Tonight marks the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 15th consecutive New Year’s Eve game. Since the inception of the team in OKC, it’s been a staple of the yearly rotation of events.
This time around, they’ll host the Philadelphia 76ers, who are one of the best teams in the NBA.
This will be a tough contest for the young Thunder, who are missing several key players. Can Oklahoma City end the season with a win?
ODDS:
The Thunder enter the day as 5-point underdogs to the Sixers, and the total over/under is 230.5 points.
KEYS TO THE GAME:
Philadelphia is playing on the second night of a back-to-back in this game following a matchup against the Pelicans on Friday. As such, it will be interesting to see who suits up for the Sixers in this contest. They’ve lost two in a row and will be looking for a win tonight.
Assuming Joel Embiid plays, he will likely have a monster game against the undersized Thunder. In their last contest against the Charlotte Hornets, they were dominated in the paint.
Outside of the battle near the rim, there will be plenty of firepower on the perimeter as well. The matchup between James Harden and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be special, as they’re both elite scorers in this league.
Oklahoma City is pretty beat up at this point in the season, with a long injury report.
RECORDS:
Oklahoma City Thunder (15-20) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (20-14)
WHEN:
Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022 at 7:00 PM CT
LOCATION:
Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, OK
TV/RADIO:
Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal
FINAL WORD:
Following this contest, the Thunder will be off until Tuesday when they host the Boston Celtics. Meanwhile, the Sixers will head back home to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
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