Thunder injuries: SGA to play vs. Grizzlies, but 4 usual OKC starters out
The Oklahoma City Thunder want to get a better look at their depth to gauge young players. Against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, they’ll get the chance.
There’s some good news and some bad news on Oklahoma City’s injury report for the afternoon game.
The good news: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be back after missing the Saturday game against the New York Knicks due to a quadriceps contusion.
The bad news: Oklahoma City will be down four usual starters. Darius Bazley will miss his third game in a row and Al Horford will sit on the second night of a back-to-back, both of which were expected, but head coach Mark Daigneault also announced before the game that Lu Dort and Theo Maledon will be out.
Maledon tweaked his ankle on Saturday, Daigneault said.
Dort has a toe issue. The head coach did not provide further detail.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will play today against the Grizzlies.
Lu Dort (toe), Theo Maledon (ankle), Darius Bazley (shoulder) and Al Horford (rest) are out, in addition to George Hill (thumb) and Josh Hall (knee).
— OKC Thunder Wire (@The_ThunderWire) March 14, 2021
Those two and Horford join Bazley (left shoulder contusion), George Hill (thumb surgery) and Josh Hall (left knee soreness) on the injured list ahead of the game against the Grizzlies.
Daigneault did not announce his starting lineup.
It’s unclear how that will shape up. Isaiah Roby and Kenrich Williams are reasonable guesses to start alongside Gilgeous-Alexander, but the other two spots are question marks.
Justin Jackson, who averaged 28 minutes over a seven-game stretch when the guard rotation was hit with injuries, could get in the lineup.
Aleksej Pokusevski has started the last two games. He could make it three in a row, though Moses Brown has played well and could earn a start here in his stead.
Svi Mykhailiuk has not yet joined the team.
Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
