TV: Bally Sports Oklahoma | Radio: WWLS 98.1 FM OKC
By Paris Lawson | Broadcast and Digital Reporter | okcthunder.com
The Thunder returns to Oklahoma City to kick off a three-game homestand inside of Paycom Center. The homestand begins on a City Night where the Thunder matches up against a rare division foe in the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
- 3-Point Barrage – The Timberwolves’ offense relies heavily on its production from the 3-point line. The team’s 41.5 3-point attempts per night mark the most of any team in the league while its 14.4 makes ties for the second most.
Defending the 3-point line has been an area of strength for the Thunder who have now logged 24 consecutive games holding its opponent to under 40-percent shooting from deep. Over that time span, OKC has limited its opponent to 31.2 percent from the 3-point line – the lowest of any team in the league.
- Limiting Miscues – When it comes to limiting Minnesota’s scoring opportunities, taking care of the ball will be key for the Thunder. The Timberwolves force 16.5 turnovers per game and as a result gain over 17 percent of their total points off turnovers – a league-leading mark.
- Surging Thunder Offense – After posting 119 points against Denver on Wednesday, the Thunder has now posted three consecutive games scoring 110 or more points. During that span, the Thunder has played to its identity offensively generating 57.3 points in the paint, 18.3 points off turnovers and 19.7 fast break points. Keep an eye on the Thunder’s offense and how it works to generate buckets against Minnesota’s aggressive defense.
Thunder forward Isaiah Roby led all scorers in the Thunder’s win over Denver on Wednesday. In that game, Roby logged career or season highs in five statistical categories. His 26 points and four 3-opinters marked career bests for the former Nebraska Husker. His nine made field goals, seven free throw attempts and five assists all marked season highs.
“I mean obviously a great group effort by our guys obviously we got a lot of guys out but I thought we played to the type of team we want to be on both ends of the floor and relied on that…Our identity was our North Star tonight on both ends of the floor.”
—Coach Daigneault on the Thunder’s win against Denver
The Timberwolves (34-29) enter Oklahoma City after winning their last two contests against Cleveland and most recently Golden State. In that game, Minnesota scored 129 points which marked the teams’ 13th game this season scoring 125 or more points which ties for the most of any team in the league. Minnesota’s leading scorer Karl-Anthony Towns posted 39 points and nine rebounds in the contest and has averaged 24.5 points on 52 percent shooting from the field and 40.8 percent from the 3-point line. The Wolves were without second-leading scorer Anthony Edwards against the Warriors (knee tendinitis) but received massive contributions from Malik Beasley and D’Angelo Russell who poured in 20 and 22 points respectively.
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