Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Have a Chance to Implement Adjustments on Tuesday

The Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday for the rubber match of a three-game road trip. On Sunday, the Thunder were played off the floor by the Milwaukee Bucks in a rare blowout loss. However, the formula for these losses has remained consistent. 

Oklahoma City has struggled this season against lengthy, physical teams that can force star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to play in a crowd, a team that gaps at a high level defensively while being able to fly out to shooters to make life hard on the Thunder’s complimentary shooters. Once the shots stop falling and Gilgeous-Alexander is limited, it is an uphill battle for OKC. 

Few teams can master this formula, which is why the Thunder have only seen a handful of double-digit losses this season, but New Orleans can duplicate it. How will the Thunder adjust to a team that rosters Zion Williams and Jonas Valanciunas down low with Herb Jones being one of the toughest matchups for Gilgeous-Alexander? 

While the Pelicans will be without Brandon Ingram, this is still a team that has the bones of a frustrating matchup for Oklahoma City. 

This is an advantage for the Thunder to cleanse their pallet against a team that matches up similarly to their Sunday opponent, immediately getting to put their adjustments into practice. 

Stiles Points: 

• The Oklahoma City Thunder saw their April 2nd game against the Boston Celtics flexed to National Television now playing on ESPN in Boston. The Thunder will try for the season-sweep against the Celtics after a thrilling win at home in early January. 
• Despite leaving Sunday’s game early with a hit to the face, Lu Dort is not listed on the Thunder’s injury report. Oklahoma City will have their defensive ace on Tuesday against New Orleans. 
• This is the front end of the first of three back-to-backs between now and the end of the regular season for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The second leg comes against the red-hot Rockets on Wednesday inside the Paycom Center.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder move to a full game back of the first-seeded Denver Nuggets with just a half-game cushion on the Minnesota Timberwolves in third place. The Thunder as of now control the tiebreaker against both.

Song of the Day: I’m Walking to New Orleans by Fats Domino.