Few teams are collecting more frequent flyer miles this month than the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will play their third game in four nights on Friday, all in different cities.
The well-traveled Thunder are set to face the rested Miami Heat, who have had three days off since losing 125-124 in overtime to the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
Oklahoma City began the week with a 97-81 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup title game at Las Vegas on Tuesday.
The Thunder then traveled to Orlando and responded with a 105-99 win over the Magic on Thursday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points and Isaiah Hartenstein added 12 points and 12 rebounds in the Thunder’s sixth consecutive official victory. (The NBA Cup final doesn’t count in the league standings.)
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault praised his team’s perspective on the unusual road trip, which covers multiple days and time zones.
“We’re trying to see that as a challenge,” Daigneault said after the win at Orlando. “Our players, from shootaround today, the approach to today was really high-level and impressive, from the way we prepared to the way we started the game.”
Daigneault also was impressed with Thunder reserve guard Alex Caruso, who joined the team following three seasons with the Chicago Bulls. Caruso registered 11 points off the bench against the Magic.
“He’s unbelievably present as a competitor,” Daigneault said. “There’s never a time in the game where his feet aren’t on the ground and he’s not focused on the moment of the game. He’s always inside the team.”
Miami will look to bounce back after having its season-best four-game winning streak snapped by Detroit on Monday.
Heat star Jimmy Butler recorded his first triple-double of the season with 35 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in the loss. The point and assist totals were season highs, and the rebound total was a career high.
The Heat trailed by 19 points in the fourth quarter before falling short in overtime.
“We let another one slip away,” Miami center Bam Adebayo said. “It’s one of those where you feel the momentum shift and we felt like it was going in the right direction. Then they made a couple shots and got a couple stops, and it was ballgame.”
Miami is monitoring the status of forward Nikola Jovic, who has missed nine of the last 10 games due to a left ankle sprain. Jovic practiced on Thursday and was listed as questionable to face the Thunder.
The Heat have received a spark from guard Dru Smith, who has played at least 26 minutes off the bench in four straight games. He averaged 12.2 minutes in his previous seven appearances this season.
Over his past six games, Smith is averaging 7.8 points, three rebounds, 2.2 assists and two steals while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 52.9 percent (9-for-17) from 3-point range.
“He’s just making the right plays every time down the court,” Adebayo said. “It’s both sides of the ball, that’s what’s really the eye-popper for Dru because he’ll pick you up 94 feet, he’ll battle in the post and then he’ll go on the other end and make crafty plays.
“Dru’s a great player for us. He fits the mold for us. He’s one of those guys who flies under the radar, doesn’t say a whole lot, but you see his impact on the court.”
–Field Level Media
