Thunder Look To Bounce Back Against Spurs

If January hasn’t been tough enough on the Thunder, Russell Westbrook and co. will close out this month with another brutal test when they take on the Spurs on Tuesday night in San Antonio.  

Related: Thunder Struggle To Keep Up With Cavaliers In Double-Digit Loss

Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup:

Thunder got smacked in Cleveland

Despite winning its three previous games, the Thunder was blown out on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland as OKC struggled to generate consistent offense while shooting 37-percent from the field. Russell Westbrook notched his 24th triple-double of the season in the loss, but made only seven of his 26 shot attempts.

Part of the struggles can be blamed on the gaping hole in the lineup due to Enes Kanter’s injury. Kanter foolishly fractured his right forearm after hitting a chair in frustration in the win over the Mavericks, therefore OKC’s second unit will need some tinkering. Kanter will be reevaluated in four weeks, but in the meantime, the Thunder’s bench unit must find a way to keep its head above water when Westbrook isn’t on the floor.

Spurs looking to bounce back

Just like the Thunder, the Spurs enter this matchup coming off a surprising 105-101 loss to Dallas on Sunday and a 119-103 loss to the Pelicans on Saturday. Not only did the Spurs offense struggle in both outings, but these two shocking losses came against two non playoff teams while no Spurs players sat out to rest.

Seeing the Spurs are about to embark on their annual rodeo road trip in about a week, San Antonio should be motivated to get back on track in a home matchup against the Thunder.

Cameron Payne playing with confidence

Despite looking a bit rusty after returning from a foot injury, Cameron Payne appears to be gaining confidence the more time he sees on the court.  Payne played 20 minutes in the loss to the Cavs, scoring eight points to go with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Payne only made 3-off-11 shots, but with Kanter out of the lineup for at least a month, Payne will need to remain aggressive on a nightly basis in order for the second unit to thrive.

Not only would a productive Payne be beneficial for the Thunder, but with the trade deadline nearing in February, the second-year point guard could prove to have value in a potential deal. 

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