For the third time on this short season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the Sacramento Kings, as Wednesday makes the debut of the team’s city edition court and uniforms and the regular season finale between these two sides.
The OKC Thunder handled the Sacramento Kings with ease in their first two meetings and aim to do it a third time with their Western Conference foe down All-Star and former Thunder forward Domantas Sabonis. Despite being 14-1, the Oklahoma City Thunder are short handed in their own right, missing All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams who has yet to make his season debut as well as top bench scorer Aaron Wiggins and rotational pieces Kenrich Williams and Nikola Topic, the latter two, like the Santa Clara product, having yet to grace the hardwood this season.
While the Oklahoma City Thunder have navigated through plenty of hardships to start this season, they still lap the NBA defensively and own the best net rating in the sport. This should be a game for the OKC Thunder to continue to pad those stats as the Kings pose as much of a threat as a toothless tiger.
However, there is still plenty to watch in this game, most of which are in the way of streaks. Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has not played in the fourth quarter in past four games, sitting out more final frames this year than he has been forced to play in given the Thunder’s lopsided domination. However, the league MVP has an even bigger –– and certainly more historic –– streak to prolong. The reigning MVP has notched at least 20 points in the previous 87 games.
Tonight would make 88 and if he can accomplish both, the Oklahoma City Thunder will certain cruise to a victory, another streak. No, not only their seventh straight win if they can knock off the Kings, but this would represent the Thunder’s eighth straight victory over Sacramento if they can pull it off.
As the Oklahoma City Thunder await to get healthy, they continue to be uncommon with record-setting nights –– such as Monday in New Orleans when their 49 point opening frame shattered the team’s best mark. You never know what they can, or will, pull off.
Up next, the Oklahoma City Thunder are jetting off to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz, as the second game in their NBA Cup schedule for Western Conference Group A pool play.
