Thunder Gameday: OKC Looks to Take Season Series over Jazz

Oklahoma City has been grappling with various teams for No. 1 in the West, and a win over Utah Wednesday night would go a long way.

With five wins in their last six contests, the Thunder are surging at exactly the right time, managing to wrestle the No. 1 seed from both Minnesota and Denver.

Last night, those two teams faced off, with Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets coming away with a share of No. 1 in a tight win. Tonight, against the Utah Jazz, OKC will have a chance to separate themselves again with just a handful of games remaining.

ODDS:

The Thunder enter the day as 13.5-point favorites over the Jazz, and the total over/under is 230.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

Oklahoma City can breath a small sigh of relief that they aren’t seeing one of the top teams in the league today, but the Jazz have been no pushover this season.

Headlined by Lauri Markkanen, this season they’ve been able to grab wins over the Clippers, Sixers, Nuggets, Bucks and even the Thunder in their last meeting.

Offensively, OKC needs what it always does: strong performances from its big three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, as well as successful shooting nights from a few other key players. On nights where those things are clicking, they’re a tough team to beat.

Defensively, they’ll need to limit Markkanen with double teams and mismatched coverages, maintaining physicality with the rest of the team. Factoring in Utah’s size, tonight could be one to get a look at more double-big minutes with both Holmgren and Jaylin Williams.

RECORDS:

Oklahoma City Thunder (47-20) vs. Utah Jazz (29-39)

WHEN:

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 7 p.m. CT

LOCATION:

Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

TV/RADIO:

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

Live Stream: fuboTV (Start Your Free Trial)

FINAL WORD:

With a win tonight, OKC would re-grab the outright No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with just 14 games remaining. While they’re certainly not out of the woods yet, every single game matters from here on out in terms of seeding.

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