Oklahoma City Thunder vs Los Angeles Clippers Prediction: The Clippers are sorely missing Paul George

Just over 24 hours ago, Oklahoma defeated the Clippers at home, and this is the 3rd straight home win for the Thunder against the Clippers. Will the home team be able to extend their winning streak?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is getting closer to superstar status, averaging 31 points and 6.7 assists. With that kind of play, Shai seems like a foreign body in a Thunder team machine that's not ready to win. Luguentz Dort is off to a poor start to the regular season, shooting less than 30% from the field, Josh Giddey has looked decent but is out due to injury, and Mike Muscala is fifth on the team in scoring, averaging less than 15 minutes per game. The Thunder are in last place in the NBA in three-point shooting (27.3%), and the club's best shooter is suddenly big man Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. On the positive side, Oklahoma State improved its value of the ball, averaging just 11 turnovers and sharing a tie for the lead with Toronto.

Mark Daigneault's team defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 108-94 at home in their last regular-season game. The Thunder defended really well, and their lead could have been greater if they had made those open three-pointers. The Thunder made only 4 three-pointers from 30 attempts, with only Tre Mann and Shai Gilges-Alexander hitting from beyond the arc. Shai was very effective, hitting difficult shots from midrange as well, and Gilgeous-Alexander added 8 assists to his 33 points. The win over Los Angeles was Oklahoma State's first this season, having previously seen losses to Minnesota (twice) and Denver.

The Clippers have yet to reach their full potential, although they may be the best team in the NBA. Kawhi Leonard has just returned from injury, but knee problems are plaguing the star forward. Kawhi already played something like 20 minutes, and he is unlikely to be on the floor against Oklahoma. Marcus Morris Sr. is absent for personal reasons, Paul George has health issues, and his appearance on the floor is in doubt. Reggie Jackson and Norman Powell are hitting 30% of their shots from the field, and up-and-coming Amir Coffey also has problems. On the other hand, John Wall has fit in well, although the low free-throw percentage of the experienced Clippers playmaker is surprising. As far as team statistics are concerned, Los Angeles hasn't shown anything outstanding, so it's no surprise they've lost their last 2 games.

In their recent encounter with the Thunder, Tyronn Lue's men lacked creativity on offense, and their problems with combination play were largely to blame for the defeat. At times the Clippers were too reckless with the basket, and even their significantly better three-point shooting than their opponent could not save the Californians. The Clippers missed too many shots in the paint and were ineffective on the fast break. Powell and Jackson had trouble shooting from long range, and Luke Kennard, who came off the bench, was the most productive player on the team. He scored 15 points.

The Clippers are sorely missing Paul George, and a lot will depend on his participation. Nevertheless, Los Angeles lost too easily to Oklahoma, with the Thunder not hitting from very good positions. The home team could repeat their success if Dort or the same Shai. Face-to-face meetings speak in Okla's favor. At home, they consistently put up a fight against their current opponent. Our prediction for the match looks as follows:

• Handicap 1 (+7.5) for 1.72;
• Oklahoma City win including overtime for 3.10;
• Total Over 216.5 points for 1.79.