 100 points in consecutive wins over Chicago (96-88) and Indiana (98-94). “We’re doing a really good job of getting stops and making it hard for teams to score,” point guard James Harden told reporters. “I’m not worried about our offense. We’re a really good offensive team. We’re going to make shots. We need a pretty good defensive effort (each night).”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (4-5): Houston wasn’t in sync earlier in the campaign as point guard Chris Paul missed two games because of a suspension and Harden sat out three because of a hamstring injury. Harden is averaging 26.5 points in two games since his return and scored 28 against the Pacers on Monday. Center Clint Capela is developing into a force and had 18 points (on 8-of-10 shooting) and 10 rebounds against Indiana for his sixth straight double-double and he has season averages of 15.6 points and 11.3 rebounds.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (6-4): Offseason acquisition Dennis Schroder matched his season high of 34 minutes with Westbrook sidelined Wednesday and scored a season-best 28 points for his third 20-point outing of the season. Schroder has accepted a bench role after being a starter for the Atlanta Hawks the past two seasons and is proving to be a good fit for a team that is meshing after the slow start. “Everybody is on the same page,” forward Paul George told reporters after the win over the Cavaliers. “We come out there and we have an expectation of the level we want to play at. Regardless of how the game goes, we find a way to take it to the next level and we’re getting the job done.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Westbrook averaged 29 points and 9.3 assists as the Thunder went 2-1 against the Rockets last season.

2. Oklahoma C Steven Adams collected 13 rebounds against Cleveland for his sixth double-digit effort of the season.

3. Paul is averaging eight points on 7-of-23 shooting over the past two games.

PREDICTION: Rockets 117, Thunder 112

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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER vs CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

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

Oddsmakers currently have the CLEVELAND listed as 6 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.5.

Just when the Oklahoma City Thunder were beginning to find their form, Russell Westbrook went down with an ankle injury. The Thunder will be without their star when they try to push their winning streak to six straight with a visit to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Westbrook, who has a history of knee injuries, went down in the third quarter of Monday’s 122-116 win over the New Orleans Pelicans but X-rays revealed only an ankle sprain, which is expected to keep him out on a game-to-game basis. “Russ has a pretty high pain tolerance, so I knew it was something that was serious,” Oklahoma City forward Paul George told reporters. “I was just hoping it wasn’t his knee. I thought I saw him holding his knee. I think we can all say it’s unfortunate, we can all say as bad as it was, we’re happy it wasn’t the knee and that it was just an ankle sprain.” The Cavaliers could be without small forward Sam Dekker for up to a month due to an ankle sprain suffered in Monday’s 102-100 loss to the Orlando Magic, which dropped them to an NBA-worst 1-9. Post-LeBron James Cleveland suffered its closest loss at Orlando and is intent on using the setback as a learning experience for its rebuilding club.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, FS Ohio (Cleveland)

ABOUT THE THUNDER (5-4): Reserve point guard Dennis Schroder stepped up in Westbrook’s absence on Monday and finished with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, and he will likely get the start on Wednesday. Schroder started the first two games of the season while Westbrook recovered from arthroscopic surgery and averaged 14.5 points but shot 26.5 percent from the floor in that role. George, who led the Thunder with 23 points on Monday, is battling a shooting slump and went 6-of-17 from the floor on Monday – two games removed from a 4-of-20 performance that included 0-of-10 from 3-point range.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (1-9): Cleveland had the win in sight on Monday before a pair of late turnovers with a three-point lead and the shot clock turned off allowed the Magic to pull ahead. Cedi Osman, who is starting in James’ old spot at small forward, made the first of the miscues. “Many plays and many stretches where we could have put ourselves in better position,” center Tristan Thompson told reporters. “The last minute is a great learning experience for us. It’s great to have Cedi out there, Rodney (Hood) out there and Jordan Clarkson out there to be in those situations. We trust them. I think it’s a great learning experience for them and if ever in that situation again we will learn from that and continue to grow. I think no one should hold their head down.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Thunder C Steven Adams is 15-of-19 from the floor in the last two games.

2. Thompson recorded season highs of 19 points and 16 rebounds in his third double-double on Monday.

3. The visiting team took each of the two meetings last season, with Oklahoma City earning a 148-124 win in Cleveland behind 23 points and 20 assists from Westbrook.

PREDICTION: Thunder 113, Cavaliers 104

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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS vs OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Monday, November 5, 2018
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: -3.5
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , NEW ORLEANS

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as -3.5 point favorites versus the NEW ORLEANS, while the game’s total is sitting at 236.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are finding their groove just as the New Orleans Pelicans are hitting a rut. The Thunder will try to earn their fifth consecutive win and hand the Pelicans a sixth straight loss when the teams meet in Oklahoma City on Monday.

