The Clippers will try to get back in the winning column after a tough loss to the Lakers, but will face a stiff challenge with the 2-0 Thunder.
Game Information
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
When: 4:00 PM ET
How to Watch: Clippervision, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Darius Garland – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Rui Hachimura – Isaiah Jackson
Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Cason Wallace – Jalen Williams – Chet Holmgren – Isaiah Hartenstein
Injuries
Clippers: Brandon Ingram Out (Heel), Max Strus Out (Foot), Yanic Konan Niederhauser Out (Foot), Jordan Miller Out (Calf), Bradley Beal Out (Knee)
Thunder: Nikola Topic Out (Back), Thomas Sorber Out (Knee)
Prior Game Notes
The Lakers game was quite a bit less satisfying for Clippers’ fans than the Kings’ win. The Clippers lost, which of course is always a damper, but the way they lost made the defeat even more frustrating. The Clippers turned the ball over 25 times against a Lakers’ defense that was solid but not amazing, with about half of those giveaways being mostly unforced. The primary culprit was Darius Garland, who had 9 turnovers alone, and whose scoring numbers (26 points on 9-19 shooting) strongly overstate his performance. The Clippers’ other supposed go-to-scorer, Rui Hachimura, was similarly ineffective, with 16 points on 14 shots. Once again, Brook Lopez was awesome, as were Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr., and the play of those veterans has been nice for the first two games. Most importantly of all, Keaton Wagler was again impressive: he shot worse and had more turnovers than against the Kings, but he looked like he belonged, took some deep threes, and got to the line a lot. As long as Wagler continues this level of play (improvement throughout the season would be even better) this season will be a success.
The Antagonist
We all know who the Thunder are. Oklahoma City has had the same core for years, though they did revamp the edges of their roster this summer by shipping out Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, and more or less not replacing them. Rookie Aday Mara has gotten some backup minutes, but otherwise those departures have been filled by guys already on the roster – Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, and Jared McCain most prominently. The Thunder are 2-0 against a tough schedule, and look as good as ever. The Thunder are not unbeatable, but they are a championship contender for a reason and are also relatively healthy at this time. For the Clippers, on the road in Oklahoma might well be the toughest game of the entire 2027 calendar.
Notes
Does Ty Lue Expand the Rotation: Ty Lue played a 9.5 man rotation on opening night against the Kings, with Baba Miller logging just a few minutes of regular rotation play in each half before playing much of garbage time. Against the Lakers, Miller was excised from the rotation, with Ty only playing nine guys the whole night. Gradey Dick was clearly the last player in the rotation, receiving 12 minutes, while all of the starters aside from Isaiah Jackson played at least 33 minutes. I think Baba Miller should be re-inserted into the rotation for this game, as the Thunder are so physical, athletic, and aggressive, and the Clippers could use Baba’s size and raw athleticism.
Cutting Down on Turnovers: The Clippers had 25 turnovers against the Lakers yet were still kind of in the game down the stretch (I didn’t ever think they would win, but they were feasibly within striking distance). That will not be the case against the Thunder, who are experts at forcing turnovers as well as finishing in transition. Darius Garland, in particular, will have to be much, much sharper. Teams are going to throw everything they have at him and try to take him out of the game, and right now the Clippers are down a lot of offensive talent, which makes his life harder. That said, ultimately my take can be summed by the Mad Men quote, “That’s what the money is for!”. If Garland is to be this team’s best player and star, he has to pick his spots better, take care of the ball, and overall make stronger decisions. Hopefully he has a bounceback game against the Thunder.
