The Oklahoma City Thunder is set to unleash a new weapon as they seek to avenge an earlier loss to the Golden State Warriors in a matchup of Western Conference powerhouses on Wednesday night in San Francisco.
Earlier this month, Stephen Curry drained seven three-pointers, contributing to the bulk of his 36 points, as the Warriors found an extra burst of energy to defeat the Thunder 127-116 at the end of a five-game road trip.
However, two key factors promise to make this rematch different, 17 days later.
Making his debut start for the Warriors, De’Anthony Melton scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, Melton sustained a knee injury in his next game and is likely out for the season.
Meanwhile, the Thunder were missing big man Isaiah Hartenstein, who was out with a broken left hand during their earlier game against the Warriors. Hartenstein made his Oklahoma City debut on November 20 against the Portland Trail Blazers and has since recorded double-doubles in two Thunder wins, averaging 15.0 points and 12.0 rebounds.
Hartenstein’s emergence is a significant boost for the Thunder, who are also without Chet Holmgren due to a pelvic fracture sustained shortly into their previous game against Golden State.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (65 points) and Jalen Williams (58) have teamed up with Hartenstein to lead Oklahoma City during their two-game winning streak. The trio combined for just 44 points in their previous loss to the Warriors on November 10.
Golden State, on the other hand, is grappling with its first losing streak of the season. The Warriors squandered a 17-point lead in a 104-94 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday and then blew an 18-point advantage in a 128-120 home defeat to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.
The Warriors have not won since clinching a quarterfinal berth in the NBA Cup with a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. Coach Steve Kerr acknowledged after Monday’s loss that his team could use a break, which they’ll get with Thanksgiving and Friday off before a short trip to Phoenix on Saturday.
Both teams may be without key reserves for Wednesday’s game. The Thunder’s Alex Caruso has been ruled out due to a hip injury, while the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga is questionable with an illness.
