Thunder Gameday: OKC Looks to Bounce Back Against Utah Jazz
In this story:
Los Angeles didn't treat the Oklahoma City Thunder very kindly.
In back-to-back games, the Thunder fell to the Lakers and Clippers in relatively close contests. It struggled offensively against the Lakers, and failed to close out against the Clippers down the stretch.
Oklahoma City is in need of a rebound game to get itself back on the path of a top three team in the Western Conference. Tonight could give it just that, but the Utah Jazz are a different team than even the last time they played this season.
Led by Lauri Markkanen, the Jazz are currently slotted as the No. 9 seed in the West after a six-game winning streak. They'll look to continue that streak against the Thunder, and both teams will be eager to come out on top for separate reasons.
Dec 11, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) drives to the basket against Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks (0) during the second quarter at Paycom Center.
© Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
ODDS:
The Thunder enters the day as 3.5-point favorites to the Jazz, and the total over/under is 245.5 points.
KEYS TO THE GAME:
Last time the Jazz and Thunder dueled each other, the former was without Markkanen — its best player by a significant margin.
The former All-Star is on his way to earning another selection with an average of 24 points and 8.8 rebounds per game on 49.7/39.7/87.5% shooting splits. Although his name has been rumored in trade talks, he'll certainly be available for tonight's game.
Defending Markkanen will be a handful, but even the likes of Colin Sexton and John Collins have the ability to score 20+ on any given night. Oklahoma City will have to lock in on that side of the game, but also score more efficiently than it has in recent games.
RECORDS:
Oklahoma City Thunder (27-13) at Utah Jazz (22-20)
INJURIES:
Check out our live injury tracker, along with our game day injury report that will release later today.
WHEN:
Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 at 8 p.m. CT
LOCATION:
Delta Center — Salt Lake City, Utah
TV/RADIO:
Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start Your Free Trial)
FINAL WORD:
It will not be as easy of a win for Oklahoma City as it was the last time it faced off against Utah, but it can still be a chance to get back to its winning ways.
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