Oklahoma City Thunder vs Orlando Magic
PREVIEW: The Oklahoma City Thunder return home for the front end of a back-to-back set, hosting the Orlando Magic at the Paycom Center before traveling to San Antonio on Wednesday. Oklahoma City seeks to build momentum from a dominant victory over Denver on Sunday, though they'll do so while navigating a significant injury report. The Thunder are without All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams, top bench creator Ajay Mitchell, and have ruled out Isaiah Hartenstein for injury management, while superstars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jaylin Williams are all listed as questionable. On the defensive end, Oklahoma City excels at limiting rim attemptsโthey rank first in shots allowed at the basketโand effectively defend three-point shooting with low-quality opportunities conceded, standing second in that category.
The Magic are relatively healthy, missing only Franz Wagner, and have grown accustomed to competing without their rising star forward. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters this matchup shooting a career-high 55.8 percent from the field and averaging 6.4 assists per game, continuing to evolve his game in his eighth season. Orlando's defensive profile reveals vulnerabilities on the perimeter, as they rank 27th in defending three-point shooting by allowing high-quality attempts, and their rim attacks lack efficiency, placing them 27th in that area as well. Both teams rank among the league's elite at limiting points off turnovers, with Oklahoma City second at 15.0 points allowed per game and Orlando fourth at 16.1, setting the stage for a possession-conscious, defensive-minded battle.