Thunder vs. Clippers: How to watch, TV channel, start time (Jan. 22)
The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to play the first of two games in a row against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.
Oklahoma City dropped to 6-7 on the season after a poor showing against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be looking for a bounce-back against the team he played for as a rookie.
The Clippers have jumped near the top of the Western Conference with five wins in a row, which pushed their record to 11-4 entering Friday.
Here are the details of how to watch:
Opponent: Los Angeles Clippers
Date and time: Jan. 22, 9 p.m. CT
How to watch: FOX Sports Oklahoma
Radio station: WWLS 98.1FM OKC
Thunder: What to watch for
Because the Thunder will be playing the Clippers again on Sunday, the viewers' focus on Friday should be specifics on the way they handle Los Angeles. Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander get by Paul George and/or Kawhi Leonard? Last year, he posted 32 points, but he wasn't the primary playmaker of that Thunder offense (and Leonard was out that game), so this is a very different circumstance. Defensively, how does the team handle those two wings? Lu Dort will certainly be on one, but I'm curious how the Thunder will guard the other. My guess would be Darius Bazley, given as he defended Jimmy Butler against the Miami Heat, but the Thunder tend to use him on power forwards more often. What we see on Friday night will be a precursor for Sunday.
Clippers' season
After starting the season 6-4, Los Angeles has been on a roll. Leonard and George have combined for about 52 points per game over their five-game winning streak, and Serge Ibaka was a great free agent signing. Nicolas Batum has been somewhat of a revelation this season. After being forgotten about on the depths of the Charlotte Hornets (until you looked at their payroll), Batum has resurfaced as a solid role player in LA. He's hitting 43.9% of his 3s, the first time he's eclipsingt he 40% mark since his Portland Trail Blazers days, and is fitting into their rotation well. Marcus Morris missed the first eight games of the season, but the Clippers are 6-1 since he debuted. That's probably not a direct causation, but he gives this team even more depth.
