What’s up with the Oklahoma City Thunder?
The Oklahoma City Thunder, who are 38-42 right now, control their destiny. If they beat the Utah Jazz and the Memphis Grizzlies in their final game, they will qualify for the play-in. There’s a big chance that the Thunder will get there anyway if Dallas keeps losing, but a win over the Jazz allows them to inch closer to that 10th seed.
OKC has been struggling to win lately, losing six of their last eight games. Some of those losses have been to respectable Western Conference contenders but they’ve also fallen to bad teams like the Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers.
OKC is 2-1 against Utah this season. They had comfortable margins in their recent wins since they are more efficient in scoring compared to the Jazz.
Their offense continues to remain smooth because of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He missed two weeks after that first game against Jazz and they really find it difficult to close out games when he’s not there. Fortunately, he is now well-rested and ready for the must-win match.
Other than Shai, rookie Jalen Williams continues to be a revelation for the young squad. He had a career-high 32 points in their last encounter with the Jazz, and he’s been averaging a hefty 18.9 points per game since.
What’s up with the Utah Jazz?
The Utah Jazz are currently 36-43, having lost seven of their last eight games. Rookie Walker Kessler has been sidelined due to injury and Most Improved Player candidate Lauri Markkanen has played in only three games of their past eight.
This team is finding it hard to shoot the ball, especially when you have usual second-stringers like Udoka Azubuike, Kelly Olynyk, Damian Jones, and Kris Dunn playing significant minutes.
Not to put these boys down though because the Jazz still play hard even without an All-Star caliber player in the rotation. They lost to the Los Angeles Lakers by two points and to the Brooklyn Nets by one before that.
Talen Horton-Tucker is carrying the load for the team recently, averaging 20.9 points and 6.6 assists per game over the past month. They certainly would have a bigger chance, though, if Markkanen is healthy.
Prediction
It’s difficult to say who will win this match since both teams are vying for a spot in the postseason. Both are really pushing for a win but OKC seems to have the advantage with Shai’s assured playing minutes.
Horton-Tucker has been very reliable lately, however, their chances are slim without Markkanen.
Where to watch
You can catch the Thunder and Jazz in action live tomorrow at 9:00 AM on NBA League Pass.
