

Broadcast Information

Tip-off: 6:30 p.m. CT

6:30 p.m. CT Television: Fox Sports Oklahoma

Fox Sports Oklahoma Radio: WWLS the Sports Animal and the Thunder Radio Network

BROOKLYN – Through the wind, through the snow, the Thunder made it to Brooklyn and will play tonight against the Nets, even if the snowstorm that slammed the Big Apple makes for an interesting atmosphere inside the Barclays Center.

Against a Nets team who has struggled this season and in a freeze out, the Thunder will have to come up with its own energy in order to play its style and brand of winning basketball. In order to do that, it will mostly be about playing to the identity Head Coach Billy Donovan has set forth, but there will also be matchup dynamics that come into play.

Brook Lopez is Brooklyn’s center, and he’s playing with four guards alongside him. Typically a double-double machine, Lopez has now stretched his game to include the three-point line. That puts a strain on defenses, and it just so happens that defending teams that boast five three-point shooters and playmakers at the same time is the Thunder’s top challenge at the moment.

“They play open. They play fast. They move and share the basketball. They utilize the three-point line as best they can,” Donovan explained. “They present and create a lot of challenges for you defensively because they can play with four guards.”

“We have to be able to, when teams are playing small, really guard the ball and contain penetration,” Donovan added. “That’s exactly what we’re dealing with. We’re dealing with a fast team who is going to potentially play a lot of different lineups. Can we now guard when teams decide to go small? That’s a challenge for us. We have the capability of doing it and the versatility to do it.”

Watch this! #Respect for Russell Westbrook. A post shared by Oklahoma City Thunder (@okcthunder) on Mar 14, 2017 at 9:21am PDT

While Russell Westbrook, Andre Roberson and Victor Oladipo will certainly be tasked with slowing down Brooklyn’s guards, it’ll be a five-man effort that includes Steven Adams and Brooklyn native Taj Gibson, who will play and start tonight despite tweaking his hip on Saturday against Utah.

All five men who are the floor for the Thunder have to be ready to come out and compete at a high level, bringing the requisite energy and effort to the game. That starts from the opening tip and must be displayed for all 48 minutes, particularly on the defensive end.

“We just have to play our game. If we can control the pace, we put ourselves in position to win games,” Westbrook said. “We have to come out, play hard and be competitive.”