clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Mavericks look to extend winning streak against the Thunder

The Mavs head to OKC looking for their seventh straight win.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

What did the Thunder do over the offseason?

Over the summer, OKC fired long-time (by NBA standards) head coach Scott Brooks, who took over the team in its inaugural season as the Thunder, and replaced him with Billy Donovan. But the team had an otherwise quiet offseason, just resigning Enes Kaner and Kyle Singler, the players the team acquired during a 2014 trade.

What have the Thunder done lately?

Staying put this summer made a lot of sense for the Thunder. They were expecting to return with a healthy Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka and to see continued improvement in their younger talent.

But things haven't worked out quite as expected. The Thunder have had a rough start to the season, losing three of their last four, despite consistently stellar performances from Russell Westbrook. The team is ranked just sixth in the West, most recently losing to the Knicks.

Durant has played well when healthy, but has missed the last five games with a hamstring strain (he's questionable for tonight's game), and a number of players have had at least somewhat disappointing seasons. Serge Ibaka has taken a step back in terms of both shooting and rebounding, and Kyle Singler has been shockingly bad.

What stat might surprise you about the Thunder?

It really can't be overstated what a phenomenal season Russell Westbrook is having. On nearly every measure, he's having a better year than almost anyone not named Stephen Curry. Among players who are playing heavy minutes, he has the second-best PER and the second best WP48 in the NBA. He's grabbing more rebounds than any other point guard in the league and attempts more than 20 field goals per game while maintaining a true shooting percentage over 56 percent.

How to watch?

You can watch the game locally on Fox Sports Southwest or on League Pass. Tip-off is at 6:00 p.m. Central.