The Oklahoma City Thunder have certainly been one of the top teams in the Western Conference so far this season. However, the team has dropped its past two games and is looking to right the ship with a win in the national spotlight on Thursday. Things got even worse earlier this week when center Nerlens Noel was diagnosed with a concussion after being elbowed in the head by Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins.
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs have really picked up their pace as of late. The Spurs have won five out of their last six games and their only blemish was a 96-86 defeat at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. The team will look to get back to its winning ways when they take on the Thunder on Thursday.
How to watch Thunder vs. Spurs
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 10
- Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
- Location: AT&T Center -- San Antonio, Texas
- TV: TNT
- Streaming: fuboTV - (free trial - NBA League Pass add-on available)
- Live stats: GameTracker
- Odds: Spurs +1.5
Odds and analysis
Check Sportsline's NBA pick sheet for all your daily odds.
Storylines
Thunder: Oklahoma City has dropped back-to-back games and losing Noel certainly wasn't a step in the right direction. The Thunder had ripped off three consecutive wins before that, but have had their fair share of struggles lately. Paul George was putting up MVP-type numbers earlier this season, but didn't have stellar shooting performances in the last two losses. It'll be worth seeing if George can be more consistent from the perimeter in this game.
Spurs: San Antonio has really looked like a force to be reckoned with during the early portion of January. The team got revenge against Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors last Thursday with a very convincing win. DeMar DeRozan continues to prove why he was a huge piece coming back in the offseason trade with the Raptors. It'll be interesting to see how DeRozan fares going head-to-head with George and Russell Westbrook.
Game prediction, pick
The Spurs had been playing terrific basketball prior to falling to the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, the Thunder also need a victory in the worst way. Without Noel in the frontcourt, however, the team's depth takes a hit and the Spurs will take advantage with a narrow win.
