Playoff basketball is back in Oklahoma City. The Thunder is hosting the New Orleans Pelicans in a seven-game series as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. After winning 57 games in the regular season, the Thunder is met with a clean slate, and the new season is essentially here.
The Pelicans, fresh off two Play-In Tournament contests this past week, are going to give the Thunder a handful in this series, as the two teams pose a unique matchup. The pace of play and making up for the rebounding margin are going to be two keys for the Thunder in this series.
With Game 1 being in Oklahoma City, the Thunder has the potential to set the tone for the series tonight.
Injury Report
Thunder:
No injuries to report.
Pelicans:
Zion Williamson, OUT (Hamstring)
Cody Zeller, Available (Face)
Zion Williamson’s injury during the Play-In Tournament was big news. He could very well miss the first half of this series or beyond. The physicality and strength he plays with — and how that could impact the Thunder — is a big blow for the Pelicans.
New Orleans has plenty of depth, but missing their best player is a huge, huge blow.
Oklahoma City is fully healthy — which was a trend for the majority of the season. The end of the season was a bit rockier, but it was the only stint the Thunder really had to deal with injuries.
Updated Odds
In Williamson’s absence, the Thunder — on their home floor — is an 8.5-point favorite. A double-digit victory in Game 1 of the series would be a huge statement by the Thunder, especially considering the discourse around them being the “weakest” No. 1 seed in history.
The oddsmakers favoring the Thunder this much is a bit surprising, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Thunder is able to take care of business to kick off the series.
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