The Western Conference’s Oklahoma City Thunder are vying for a playoff spot for a variety of reasons.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has made important progress.
Late in the season, the Thunder’s similarly named 2022 draft picks Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams have made rapid progress.
However, another has been Luguentz Dort’s continued growth as a defensive standout in his fourth season.
When the Thunder play the Indiana Pacers on Friday in Indianapolis, Dort is likely to be right in the middle of things once more.
Dort won a late jump ball that led to Jalen Williams’ game-winning shot at the buzzer in Wednesday’s victory over Detroit.
The Thunder (38-39) are 10th in the Western Conference going into Friday’s game. They are fighting with five games left to stay in a position to make the NBA play-in tournament and still have a chance to make the playoffs without having to win.
For the first time since his rookie season, when he first made a name for himself as a lockdown defender after signing with the Thunder as an undrafted free agent, Dort is enjoying participating in high-stakes games.
After the All-Star sprained his left ankle in Sunday’s victory over Portland, Gilgeous-Alexander has missed the Thunder’s last two games.
For the game on Friday, Gilgeous-Alexander is questionable.
Plantar fasciitis has caused Oklahoma City’s Lindy Waters to miss three games in a row.
After losing four games in a row and six of their last seven, the Pacers (33-44) are three and a half games out of 10th place in the Eastern Conference. However, their focus has shifted to the future.
Indiana’s three driving scorers – – Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Pal Hield – – have each missed time of late.
With back pain, Turner has missed Indiana’s last three games, while Hield and Haliburton have missed Indiana’s last two games due to illnesses other than COVID.
The Pacers are currently playing eight games against the top 10 teams in their conference.
Even if the Pacers aren’t in the running for the playoffs, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said that Indiana’s young players will benefit from playing important games late in the season.
Being without Haliburton, Turner and Hield has likewise opened up seriously playing time in those games for a portion of those youthful players.
On January 18, in Oklahoma City, the Thunder prevailed 126-106 in the first meeting of the season.
