The holidays are slowly coming to an end but the NBA regular season is still on a roll. The Oklahoma City Thunder is preparing to take on new heights as the season approaches its halfway mark. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is doing a phenomenal job leading the team. They currently rank third in the Western Conference with a record of 18 wins and 9 losses. It will be interesting to see where this team goes over the next couple of months.
SHAI GILGEOUS ALEXANDER FOR GAME 🤯 pic.twitter.com/jhNkswcyVE
— Backcourt Alerts (@BackcourtAlerts) December 17, 2023
They will be facing the Minnesota Timberwolves for the second time this season. Their last meeting took place during the In-Season Tournament Group Stages in November. Since then, the Wolves have achieved a 9-2 record while beating some of the top teams in the league. They sit atop the Western Conference rankings with a record of 22 wins and 6 losses. OKC will host the Wolves at the Paycom Center.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is available to start for the Thunder vs. Timberwolves game
OKC is coming off an unfortunate loss against the Los Angeles Lakers, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be coming into this matchup with a vengeance. He is available to start for the Thunder while they have two injuries recorded in the lineup. Jalen Williams is questionable to play for their upcoming matchup due to an illness. Josh Giddey (ankle) is also listed as questionable.
As unfortunate as it may sound, the Wolves will potentially not have Karl-Anthony Towns on the floor tonight. The three-point shooting center is currently suffering from a knee injury. Jayden Clark, who injured his Achilles before the start of the season is expected to make a return during the second half of the 2023-24 campaign.
RT IF YOU LOVE THIS TEAM. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/qNnb8OpOVG
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 19, 2023
Oklahoma City Thunder Injury Report:
- Jalen Williams (Questionable)
- Josh Giddey (Questionable)
Oklahoma City Thunder Expected Lineup:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Cason Wallace
- Luguentz Dort
- Aaron Wiggins
- Chet Holmgren
Minnesota Timberwolves Injury Report:
- Karl-Anthony Towns (Questionable)
- Jayden Clark (Out)
Minnesota Timberwolves Expected Lineup:
- Mike Conley
- Anthony Edwards
- Jaden McDaniels
- Naz Reid
- Rudy Gobert
Will the Timberwolves get past Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder?
This will be an extremely tough game to predict. On one side, we have the Thunder’s lineup which is healthy for the most part. OKC has one of the strongest offenses in the league ranking fifth in points, third in points differential, and field goal percentage. Additionally, they also rank fourth in blocks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averages 30.8 points per game while Holmgren continues to wreak havoc on both sides of the court.
CHET HOLMGREN OMG 😱pic.twitter.com/HAffZpLuBI
— B24 Dunk (@B24Dunk) December 22, 2023
The only downside for the Timberwolves is that they may potentially lose one of their best scorers on the roster tonight. Towns currently averages 22.2 points along with 9.5 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting 42.1% on 4.7 attempts from three. However, things will be under control defensively with Gobert taking charge. But the Thunder may have a slight edge over the Wolves if KAT is sidelined.