New Orleans won its first four games before hitting the skid and is trying to salvage the finale of a five-game road trip after falling at fellow Western Conference contenders Denver, Golden State, Portland and San Antonio. “We’ve got to play better,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. “It’s that simple. There is no secret formula. We’ve got to do a better job of protecting the ball. We’ve got to stay within what we’re supposed to do from a game plan standpoint, and we have to execute.” The Thunder are moving in the opposite direction with their winning streak coming after four consecutive losses to begin the campaign. Oklahoma City put together its best offensive game of the young season on Friday at Washington, when it shot 57 percent from the floor and rolled to a 134-111 victory.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS New Orleans, FS Oklahoma

ABOUT THE PELICANS (4-5): New Orleans’ 120.6 points allowed ranks 29th in the NBA and that number jumped to 124 during the five-game slide. “We’re not playing defense, we’re not guarding anybody, we’re making the game hard on ourselves,” Pelicans star forward Anthony Davis told reporters. “It shouldn’t be this easy. It’s hard to score buckets in there and it’s so easy for them on the other end. We’re not physical. We’re not stopping anybody one-on-one. We’re just not playing basketball. We need to go back to the basics of guarding your man.” Davis played in only two of the last five games due to an elbow injury but logged 40 minutes on Saturday and is probable for Monday.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (4-4): Oklahoma City is forcing an NBA-best 18 turnovers and forced the Wizards into 19 miscues on Friday, leading to 26 points. “I’m seeing a cohesive team effort that has really been contagious,” center Nerlens Noel told the team’s website. “We’ve really been putting a lot of effort and energy into the defense end, being able to guard the ball one on one, switching off into pick and rolls and just communicating. I think every day from game to game, practice to practice, guys have just been building on it and building an identity within ourselves.” Star point guard Russell Westbrook is turning up his effort on the defensive end and recorded at least three steals in each of the last four contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pelicans PG Elfrid Payton (ankle) sat out the last four games and is questionable for Monday.

2. Thunder PF Jerami Grant scored a season-high 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting Friday and is averaging 14.5 during the four-game winning streak.

3. New Orleans took two of the three meetings last season, including a 109-104 win at Oklahoma City on April 1.

PREDICTION: Thunder 123, Pelicans 119

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SACRAMENTO KINGS vs OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Sunday, October 21, 2018
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: -10
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , SACRAMENTO

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as -10 point favorites versus the SACRAMENTO, while the game’s total is sitting at 216.5.

The Oklahoma City Thunder dropped their first two games of the 2018-19 campaign and are still waiting on superstar Russell Westbrook to rejoin the lineup. The Thunder could have Westbrook available when they host the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Westbrook underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last month and is practicing as well as participating in pregame workouts in an effort to get back on the court soon. “A lot of it is him and the medical staff talking to each other and him giving feedback,” Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan told reporters. “In my conversations with him, it’s always how he’s feeling the next day. And I think for him, he needs to be right because you don’t want to have something lingering. And he knows his body better than anybody else.” The Kings don’t have anybody the caliber of Westbrook or Thunder All-Star Paul George, and their young roster is struggling a bit at the defensive end. Sacramento is allowing an average of 136 points through two losses after getting torched by the New Orleans Pelicans in a 149-129 setback on Friday.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Sacramento), FS Oklahoma

ABOUT THE KINGS (0-2): Sacramento coach Dave Joerger was not down on his team despite the big loss on Friday and is encouraging a faster pace. “We have things to work on certainly, but I like what I see,” Joerger told reporters. “I saw some really good things offensively tonight. I see a lot of things defensively that can be learned through experience. It just takes time as younger guys learn how to play against older guys.” The Kings are shooting 51.8 percent from the floor through the first two games and center Willie Cauley-Stein is emerging as a leader with averages of 21.5 points and seven rebounds.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (0-2): Oklahoma City is shooting just 36 percent from the floor and George is 16-of-50. “It’s no panic, we’ve got one of the best players coming back to our team at some point,” George told reporters. “But I take a lot pressure on that. I’ve still got to get this group ready to go.” Dennis Schroder is starting in place of Westbrook and scored 21 points in the opener at Golden State before slumping to eight points on 2-of-15 shooting in Friday’s 108-92 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Kings rookie PF Marvin Bagley III is 10-of-16 from the floor through his first two games.

2. Thunder C Steven Adams is averaging 17 points and 14.5 rebounds.

3. Westbrook averaged 18.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists as Oklahoma City took three of four from Sacramento last season.

PREDICTION: Thunder 125, Kings 117

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