Date: Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021
Tip-Off Time: 8 p.m. CT
Television: Fox Sports Oklahoma
Radio: 98.1 FM WWLS the Sports Animal and the Thunder Radio Network
Thunder Status
From the rainy Pacific Northwest to the dry valley of the sun, the Thunder will look to carry over the momentum it created in its 125-122 win over Portland to its matchup with Phoenix on Wednesday.
OKC took the lessons from its mini-series against the Clippers over the weekend and applied them with force on Monday night. The squad played with pace in transition, zipped the ball around in the half court and found open shooters on drive and kicks. As a result, the Thunder generated high-quality looks throughout the night leading to a red-hot shooting night where the Thunder 18 made 3-pointers and a 51 percent clip from the field.
Mike Muscala made the biggest splash from behind the arc with a career-high six made 3-pointers and a season high 23 points. Muscala’s shooting coupled with the up-tempo offense initiated by Hamidou Diallo and the intangible hustle plays from Kenrich Williams, helped the Thunder’s second unit recorded a season-high 53 bench points compared to Portland’s 34.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder in scoring with 24 points on an efficient 8-12 from the field and 3-4 from the 3-point line. The third-year guard was just one rebound shy of a double-double while also dishing out six assists and logging two blocks.
“Top to bottom, I thought our energy, competitiveness, pace, and the thrust we played with was sustained throughout the game and we got it done one through 10,” said Daigneault. “Everybody that touched the court [on Monday] brought that type of edge. Obviously, really, really happy with the way we played.”
Opponent Breakdown
OKC faces a well-rested Phoenix team whose last game action was a back-to-back mini-series against Denver over the weekend. The Suns went 0-2 in the series, but both games went into at least one overtime. In the second matchup, four of the Suns five starters recorded 17 or more points and all five finished in double figures, making at least one three pointer.
So far this season, the Suns have been headlined offensively by the dynamic backcourt of Devin Booker and former Thunder player Chris Paul. Booker, who sat out of the teams most recent game against Denver with a left hamstring strain, is averaging 22.9 points per contest and has scored 20-plus points in 12 of his 14 games this season. Paul chips in 13.8 points on average, but dishes out a team-leading 9.0 assists each night. Over Paul’s last two games against Denver, the veteran averaged 14.0 assists each contest to surrounding scorers such as Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.
As a group, don’t expect many self-inflicted mistakes from the Suns offense as they hold the league’s third-best assist to turnover ratio and average the fourth fewest turnovers per contest.
Matchup Focus
Keep an eye on the production of Deandre Ayton in the paint. The Suns’ big man has found his offensive stride over his last four games averaging 22.0 points and 14.8 rebounds while shooting 64.3 percent from the field.
He and Paul have connected at a high level this season in the pick and roll as Paul has found Ayton for 36 assists making them the fifth-highest scoring connection in the league.
Stat to Watch
3-Point Percentage – The Thunder (39.1) and the Suns (38.9) sit at fourth and fifth respectively in the league in 3-point attempts per contest. While both groups shoot at a high rate from behind the arc, the Thunder also sits at the top spot in the league in contesting shots.
The Thunder has put this defensive effort on display in its mini-series against the Clippers who hold the highest 3-point percentage in the league (42.3), by holding them to just 30.4 percent over both contests. Similarly, against the 3-point heavy offense of Portland, OKC held the group to just 34.1 percent from deep.
Thunder Trend
The Thunder has shown tremendous hustle over its past two games, particularly in its win over Portland on Monday. Isaiah Roby, Mike Muscala and Kenrich Williams all combined for seven deflections and six loose balls recovered. Roby and Williams also combined for six offensive rebounds on Monday. Look for the same level of edge and competitiveness from the Thunder as it looks to round out its West Coast road trip on a high note.