The Oklahoma City Thunder are still reeling from losing one of their promising young players for an extended period.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans are continuously dealing with injuries.
The Pelicans and Thunder will face off Wednesday in Oklahoma City, with both rotations looking drastically different from what the teams envisioned before the season began.
This game marks the first meeting between the teams since Oklahoma City swept their first-round playoff series last season.
The latest blow for the Pelicans came Tuesday when it was announced that guard Jose Alvarado had been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain, sidelining him for at least three weeks. Alvarado, who was injured in Monday’s loss to Brooklyn, was already stepping into a larger role due to the opening-night injury to starting point guard Dejounte Murray.
With Murray out for a few more weeks with a fractured hand and Alvarado now joining him on the sidelines, the Pelicans will rely even more heavily on Brandon Boston to handle the ball. Despite struggling with his shooting in Monday’s loss, Boston contributed 10 assists, seven rebounds, three steals, and only one turnover. Acquired off waivers just before the season, Boston has 31 assists and only six turnovers so far.
The Pelicans are also without Jordan Hawkins, Herb Jones, CJ McCollum, and Zion Williamson. New Orleans has lost five consecutive games and eight of their last nine.
The Thunder are coming off a 134-128 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, their first game since Chet Holmgren’s injury. Holmgren, who has a right iliac hip fracture, is expected to miss at least two months.
While the Thunder haven’t faced as many injuries as New Orleans, their injuries have been concentrated on the interior. Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams, and Kenrich Williams have yet to play this season, and now they’ll be without Holmgren for an extended period. These injuries are forcing the Thunder to rely on much smaller lineups.
In Monday’s game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams shouldered much of the offensive load, combining for 73 points.
