Game Preview: Thunder finish road trip in Indiana against Pacers

It's been a rough stretch for the Oklahoma City Thunder, losers of 11-straight games as they cap off their road trip against the Indiana Pacers, who have lost 3-straight

Indiana has lost four of their last five games including three straight. A team that’s still very much in play to earn a playoff spot, the Pacers will be motivated to pull out a victory against Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

The Thunder on the other hand have lost 11 games in a row with their last win being on March 31 against the Toronto Raptors. Since then, for the entire month of April, it’s been a long losing streak for the young, rebuilding team. 

ODDS:

The Thunder enter the day as 8.5-point underdogs to the Pacers and the total over/under is 224.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

On the offensive end of the floor, the Pacers are an excellent passing team. Their 26.7 assists per game are eighth-most in the NBA and they’re a low turnover team. One thing they lack is the ability to get to the free throw line, with the sixth-fewest free throw attempts per game in the league. Oklahoma City playing disciplined defense and continuing this trend will be crucial.

Like many of the teams the Thunder have played recently, Indiana is not a great rebounding team, ranking 26th in the NBA in boards per game. Oklahoma City is the eighth-best rebounding team and will be at even more of an advantage with Indiana’s Myles Turner out with a toe injury.

Defensively, the Pacers will be a huge threat in relation to the Thunder’s issues taking care of the ball. While OKC is the highest turnover team in the league, Indiana accumulates the fourth-most steals (8.6 per game) behind T.J. McConnell and Caris LeVert combining for 3.3 per game together.

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READ MORE:

• Updated Injury report for the Thunder and the Pacers

• Thunder in search of new arena sponsor

• Darius Bazley is improving defensively

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RECORDS:

Oklahoma City Thunder (20-38) vs. Indiana Pacers (26-31)

WHEN:

Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 6:00 PM CT

LOCATION:

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

TV/RADIO:

Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

FINAL WORD:

In the final matchup of a four-game homestand, the Oklahoma City Thunder will look to break their streak of 11-straight losses. The Thunder are 11-18 on the road this season, which is actually better than they've been at home. The Thunder have had Darius Bazley and Lu Dort step up of late, both of which have averaged over 20 points per game since returning from injury.