The Oklahoma City Thunder will be taking on the Charlotte Hornets tonight. As NBA fans will be aware, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been keeping his team in contention for a spot in the NBA playoffs this season. At the moment, the OKC Thunder currently holds a record of 37 wins and 38 losses, giving them the 10th spot in the Western Conference.
They will be playing against the Charlotte Hornets, a team that has been struggling this season in the absence of their young star LaMelo Ball. The Hornets currently hold a subpar record of 25 wins and 51 losses, placing them in the 14th position in the Eastern Conference.
As both these teams get ready to face off, fans should certainly want to know the injury reports, expected rosters, and predictions for this game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is listed as questionable for the Oklahoma City Thunder vs Charlotte Hornets game tonight
Unfortunately for Thunder fans, their best player in Shai is not looking completely healthy for tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets. He has been playing at an elite level this season and has been averaging 31.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. There is no denying that he is the leader and the best player on OKC at the moment.
SGA is listed as questionable for this game after having suffered an ankle injury during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Therefore, he is unlikely to be at full strength for this game, if he even plays. That said, here are the complete injury reports and expected rosters for both teams.
Oklahoma City Thunder injury report
- Chet Holmgren (out)
- Kenrich Williams (out)
- Lindy Waters III (out)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (questionable)
Oklahoma City Thunder expected roster
- Josh Giddy
- Luguentz Dort
- Jaylin Williams
- Isaiah Joe
- Jalen Williams
Charlotte Hornets injury report
- LaMelo Ball (out)
- Mark Williams (out)
Charlotte Hornets expected roster
- Dennis Smith Jr
- Gordan Hayward
- PJ Washington
- Theo Maledon
- Bryce McGowens
As we can tell from the injury reports, major players from both sides do not look healthy for this game. Therefore, this isn’t really an indicator of how these teams compare. Nonetheless, here are the expert predicitions for this game.
OKC will be favored over the Hornets tonight
Although SGA doesn’t look healthy for this game and might not play, his team will still be favored and expected to win this match. After all, they still have a chance to make the NBA playoffs and have something to fight for. On the other hand, the Hornets’ hopes of making the postseason are long gone at this juncture.
While Charlotte managed to beat the Dallas Mavericks twice in a row, many analysts claim that it was because both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving don’t play defense. OKC has several young and athletic players such as Lu Dort, who specializes in defense. They also have a significantly better record. Therefore, they will be favored to win this game.
