Rumors

A fight for seeding will do that, too. Last season Oklahoma City had the top seed sewed up by St. Patrick’s Day. This one has been more competitive. The Thunder have been a fixture at the top of the standings but have been forced to fend off the surging Spurs—who have beaten OKC four times this season. “For me it’s made things a lot more fun,” says Gilgeous-Alexander. “You just play longer. Last year I feel like my break from playing to my first playoff game was a little bit too long because I was out the last week of the season because we had already wrapped things up. But yeah, I definitely think we’ll go into a playoff sharper this year.”

Sports Illustrated

Whether Wagner is able to re-join his teammates on the floor sometime in the final stretch of the regular season remains to be seen, as he continues his extended rehab of a high left ankle sprain. Tuesday’s matchup with Oklahoma City, which the Magic lost by five points, 113-108, after they trailed by as many as 18 in the first half, marked the 40th game Wagner missed this year due to what he described as a “very frustrating process.” “Going into it, I was kind of expecting to feel really good within like 4-6 weeks of the injury,” Wagner told the Orlando Sentinel in the locker room after Tuesday’s game about the injury he suffered Dec. 7 at New York. “And obviously that wasn’t how I felt. So, I think that’s always frustrating probably not just for me (but) for everybody involved.”

Orlando Sentinel

Last week, for example, the team watched a movie together in Oklahoma City. And, players regularly grab food and discuss things unrelated to the game itself. “Guys get more comfortable with each other as the season goes on — obviously, you’re on the road, you start going to dinner more, and just kind of learning more about each other.” So, when adversity strikes, players know they can lean on one another. “With this team, I think it’s honestly unique, just how close we are off the court,” he said. “Just everyone wanting to know about each other’s personal lives, and checking in, and all those kinds of things.”

Celtics Blog

Justin Martinez: Per Thunder PR: Oklahoma City is the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season following tonight’s 113-108 win over the Orlando Magic. This marks the Thunder’s 13th playoff appearance since 2010, second most in the NBA.

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Boston Celtics: Joe Mazzulla on Ron Harper Jr.: "The way he plays in a game against San Antonio or OKC is the way he plays in a Stay Ready Game, the way he plays in a G League game, it's the way he plays in practice. He cares about winning. He cares about competing. He executes the details really well in all settings.

Twitter

There has been some reason for optimism in this regular season, though, with Minnesota (41-26) winning two of three matchups against the Thunder (52-15; best record in the league) thus far. Still, the Timberwolves’ up-and-down nature has put them in a precarious position in the standings (tied for fifth with Denver, with the Phoenix Suns — who they play on Tuesday — two games behind in seventh). As Rudy Gobert sees it, this Thunder matchup is the sort of challenge that could provide the perfect prescription for what ails them. “It’s a great, great challenge for us, a great opportunity,” Gobert said. “I think OKC is actually a great example of what we want to be in terms of their mindset. I’m not talking about talent. I’m just talking about their mindset of just giving yourself away to the team, and just letting the game take care of itself. They’re a team that plays hard every night, regardless of who is on the floor, and for 48 minutes. And I think this is exactly the test that we need, so I’m excited about that.”

New York Times

Anthony Slater: Kristaps Porzingis and Seth Curry have been upgraded to questionable tomorrow night in Oklahoma City for the Warriors. Both have a chance to return after getting through recent court work. Will Richard and De’Anthony Melton also questionable.

bsky.app

The San Antonio Spurs, one of the surprise teams, are on Oklahoma City's heels in the standings. Led by third-year phenom Victor Wembanyama and second-year breakout star Stephon Castle, they have defeated the Thunder four times in five meetings this season. The Denver Nuggets, led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and first-time All-Star Jamal Murray, have a championship résumé that gives them a legitimate chance at another deep playoff run. All this has overshadowed what's going on in the Eastern Conference, where things are wide open in a way we rarely see in the NBA. "I think there's probably six to seven of us who believe all we need is good health at the right time and we can go on a run," one Eastern Conference general manager, whose team is currently in the playoff picture, told ESPN. "All of the teams in the playoffs are going to be flawed and all of them are going to have upside."

ESPN

Vinny Benedetto: Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson remain out for tomorrow's game in Oklahoma City. Jamal Murray (illness), Jalen Pickett (right knee soreness) and Spencer Jones (right shoulder strain) are questionable. Julian Strawther is probable.

bsky.app

But the Cleveland Cavaliers star would rather focus on what they can control instead of the officials' judgment and game management. "I mean, yeah, they foul," Mitchell told reporters after their 121-113 Sunday loss in Oklahoma City. "Like, there's no secret to that, they foul. "But, you know, at the end of the day, it's been a season and a half, two seasons. What are we gonna do? Keep saying the same thing, but they're not calling it, so. Yeah, they foul, but they're not calling it, so it's not a foul, you know what I'm saying?"

BasketNews

K.C. Johnson: Classy moment from Raptors Darko Rajaković, who worked with Billy Donovan in OKC. Rajaković offered condolences to the Donovan family for the passing of Donovan’s father, whom he said he met and called “an amazing human being.”

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Legion Hoops: Standing ovation in OKC as Nikola Topic makes his return to the court after battling cancer. Incredible ??

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Milwaukee Bucks: Injury Update: Ryan Rollins is out for tonight’s game at Oklahoma City. Kyle Kuzma is available.

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Eric Nehm: Here is the Bucks' injury report for tonight's game in Oklahoma City: Out: Alex Antetokounmpo (two-way) Giannis Antetokounmpo (right calf strain) Taurean Prince (neck surgery) Questionable: Kyle Kuzma (left foot soreness) Ryan Rollins (right foot plantar fasciitis)

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