Oklahoma
Thunder Game Day: OKC Takes On Mavericks With No. 1 Seed in Reach
The Oklahoma City Thunder have plenty to play for on the final day of the regular season.
Entering Sunday as the No. 1 seed in the West, Oklahoma City is poised to earn home-court advantage through the first three rounds of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks are locked into the fifth spot in the West and have a first-round date with the LA Clippers.
Most of the Mavericks’ rotation, including Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, will not play in game 82. If the Thunder can deliver as heavy favorites, they will secure a top-two spot in the conference, needing other results to guarantee the top seed.
Apr 12, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2)
Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
ODDS:
The Thunder enter the day as 19.5-point favorites against the Mavericks, and the total over/under is 224.5 points.
KEYS TO THE GAME:
As Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after Friday’s results pushed the Thunder to the top of the West, the team needs to “run through the finish line.” With everyone good to go, capturing a big early lead should be the top priority.
However, the Mavericks’ lack of typical contributors is no reason to take the game lightly. Although none have come at home, the Thunder have suffered losses to some of the worst teams in the league this season.
Oklahoma City has also shown its ability to dominate lesser competition with 16 wins of at least 20 points, including three wins of at least 40 points. Although early start times have not always been the team’s strong suit, motivation to secure home court should be enough for a win.
Thunder rookies Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace are two of only 17 players who have not missed a game this season. Assuming they play Sunday, they will be the first Thunder players to play every game of a season since Raymond Felton and Patrick Patterson did so in the 2017-18 season.
RECORDS:
Oklahoma City Thunder (56-25) vs. Dallas Mavericks (50-31)
INJURIES:
Check out our live injury tracker, along with our game day injury report that will release later today.
WHEN:
Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 2:30 PM CT
LOCATION:
Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, OK
TV/RADIO:
Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start Your Free Trial)
FINAL WORD:
Throughout this season, the Thunder have consistently exceeded expectations and have the opportunity to secure the best record in the West on Sunday. Although the Thunder’s youth has caused doubts, if this regular season is any indication, they could be in for a deep playoff run.
The Thunder will start their playoff run in Paycom Center next weekend when they host a Game 1 for the first time since 2018.
Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Oklahoma
Woman hospitalized after house fire in northeast Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Authorities say one woman was taken to the hospital following an early morning house fire in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Oklahoma City firefighters were called to a house fire near N.E. 13th St. and Missouri.
When crews arrived, they found the victim on the front porch of the home.
“When they got off the rig and initiated offensive fire attack, found one victim on the front porch. Appeared she was maybe suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire was relatively small. It was contained to one bedroom in the back. The patient was transported, was treated here, and then transported to OU,” said Batt. Chief Brad Smith, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
Officials said the fire originated in the back of the house, in a back bedroom near the closet.
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However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Oklahoma
Bode Sparrow commits Friday: why BYU is Oklahoma’s biggest threat for the Davis star
Kaysville (Utah) Davis athlete Bode Sparrow cut his list to four back in May and has now locked in his commitment date.
Sparrow is a tremendous player on both sides of the ball and checks in as the No. 77 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
He will make his long awaited college choice this Friday, May 25 from a final four of BYU, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.
In handicapping this race, two schools jump out for us. The first is Oklahoma. I put a commit prediction in for the Sooners back in March and there was some buzz that he could commit around that time.
Sparrow decided to hold off making an early decision in order to take his official visits. Oklahoma was the first visit locked in and for awhile, the only visit that was set, giving even more credence to the Sooners being the team to beat.
“They really believe in me and have a vision for me there,” Sparrow told us after his official visit. “They show me so much love and I have such great relationships with the coaches there.
“I also really like the town of Norman and the plan in place for me from a safety/scheme standpoint. They really have everything I’m looking for in a school. Brent Venables is great, a defensive minded head coach and I just love the all around fit.”
Sparrow followed up his visit to OU with trips to Oregon, Utah and BYU. The Ducks made a big impression and should be considered a dark horse. They are easily one of the toughest schools to recruit against and it would surprise no one if Sparrow ends in Eugene.
Saying that, the school that is gaining a lot of momentum and looks to be Oklahoma’s biggest challenger is BYU. For months we talked to some close to Sparrow, college coaches and trainers who all said the same thing, ‘don’t rule out BYU in the end.’
No one has recruited Sparrow longer than the Cougs. He has been on campus more than any other school, he’s strong in his LDS faith and he has a great connection with the BYU staff including head coach Kalani Sitake.
BYU was able to get the final visit over the weekend and there is some quiet confidence in Provo as well as from a few other recruits/commits who were also on the visit. With the church connection, we’ve long said in a head to head battle, BYU is very tough to beat, especially for an in-state player.
Saying that, there are still Sooner commits we’ve talked to convinced Sparrow is still headed to Norman. That’s why this recruitment has become one of the more fascinating ones to follow this cycle, it’s one of those rare instances where days away from a decision, it could still go in multiple directions.
For now, my commit prediction remains on Oklahoma but BYU is closing fast and this one close to a toss up with a decision quickly approaching.
Oklahoma
OHP remembers K-9 for protecting countless lives during career
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Officials with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are remembering a dedicated K-9 officer who passed away earlier this month.
K-9 Dak was born in 2014 and began serving with the OHP in 2015.
Throughout his distinguished career, officials say Dak’s exceptional instincts made a significant impact on public safety across the state.
During his career, Dak was instrumental in the seizure of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana, 46 pounds of cocaine, 151 pounds of methamphetamine, and 99 pounds of fentanyl.
“These remarkable accomplishments represent countless lives protected and communities made safer through Dak’s service,” OHP wrote.
Dak worked his final shift on June 3 before peacefully passing away from natural causes on June 7.
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“More than his statistics and accomplishments, Dak was a loyal partner, trusted teammate, and beloved member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. His legacy will live on through the work he accomplished, the bond he shared with his handler, and the many lives he touched throughout his career,” OHP said.
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