OKC Thunder Making 'No Excuses' Through Tough Stretch of Schedule

The Thunder is making no excuses as they've faced a tiring January schedule.

January has not been favorable to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who sits at No. 3 in the NBA despite a brutal stretch of January games. They've played in plenty of back-to-backs and long, exhausting road trips, yet they remain near the top of the Western Conference. 

With a loss on Monday night, the second in a row for the Thunder, the team fell from No. 1 to No. 3, of course coming on a back-to-back stretch of games. Still, the schedule is unforgiving, but that's no excuse for the Thunder. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -- the Thunder's superstar and MVP candidate -- understands that the team must stay grounded despite the schedule. 

"The NBA doesn't care, your opponents don't care. Nobody cares," Gilgeous-Alexander said of the fatigue of January.

Even for a young team with plenty of rotational depth, the schedule is overwhelming. Rookies like Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace haven't experienced a full 82-game schedule, and this is their first time truly in the midst of a long, long month of travel and games. 

Thunder veteran forward Kenrich Williams also talked about the long month after the close loss to the Timberwolves on Monday.

"This month was a brutal month. But we're a team full of no excuses," Williams said. "Every night, you gotta come out and perform... It's a part of the league."

The Thunder has gone 10-6 in January and the team has one last battle in the month as they take on the Denver Nuggets. With a win, the Thunder would find its way back to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, escaping a long month with a solid record and positioning in the standings. 

With the All-Star break coming in February, it will provide a good opportunity for the Thunder to take a step back and recharge to make a late-season push to capitalize on playoff rankings and standings. 

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