Oklahoma City Thunder vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction: The 76ers are too good but Thunder are resolute

NBA has been going for more than a couple of months and as we head into the fresh year, things are going to heat up more. The Midseason window accelerates trades and teams relook at their strategies both in the long and short term. Therefore, we are going to see a lot of player movement soon. In this NBA game, the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Thunder comes into the game after losing 113:121 against the Hornets despite a 28 points performance by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This loss was a bummer against a struggling Charlotte team that has one of the worst records in the league. Oklahoma City has been making deep impressions and has been way more formidable than last season, winning 15 and collecting 20 losses. The Thunder has been playing many close games and has won/lost within seven points repeatedly.

Shai has been averaging over 30 points a game which has been a major cause of victories. However, this over-dependence upon Shai has also led the team to lose the way on the offensive end. Second/third options Josh Giddey and Lu Dort barely bag 20 points outings and the outside shooting has been a weak part of the squad. Defensively, the Thunder has taken a step back compared to last season but they will take that for a much better win count.

The 76ers enter the game after losing 116:127 against the Pelicans despite a 37 points effort by their primary player Joel Embiid. They have now lost two in a row which followed an eight-game winning streak, seven of those games being on the home floor of Philly. The 76ers have a respectable record of 20 wins and 14 losses, but they can be much better with the core of Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris. The trouble with Philadelphia in the past seasons has been the inability to make deep Playoffs runs.

Philadelphia has done a great job of running its offense, with Embiid occupying the post positions while Harden doing a beautiful job of running the Point, which is not a surprise. The team has been playing without Tyrese Maxey for a long time but he is back, although it may take some time to get back in the game shape. Tobias Harris has been solid again while De’Anthony Melton and PJ Tucker have been great defensive additions. Will this be enough in an ever-deepening Eastern Conference?

• Thunder: OUT: Aleksej Pokusevski, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Ousmane Dieng, Chet Holmgren;
• 76ers: OUT: Nothing to report at the time of writing.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander(30+ Points), Joel Embiid (28-34 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Joel Embiid(11-13 Rebounds), Josh Giddey(7-9 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: James Harden(11-13 Assists), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander(6-9 Assists).

The 76ers played just last night and that means that they will be fatigued. A loss can especially extend the magnitude of the exhaustion but considering the 76ers’ experience, these players have faced such scenarios for a long time now. Meanwhile, the Thunder had a day’s rest and that will play a big role here as they have been difficult to deal with at home. Containing Joel Embiid is going to be a challenge for the Thunder which doesn’t have a big body to tackle his size. And I think that advantage can swing the game in the 76ers’ favor. I pick Philadelphia to win it 120:115 in another close Thunder affair.