The Oklahoma City Thunder are preparing for a rematch against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in San Francisco, hoping to get revenge for a previous loss.
Earlier this month, Stephen Curry led the Warriors to a 127-116 victory over the Thunder by scoring 36 points, including seven 3-pointers. However, there will be two key differences in this game compared to their first meeting 17 days ago.
De’Anthony Melton, who made his first start for the Warriors in the earlier game, scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, he injured his knee in the next game and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
On the other hand, the Thunder will have Isaiah Hartenstein, who missed the first matchup with Golden State due to a broken left hand. Hartenstein, a key offseason acquisition, made his debut on November 20 against the Portland Trail Blazers and has helped the team with double-doubles in the last two wins, averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Hartenstein’s return is important for Oklahoma City, especially since they have been missing Chet Holmgren, who is out with a pelvic fracture he suffered early in the game against the Warriors on November 10.
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned the team’s need for a strong interior player, and he feels that Hartenstein is a great addition to the team. “I think Isaiah fills that hole very well. Sam (Presti) did a good job filling it,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, who have both been playing well, have led the Thunder during their two-game winning streak. The two of them combined for 65 points, which is an improvement from their combined 44 points in the loss to the Warriors earlier this month.
Golden State is entering the game on a losing streak. They lost 104-94 to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday after blowing a 17-point lead, and followed that with a 128-120 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. The Warriors have not won since securing a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals with a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after Monday’s loss that his team is feeling tired, noting that their energy has been lower recently. “You can tell we had a lot more energy a couple weeks ago, so maybe it’s just the schedule catching up to us a little bit. We know we got to find that energy again,” Kerr explained.
Both teams may be missing key players for the game. The Thunder’s Alex Caruso has been ruled out due to a hip injury, and the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga is questionable because of an illness.
