Thunder at Suns
Oklahoma City has been streaking up the Western Conference standings while Phoenix has been sputtering as the Suns attempt to slow down the Thunder on Thursday. Oklahoma City is shooting to record its eighth straight victory and has moved up to seventh place in the West as it sits two games ahead of the ninth-place New Orleans Pelicans. Phoenix halted a five-game losing streak by cruising to a 110-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
The win over Denver was just the second in 10 games for Suns, who were in eighth place at the All-Star break and quickly dipped to 10th. Phoenix moved point guards Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas at the trading deadline with point guard Brandon Knight being among the returning players, and he is fitting in well with the Suns, who are hoping the improvement in chemistry will help. The Thunder will be without forward Kevin Durant for the fourth consecutive game after he recently underwent another foot procedure.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FSN Oklahoma (Oklahoma City)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (32-25): Star point guard Russell Westbrook is playing sensational and had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his 11th career triple-double in Tuesday’s 105-92 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Westbrook earned All-Star Game MVP honors and has carried that into a four-game stretch in which he’s averaging 27 points, 11.8 assists and 7.8 rebounds. “He just continues to stack games up on top of one another,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks told reporters. “He’s played well. He’s doing a great job of leading us, leading the new guys and leading the group and making it all come together.”
ABOUT THE SUNS (30-28): Knight had 19 points against Denver and is averaging 17.3 points since joining the club. He also is meshing well with fellow point guard Eric Bledsoe as he learns coach Jeff Hornacek’s system and gets comfortable with the club. “It’s all new and all coming so quickly,” Knight told reporters. “It will take time, but it’s really just about making basketball plays.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Oklahoma City is 2-0 against the Suns this season and has won 13 of the past 15 meetings.
2. Thunder C Enes Kanter is averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds in three games since being acquired from Utah.
3. Phoenix PF Markieff Morris has just 19 points on 7-of-29 shooting in three games since scoring 31 points against Minnesota on Feb. 20.