Thunder vs Magic: Pregame Primer

Ryan Woods -

vs.

Thunder (19-20, 7-13 road) vs. Magic (15-28, 5-13 home)

TV: FS Oklahoma
Stream:  Click here
Radio:  WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 1300 AM The Buzz Tulsa)
Time: 5:00 CT

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 104.8 (19th), Magic – 101.2 (28th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 104.0 (9th), Magic – 106.8 (19th)

The Thunder turned in the most impressive performance of the season with a win on Friday night against the Golden State Warriors. Tonight Oklahoma City is in Orlando looking to get back to .500 while avenging one of the last season’s most egregious losses.

Tobias Harris threw in a dunk at the buzzer last February to beat OKC in one of the strangest endings to a game in you’ll probably ever see. The Thunder is looking to build on Friday’s performance with another strong outing tonight. This is a big week coming up for the Thunder, and it needs strong start here in Orlando.

3 Big Things

1. Turnovers. Both Elfrid Peyton and Victor Olidipo are hounds around the ball and like to turn defense into offense in a hurry. Russ will have to execute well in order to keep the ball away from these two (sorry I had to).

Orlando likes to run even after make baskets. Thunder can’t come out in second gear; this is a game to be played in fifth from the jump. Turn up.

2. Rotation. The Thunder seems to have found something it likes in Dion Waiters who logged 37 minutes — one more than Westbrook. Anthony Morrow played 25 while Reggie Jackson was a +13 in 18 minutes.

The Thunder was a combined +36 with those three bench players on the floor, but was a -14 in Andre Roberson’s 13 minutes. Not saying a change is coming, but I don’t see this lasting much longer.

3. Consistency. The Thunder has been a near robotic model of consistency over the last few regular seasons. Sunday afternoon road games in mid-January didn’t feel like turning point opportunities in the season, they just felt like… the next game. Friday night looked like the Thunder team that tears up the regular season and puts away lesser opponents early. It’s time to start stringing them together now.

Friday’s COTN: “That was fun. Let’s play like that all the time.” – @King of Carrot Flowers the Third

What he said.

Tip at 5:00 CT. Go do it again.