Chicago Bulls (33-41, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (62-12, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma City heads into a matchup against Chicago as winners of nine games in a row.

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The Thunder are 33-5 on their home court. Oklahoma City averages 120.1 points while outscoring opponents by 13.2 points per game.

The Bulls have gone 19-18 away from home. Chicago ranks second in the Eastern Conference with 18.2 fast break points per game led by Coby White averaging 4.5.

The Thunder are shooting 48.1% from the field this season, 1.2 percentage points higher than the 46.9% the Bulls allow to opponents. The Bulls are shooting 46.7% from the field, 3.2% higher than the 43.5% the Thunder’s opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 3.1 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

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White is shooting 44.6% and averaging 20.4 points for the Bulls. Kevin Huerter is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 9-1, averaging 123.4 points, 45.9 rebounds, 27.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.1 points per game.

Bulls: 7-3, averaging 122.4 points, 45.7 rebounds, 30.4 assists, 7.9 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.1 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Aaron Wiggins: day to day (achilles), Ousmane Dieng: day to day (calf), Jaylin Williams: day to day (hip), Alex Ducas: day to day (quadriceps), Nikola Topic: out for season (acl), Ajay Mitchell: out (toe).

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Bulls: Ayo Dosunmu: out for season (shoulder), E.J. Liddell: day to day (illness), Lonzo Ball: day to day (wrist), Tre Jones: out (foot).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Editor’s note: Follow UConn women’s basketball vs. Oklahoma live updates from their Sweet 16 matchup.

Raegan Beers and No. 3 Oklahoma aim for their fourth Elite Eight appearance as they face No. 2 UConn in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA women’s tournament.

The Oregon State transfer is the top scorer for the Sooners, putting up 25 points and 18 rebounds in their first-round game against Florida Gulf Coast University. In the second-round win over Iowa, the junior added 11 points and 13 rebounds.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS Women’s March Madness Sweet 16 best games: Schedule, players to watch

Beers was named to the All-SEC First Team and is a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award.

Here is more of what you need to know about the Oklahoma star center.

Raegan Beers Career stats

Oregon State Beavers

• 2022-23: Played in 31 games, averaging 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. ​
• 2022-23: Started 31 games, averaging 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. ​

Oklahoma Sooners

• 2024-25: Started in 32 games, averaging 17.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

Is Raegan Beers eligible for the WNBA draft?

Beers was born on March 23, 2004, which makes her 21 years old. She does not qualify for the WNBA Draft because the league requires domestic draft entrants to be at least 22 years old during the year in which the draft takes place and to have no remaining college eligibility. She would qualify for the 2026 draft.

Raegan Beers height

Beers is listed at 6-foot-4 on the official Oklahoma women’s baseball roster, sharing the title of tallest player with forward Kiersten Johnson.

Raegan Beers recruiting

Beers was a five-star recruit and the No. 10 overall player and the No. 3 center in the 2022 recruiting class by ESPN HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. She attended Valor Christian in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, where she was a McDonald’s All-American and Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022.

Beers committed Oregon State over Stanford, Colorado, UConn and Notre Dame.

Every spring and fall, Oklahomans watch as the brightly patterned orange and black butterflies make a pitstop in the state during their miles-long, twice-yearly migrations.

The migratory monarch butterfly has a lifespan of two to six weeks, though the butterflies born at the end of the summer live eight to nine months in order to make the journey south and spend the winter clustered in trees in Mexico and California. In the spring, they head to their spring and summer breeding grounds and migrate as far north as southern parts of Canada.

The species was listed as endangered in 2022 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but is yet to be classified as such under the Endangered Species Act in the United States. Their numbers are ever-dwindling due to habitat loss and climate change.

Some monarchs have already been spotted in Oklahoma this spring, but as the peak migration approaches, here’s what you need to know.

When will monarchs be in Oklahoma?

The orange and black butterflies have already been spotted in the state, including in southern and central Oklahoma.

During the trip north, monarchs will be looking for milkweed and nectaring plants to sustain them on their journey.

See monarch migration map

Keep up with the monarch migration, and upload your own spottings, at maps.journeynorth.org.

Best places to see monarchs in Oklahoma City

Monarchs are often drawn to parks and gardens where milkweed and native nectaring plants can be found.

In Oklahoma, the traveling butterflies are more likely to be found near Interstate 35.

Oklahoma City destinations monarchs seem to enjoy year after year include:

• Myriad Botanical Gardens
• Will Rogers Gardens
• Lake Hefner
• Oklahoma City Zoo

Where to find milkweed, nectaring plants for monarchs

While the spring migration is already underway, it’s not too late to help out the monarchs with your plant choices. Monarchs benefit from planting done in the spring, summer or fall, according to Okies for Monarchs.

This can be any native nectaring plant, and especially milkweed so the butterflies can have a place to lay their eggs and start the next generation.

Okies for Monarchs has tips on building a garden suited for monarchs and other pollinators, like where and how to plant, size of garden and other butterfly-friendly features you can add.

Some local nurseries that sell both native plants and milkweed include: