Taking care of business Sunday night against the Washington Wizards 136-95, the Oklahoma City Thunder now travel three hours northeast to take on another Eastern Conference team underperforming this season.
Despite having the former league MVP, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves out of the playoff hunt with various injuries and missed time from their players.
Time and Location
The OKC Thunder will play the Philadelphia 76ers in the Wells Fargo Center today, Jan. 14, at 7:00 PM EST/6:00 PM CST as well as on FanDuel Sports Network – Oklahoma.
Lineups
For the Thunder, here is what Mark Daigneault should have as his starting five:
| Postion: | Name: | Number: |
| Point Guard | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 2 |
| Shooting Guard | Cason Wallace | 22 |
| Small Forward | Lu Dort | 5 |
| Power Forward | Jalen Williams | 8 |
| Center | Isaiah Hartenstein | 55 |
As for the Sixers, here is what their potential lineup may look like:
| Position: | Name: | Number: |
| Point Guard | Tyrese Maxey | 0 |
| Shooting Guard | Eric Gordon | 23 |
| Small Forward | Kelly Oubre Jr. | 9 |
| Power Forward | Paul George | 8 |
| Center | Guerschon Yabusele | 28 |
Injuries
For Oklahoma City, Chet Holmgren (hip), Ajay Mitchell (toe) and Nikola Topic (ACL) are all out for tonight’s matchup. Alex Caruso is finally off of the injury report list with his hip injury.
The Sixers on the other hand have a handful of injuries. While Caleb Martin is questionable with a groin injury, former MVP Joel Embiid is out with a foot injury alongside KJ Martin (foot), Kyle Lowry (hip), Andre Drummond (toe) and Jared McCain (knee).
What to know
With a record of 15-22 and sitting at 11th in the East, the Sixers have been struggling all season. While many people expected the team to be elite with the trio of Embiid, Maxey and George, they have had very limited time together. With all three players suffering injuries throughout the season and Embiid not play back-to-backs, it has been very difficult for Philly to find a groove.
Meanwhile for OKC, nothing has seemed to stop them. Headed by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder’s defense has absolutely suffocating while their offense has found ways to score despite missing one of their best pieces in Chet Holmgren.
As for the game itself, there is some interesting history. With Paul George being a former Thunder member and the reason SGA is currently playing for OKC, this matchup will be a testament to how well that Clippers-Thunder trade worked out for Oklahoma City all the way back in 2019.
Last stop on the road trip 🤝
📺 FanDuel Sports Network
📻 @sportsanimal pic.twitter.com/cO4Ues89Sv— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 14, 2025
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