On Saturday afternoon, the Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Houston Rockets in a matchup marked by significant roster challenges. The Thunder will play without their star player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams, and key bench player Ajay Mitchell as they navigate through this game. Similarly, the Rockets are also missing notable players, including Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, and Jae’Sean Tate. Adding to their difficulties, Amen Thompson was initially questionable with an illness but has since been cleared to play.
This game highlights the return of essential players for Oklahoma City, such as Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Lu Dort, who all took a brief break during the team’s previous back-to-back game against the San Antonio Spurs. It also marks the debut of newly acquired guard Jared McCain, who joined the Thunder from Philadelphia in a recent trade. In a quick change, McCain switched his jersey number from 30 to 3 following the team’s roster adjustments involving Chris Youngblood.
With the absence of key starters and preferred ball handlers, the Thunder have had to revamp their rotation and starting lineup for this game against the Rockets.
The starting lineups have been announced just 30 minutes before tip-off:
**Oklahoma City Thunder Starting Lineup:**
– Aaron Wiggins, G
– Cason Wallace, G
– Lu Dort, F
– Chet Holmgren, F
– Isaiah Hartenstein, C
**Houston Rockets Starting Lineup:**
– Reed Sheppard, G
– Tari Eason, F
– Jabari Smith Jr., F
– Kevin Durant, F
– Alperen Sengun, C
The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to secure a victory despite the challenges posed by their current roster situation during this nationally televised game on ABC. Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets are striving to turn around their recent performance, which included a disappointing home loss to the Charlotte Hornets, highlighting concerns about Sengun’s defensive play.
Fans can follow Thunder on SI for comprehensive coverage of this matchup and the entire Thunder season as they aim to achieve back-to-back championships, a feat last accomplished by the 2018 Golden State Warriors, while navigating the competitive landscape of the NBA.