Injury Report, Updated Odds (3/27): Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets
The Oklahoma City Thunder, fresh off a bounce-back victory, hosts the Houston Rockets on the second night of a back-to-back. The Thunder knocked off the New Orleans Pelicans just last night, but now they have to host the hottest team in the NBA.
While the Thunder reached the 50-win mark on Tuesday, there isn’t much time to appreciate that, as they still have ground to gain if they want to secure the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference again. They’re tied with the Denver Nuggets in the loss column, but remain a win behind, needing to continue and win their games.
The Rockets, on the other hand, are just outside the play-in race. A nine-game winning streak has them knocking on the door, waiting to potentially snag a spot from the Golden State Warriors in that aspect.
Injury Report
Thunder:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OUT (Quad)
Ousmane Dieng, OUT (G League)
Adam Flagler, OUT (G League)
Keyontae Johnson, Questionable (G League)
Lindy Waters III, Questionable (G League)
Olivier Sarr, Questionable (G League)
Rockets:
Steven Adams, OUT (Knee)
Tari Eason, OUT (Tibia)
Alperen Sengun, OUT (Ankle)
Cam Whitmore, OUT (Knee)
Nate Hinton, OUT (G League)
Jermaine Samuels Jr., OUT (G League)
The Rockets missing Sengun is going to hurt them and pose a threat to their nine-game winning streak. He's been incredible for them this season, and a matchup between him and Chet Holmgren would have been entertaining once again.
Outside of Sengun, there isn't anything notable on the Rockets' side of the report. For the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander's absence makes things complicated. He's the clear leader of the squad, and theyr'e going to have to find a way to win without him. Still, him getting completely healhty before the playoffs is more important than any remaining regulars season game.
Updated Odds
The Thunder, which opened as a 6.5-point favorite, fell to a 3.5-point favorite after the news of Gilgeous-Alexander's absence. It's surprising that even with the superstar's absense, the Thunder remains a favorite over a Rockets team that is absolutely rolling at this point in the season.
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