OKC Thunder vs Sacramento Kings Prediction & Match Preview - May 9th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The OKC Thunder, on a six-game losing streak in the 2020-21 NBA, will take on the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday.
The OKC Thunder have struggled to produce victories and have a number of players currently missing due to injury. They have struggled for offensive rhythm in the absence of Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and currently have the worst offence in the league this season.
The Sacramento Kings, meanwhile, are themselves in a spot of bother and are slipping out of postseason reckoning. They are also missing their best player, De’Aaron Fox, in their loss against the San Antonio Spurs in their last outing.
Terence Davis top-scored with 24 points, while Buddy Hield and Delon Wright got 17 points apiece.
Match Details
Fixture: OKC Thunder vs Sacramento Kings | NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Sunday, May 9th; 10:00 PM ET (Monday, 10th May; 7:30 AM IST).
Venue: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento.
OKC Thunder Preview
OKC Thunder will be relying on Darius Bazley and Luguentz Dort again. Ty Jerome is a doubtful starter, while Mike Muscala, Al Horford and Aleksej Pokusevski are all confirmed to sit out this game. Shai-Gilgeous Alexander’s absence, in particular, has been a huge blow for the OKC Thunder.
They have gone 2-23 in their last 25 games in his absence and have little hope of making the postseason. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Jaylen Hoard and Kenrich Williams all ended up in double digits off the bench in their last game, though.
Key Player – Darius Bazley
Darius Bazley has found form recently and has scored at least 20 points in two of his last 3 appearances.
He has shown an improvement in his 3-point shooting and is also making his presence felt at the other end of the court too. Bazley is producing 13.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and will fancy his chances of a big haul against the struggling OKC Thunder.
OKC Thunder Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Theo Maledon l Shooting Guard - Luguentz Dort l Small Forward - Darius Bazley l Power Forward - Isaiah Roby l Center - Moses Brown.
Sacramento Kings Preview
The Sacramento Kings have been unlucky with injuries, as they looked like genuine play-in contenders before their dismal run in April.
De’Aaron Fox was in solid form but is missing due to the league's health and safety protocols, while Harrison Barnes, Tyrese Haliburton and Robert Woodard III are the other notable absentees the Sacramento Kings are dealing with.
Buddy Hield is averaging almost 20 points in his last four appearances, while the 23-year-old Terence Davis has improved his offensive output in recent games as well.
The Sacramento Kings enter this double-header as the 12th placed team in the Western Conference and have the worst defence in the league at the moment.
Key Player – Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield has improved his offensive output despite the multiple injuries the Sacramento Kings are grappling with.
Hield has missed a few games and has not been at his efficient best in recent games, which is because of the increased number of shots he has had to take in the absence of multiple starters. Nevertheless, he will look to lead his team to a victory against the struggling OKC Thunder team.
Sacramento Kings Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Delon Wright | Shooting Guard - Buddy Hield | Small Forward - Moe Harkless | Power Forward - Marvin Bagley | Center - Richaun Holmes.
Thunder vs Kings Prediction
The Sacramento Kings will be the clear favorites to win this matchup. The OKC Thunder have arguably been the worst team in the league in recent weeks and have struggled with multiple injuries.
The Sacramento Kings have had their injury concerns as well, but they are in better form and have the offensive firepower to overwhelm the OKC Thunder.
Where to watch the Thunder vs Kings game?
Live coverage of the OKC Thunder vs Sacramento Kings game will be available on Bally Sports Oklahoma and NBC Sports California. The match can also be streamed live with an NBA League Pass.