Preview 44 of 82: Kings @ Thunder

Time: 7:00 PM CT

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma

Radio: 98.1 FM OKC / 97.1 FM Tulsa

Game Notes: Thunder / Kings

The Oklahoma City Thunder (23-20) enters tonight’s contest against the Sacramento Kings (13-29) with a 5-5 record over the last 10 outings. The team currently sits in fifth place in the Western Conference, but trails fourth place Minnesota by five games and leads sixth place New Orleans by just half a game.

The Thunder will yet again be without defensive ace Andre Roberson tonight, as he’s set to miss his eighth consecutive game with tendinitis in his knee. The Thunder defense has suffered in his absence but may catch a break in this one — Sacramento comes in with the worst offense in the NBA.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM CT and will be televised on Fox Sports Oklahoma. The Thunder is currently favored by 13-points according to OddsShark.

Injury Report

Thunder

• Andre Roberson: Out — Knee

Kings

• Harry Giles: Out — Knee
• Frank Mason III: Out — Plantar Fascia

Probable Starters

Kings: De’Aaron Fox, George Hill, Garrett Temple, Zach Randolph, Willie Cauley-Stein

Statistics

Traditional

Four Factors

Synergy Sports

Click to Enlarge

Thunder O & D

Kings O & D

Previous Results

11/7: SAC 94, OKC 84 [BOX SCORE]

Notes

Lack of Sacramento Firepower. The Kings enter with the lowest-scoring offense in the NBA at 98 PPG. Furthermore, Sacramento carries the league-worst offensive and defensive ratings. With a 2-8 record over their last ten games and a 6-16 record on the road, the Kings aren’t tremendously scary on paper — but they did win the first match-up with OKC this season.

Defending the Three. If the Kings will get you from anywhere, it’s from beyond the arc. Sacramento has shot 37.7 percent from long range this season — fifth-best in the NBA. They’ll surely look to take advantage of Andre Roberson’s continued absence and try to get rolling from the perimeter.

The Kings Bench. The Kings got 43 points out of their starters in the November 7 win over OKC — using 53 points out of their reserves to seal the deal. Buddy Hield (21 pts) and Justin Jackson (16 pts) were particularly effective, combining to shoot 14/23.

OK3’s Revenge. Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony combined for 48 points on 15/54 (27 percent) shooting when the Thunder faced the Kings on November 7. They’ll look to bounce back tonight and help the Thunder put away a sub-par Kings team early.

MLK Day. Tonight will be the Thunder’s first time hosting a game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the organization has a night of celebration planned. This includes a special pre-game invocation, halftime video, and more.

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Paul George discusses playing on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Via Royce Young.