The Oklahoma City Thunder are feeling motivated to prove themselves when they face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night, after being left off the Christmas Day schedule.
Despite finishing the 2023-24 season with a 57-25 record and securing the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, Oklahoma City was not selected for a Christmas game. Even coming close to reaching the conference finals last spring didn’t earn them the spotlight.
However, the Thunder have not let this holiday snub affect them, as they have won 23 of their first 28 games this season, putting them at the top of the West again. Still, star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is determined to make sure his team is not overlooked any longer.
“Disappointed for sure,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I’d love to play on Christmas Day, and I think we’re that caliber of a team. The NBA makes (its) decisions; you can’t slight them for it. The ball’s in our court to prove to them why we deserve to play on that day.”
The Thunder showed their strength on Monday, when Gilgeous-Alexander scored 41 points in a 123-105 victory over the Washington Wizards. This was their eighth straight win, and they have gone 12-1 since November 20.
It was also the season debut of Jaylin Williams, who had appeared in 69 games last season. He contributed three points and two assists in eight minutes off the bench.
“It was great to have J-Will back,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “He is the ultimate compete-together player. His ability to endure a trying individual time for himself professionally and stay as spirited and inside the team is really a testament to his character and resilience.”
The Pacers are also on a hot streak, extending their winning run to five games after a 111-105 win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday. All five of their starters scored in double figures, with Myles Turner leading the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
During their winning streak, the Pacers have held opponents to 104.4 points per game, and Turner hopes they continue focusing on defense.
“I think the beginning of the season we were all — myself included — kind of just worried about our offense and how we’re going to score the ball,” Turner said. “But that’s one of the things we do best. We’ve got to hang our hat on the defensive side of the ball. I think we’re going to continue to keep working.”
To stop Gilgeous-Alexander, the Pacers will likely rely on Andrew Nembhard, who did an excellent job defending Golden State’s Stephen Curry on Monday. Curry struggled, scoring only 10 points on 2-for-13 shooting.
“Yeah, I think he takes defense (seriously). That’s his role, especially with the starting unit,” Curry said of Nembhard. “Whoever the best scorer is, go-to guy, he takes that responsibility.”
