January will not be kind to the OKC Thunder in the sleep department. With a jam-packed schedule that sees 17 games, including five back-to-back sets, and a heavy road slant, the second-best team in the West will be tested in what is, if nothing else, a war of attrition.
Before the team, media members, and fans ruin their sleep schedule for the month, the OKC Thunder will have their first home game of 2024, and last until the middle of the month, before heading on the road for a four-game trip.
That trip kicks off tomorrow in Atlanta against the Hawks, but tonight the OKC Thunder play host to the Boston Celtics in the game of the night in the Association.
The Oklahoma City Thunder enter this matchup with a 22-9 record, which includes a 13-5 record at the Paycom Center, and are 8-2 in their last ten tilts (on a four-game winning streak).
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are off to a historic start and look like the easy title favorites. While the Thunder sit second in the West, the Celtics are the top team in the East and the NBA at large. Boston owns a 26-6 record on a six-game winning streak that includes a 9-1 record in their last ten games.
However, each of the Celtics’ six losses has come on the road, as Boston has a perfect 16-0 record at home.
On January 2nd in an NBA season, it is rare that you have two fully healthy teams, but that is the case for these two Titans 30 games into the season.
The OKC Thunder will be without Keyontae Johnson, Ousmane Dieng, Lindy Waters III, and Olivier Sarr, who are currently playing the South Bay Lakers for the OKC Blue as part of Tuesday’s doubleheader at the Paycom Center.
For the Boston Celtics, they will be without Jordan Walsh, JD Davidson, and Drew Peterson, all in the NBA G League, as well as playing for the Maine Celtics.
Each coach will have his full complement of players, and rotation for this Tuesday night tilt in Bricktown, which is sure to be a great one.