2019-20 OKC Thunder

[Laramie]

Thunder & Rockets have the same identical record 44 - 28. Houston will officially be the 4th seed because they won their division; Thunder finished 2nd behind Denver in the Northwest Division; although the Thunder took two of three head-to-head meetings from the Rockets in the 2019-20 season.

Designated home team isn't going to matter inside the bubble; that's why you saw very little of the Thunder & Clippers' stars in the final NBA meeting between the two inside Orlando's resort.

[Laramie]

Injury report: Luguentz Dort remains questionable to play Tuesday night in Game One against the Rockets.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets @ The Field House in Orlando, Florida, August 18, Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Round One, Game One, (TV: TNT - FS Oklahoma).

Injury report: Westbrook (quadriceps) is officially listed to play Tuesday night in Game One against the Thunder.

[Laramie]

Correction:

Injury report: Westbrook (quadriceps) is officially listed to NOT play Tuesday night in Game One against the Thunder.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Thunder 108 @ Houston Rockets 123


Box score: https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401236294

[Laramie]

Injury Report: Luguentz Dort - Day-To-Day

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Houston Rockets,
2:30 PM, Thursday, August 20, 2020, TV: FS Oklahoma, ESPN
Game Two

Injury Report: Russell Westbrook - Day-To-Day

[Anonymous.]

We got expooooosed. Zero offense because Rockets ran a basic zone defense the entire game? As we all knew, without Dort, Harden would run free - which he did. But to let players like Green and McLemore feast on us like that? That is unacceptable.

Also a weird part of me honestly thinks that if Russ was playing, we would have a better shot in this series. They have 5 shooters on the floor at all times with no Russ.

Shoutout Gallo for showing up to play, he is the only reason we didn't lose by 40, lol.

[Jake]

I don't have any expectations for this team and picked Houston in 5, so nothing I saw surprised me.

I'm just hoping no one gets injured and we get to see what our young players look like.

[Laramie]

Just want to see how the Thunder will answer Houston's small ball and zone defense in game two. Wouldn't expect the Rockets to maintain a steady diet consistent with game 1 where they were hitting on all cylinders. Their rebounding and second chances kept them in total control.

There were too many Thunder players standing around not moving without the ball. Hope we can get a healthy Luguentz Dort back in the line up--this game showed how valuable he is to the team.

Whole team seemed slow and indecisive.

[Anonymous.]

Coach just said Dort is available today for Game 2.

So you're sayen there's a chance!

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Thunder 98 @ Houston Rockets 111

Box score: https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401236295

Houston lead series 2-0

[Jake]

We lost a first round pick for this?

[Southsider2]

My Thunder in 6 pick was such a bad take my goodness.

[Laramie]

Houston Rockets @ Oklahoma City Thunder, 5:00 P.M., Saturday, August 22, 2020, Walt Disney Resort, Orlando, FL

[SoonersFan12]

Your Thunder played much better but your Thunder should have won, tough loss, game 3 is a must win or your Thunder is done

[Bill Robertson]

Too many stretches of absolutely no offense whatsoever. No passing, no movement off the ball, nothing. Cannot win playoff basketball that way.

[Southsider2]

The biggest issue I see is that SGA is the only guard that can get and real penetration against the rockets. The ball is sticking because they can't penetrate then dump out to open shooters. CP3 can occasionally but not like in the regular season and Dennis is just getting straight locked up. The other big problem is when you're taking the back down buckets with Steve, you're grinding for 2 points while they just let 3's fly and make enough to stretch the lead. James didn't play good and they still beat us soundly, I'm not very optimistic for the remainder of the games but let's just hope I'm extremely wrong again haha.

[dankrutka]

Dort and SGA were good, but that's pretty much it.

I think we're just going to have to play on Houston's terms. Adams and Noel aren't skilled enough to punish Houston. We should give some of those minutes to Muscala and Nader. At least they can shoot, thus spreading the floor and allowing our guards to penetrate. Please no more Hami.

But none of this will matter if CP3, Schroder, and Gallo don't play better.

[Anonymous.]

I agree Diallo should not even be seeing a single minute.

I think HOU has shown that this is the new era of NBA. Small ball with a truckload of guards that can all shoot. They clog the paint and force you to beat them with threes (OKC's worst option). Dort was great on D obviously, but the Rockets leaving him WIDE open for 6 threes and him going 1-6 is exactly what they want. It has been an entire decade and Presti still hasn't gotten OKC a 3&D guy - Dort could eventually be that guy, though.

I know we shouldn't even have expectations for these playoffs since making them at all was a huge overshot. But man it is painful seeing a basic zone defense completely shut our team down.

Adams is essentially useless considering he is losing rebounds to Eric Gordon, and the all-guard lineup is too pesky to let Adams get anything done with the ball in his hand.


Unless a completely revamped offense comes out Saturday, get your brooms ready.

[FighttheGoodFight]

OKC was playing great offense then went to too much ISO and it ruined it.

[Anonymous.]

Billy needs to just get away from playing Adams so much. He is useless against the Rockets if he can't even get rebounds.

CP3, Gallo, Dort, SGA, Schroeder <---- This is the lineup to match the Rockets.

[SoonersFan12]

If your Thunder did not win today, your Thunder is done! I hope my Magic will win today

[SoonersFan12]

Magic got embarrassed, oh well

[Laramie]

Houston Rockets 107 @ Oklahoma City Thunder 119 - OT

Box score: https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401236296

Houston lead series 2 - 1

[floyd the barber]

Houston is the better team. This series may go six games but it won't go seven.

Billy Donovan seems like a nice guy but I don't think he can take a team to the Finals in the professional level. Maybe it is time to make a change. And spare me the "This is a rebuilding year" rhetoric. Houston is playing without Westbrook and still dominating.

OKC is going to have some rough times ahead. We are not necessarily a hot spot for free agency.

[Laramie]

Injury status: Russell Westbrook, Out - Indefinitely

Houston Rockets @ Oklahoma City Thunder, 3:00 PM CT, Monday, August 24, 2020
Walt Disney Resort, Orlando, FL TV: TNT, Fox Oklahoma, Houston lead series 2 - 1


Injury status: Steven Adams, Day-To-Day