Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction: Two struggling teams, the pendulum can swing either way

NBA is on and as it has done for decades, there is a lot of entertainment at play once again. We are heading towards the midseason(already!) and the enticing schedule is now testing the NBA teams from top to bottom rankings. One of the most tested teams has been the Minnesota Timberwolves and they will take on the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder enters the game after registering a 108:110 loss against the Miami Heat despite a 27 points outing by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They have now lost four in a row and have fallen to 11 wins and 17 losses. Once again, the offense is just too Shai-centric and there is no other scorer that is creating deep impressions. The team lacks the high-efficiency shooting to be at the top in the NBA landscape. The starting lineup has a sophomore, a rookie, and an inconsistent wing, while the other position keeps getting shuffled. Only Shai has carved a strong offensive role, the rest of the unit is just way too inconsistent on the offensive end.

The Timberwolves continued their struggles and come into this game after losing 88:99 against the Clippers after they had taken a five-point halftime lead. They scored in the 40s during both halves and their defense once again collapsed during crucial junctures. They have now lost 15 out of 28 games and although the absence of Karl Anthony-Towns hurt, their struggles had begun much earlier. Their defense is not dependable but now even their offense has been struggling. D’Angelo Russell has had some big games, Anthony Edwards has exerted his influence, Rudy Gobert has posted impressive numbers, but the Wolves may explore some trade scenarios soon. 

• Thunder: OUT: Chet Holmgren, Ousmane Dieng, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Kenrich Williams;
• Timberwolves: OUT: Taurean Prince, Karl Anthony-Towns, Jordan McLaughlin. QUESTIONABLE: D’Angelo Russell, Rudy Gobert.

The Thunder’s lack of scoring depth and inexperience has been on full display and unless they pull a trade, their resources are unlikely to carry them to even Play-in tournament. This lack of depth has been compounded by their lack of defense compared to last season and there are indeed some alarming signs lately. For the Wolves, this season has fallen way short of expectations so far and they need a quick turnaround. As for this game, a lot depends upon the availability of Russell and Gobert but I’d back the Thunder to break their four-game losing streak. I predict a scoreline of 118:114 in Thunder’s favor