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Television: Fox Sports Oklahoma Thunder Status After falling to New Orleans 113-80 on New Year’s Eve, the Thunder will look to start the new year fresh with a five-game road trip on the East Coast. In the first leg of the trip, OKC will take on the Magic for the second time in five days. “Just build off of things that we can learn from [Friday] so we re going to the road 0-0. Take the first game and don t worry about any other one but first game,” said Thunder guard George Hill postgame. “We have Orlando coming up and we re sure going to watch film on Orlando s game last time and figure out what we can get better.” ....
Television: Fox Sports Oklahoma Thunder Status OKC once again demonstrated its hard-nosed, competitive spirit after its third straight close-fought game. Through three quarters, the Thunder scrapped to not only keep the game close but tie the score on three occasions as Orlando shot 51 percent or better in all four quarters. The Thunder got energetic performances from players like Isaiah Roby who stepped into his first game of the season and dropped 19 points on 9 of 12 from the field. Off the bench, Thunder center Mike Muscala and guard Hamidou Diallo paced OKC’s second unit and combined for 27 points. Leading all Thunder scorers was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who cashed in 23 points on an efficient 8-of-10 from the field and 3-of-3 from behind the arc. ....
Television: Fox Sports Oklahoma Thunder Status In both of the Thunder’s first two games, the final result has been decided in the waning seconds of the game clock. First was a win against Charlotte that was sealed with a game-winning jumper by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to start the season. Then on Monday, in the Thunder’s home opener against Utah, a back-and-forth contest once again came down to the final possession to determine a victor. The Jazz ultimately escaped OKC with a 110-109 victory. For two games now, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has been able to exercise late-game situations in real time with his young squad. Such experiences, he says, are valuable for this group early in the season. ....
Opponent Breakdown The Rockets are a different-looking team than the one that eliminated the Thunder in the 2020 Playoffs. Eight new faces appear on the roster along with a new head coach in Stephen Silas. In addition, the Rockets welcomed newcomers such as five-time All-Star John Wall and centers Christian Wood and DeMarcus Cousins to its lineup to play alongside returners like P.J. Tucker, 6th-man Eric Gordon and Harden. For the Thunder, Houston’s 5-out style of play and high-volume shooting will be a test of its ability to maintain its defensive edge for a full 48 minutes. “The main thing that we have to carry over against any team, but especially against a team like Houston, is just our competitive spirit,” said Coach Daigneault. “How hard we play and being a 48-minute team. That s going to give you the best chance every single night to put yourself in a position to be successful, regardless of the opponent but especially against a team that s as potent a ....
With the goal in mind to use every single day as an opportunity to get better, the Thunder took advantage of the lessons and experiences it gained from its first matchup against Chicago on Wednesday and applied them in full force on Friday in its third and final preseason matchup. Coming into Friday’s game, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault challenged his group on the defensive end to be the aggressors and not allow Chicago to get them on their heels, specifically in transition. It was that exact attention to detail on the defensive end that was on display to keep the Bulls at a 26 percent clip from the 3-point line in Friday’s game. A disciplined performance from the Thunder’s starting lineup of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Darius Bazley, Al Horford, George Hill and Lu Dort set the tone from the very outset. ....