With little time to dwell on a nail-biting defeat last time out, the Oklahoma City Thunder will go in search of an immediate response when they visit the Barclays Center to face off against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.
The hosts, meanwhile, are also looking to bounce back from a disappointing outcome in their most recent outing to avoid suffering back-to-back defeats for the first time since losing seven straight games towards the back end of January.
Match preview
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After showing great mettle to fend off the Minnesota Timberwolves in Monday's meeting between the sides, the Oklahoma City Thunder came up short against the same opponents 24 hours later as the teams renewed hostilities.
Despite leading by as many as 25 points, Mark Daigneault's men inexplicably lost their advantage after a stunning fourth quarter, which ended 41-19, to send the game into overtime, where they were eventually usurped.
In a game that saw All-Stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (39) and Jalen Williams (27) combine for 66 points, the Thunder suffered a first home defeat off the back of six wins on the bounce at the PayCom Arena.
While their position at the top of the Western Conference is not under any immediate threat, the Thunder will be keen to not let standards drop heading into the final 25 matches of what has undeniably been a stellar campaign.
Having not lost consecutive matches since November, the Thunder will fancy their chances of coming up on top against a Nets outfit that have been beaten in five of the most recent six editions of this fixture.
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Becoming the first team to lose to the Washington Wizards in seven matches since early February, the Brooklyn Nets were left red-faced at the Capital One Arena on Tuesday following a comprehensive 107-99 defeat.
Jordi Fernandez's men recovered from a 10-point first-quarter deficit to take a narrow advantage heading into the final 12 minutes, during which they were held to a meagre 12 points and outscored by 10.
In the absence of D'Angelo Russell and Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson was once again saddled with the majority of the offensive burden but could only manage 17 points on 5-13 shooting from the field.
Still 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, the Nets are in a three-team race alongside the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors to leapfrog the Chicago Bulls into 10th place which would guarantee a shot at playoff contention.
Currently bottom but one for points scored per game in the entire NBA, Thursday's visitors will need to dig deep on the attacking front to stand any chance of defeating the side with the second-best defence.
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Team News
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Point guard D'Angelo Russell has missed each of the Nets' last two matches with a right ankle sprain but could make his return to action in Thursday's affair.
However, De'Anthony Melton is a guaranteed absentee here due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which will rule him out for the remainder of the current campaign.
Noah Clowney (ankle) and Cam Thomas (hamstring) are doubts for the home side, although there is growing optimism that at least one of them could be available to feature.
Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren is expected to make an immediate comeback having been handed a breather against the Timberwolves last time out.
Isaiah Hartenstein came off with a nose injury after just 16 minutes of action in the aforementioned game, making his involvement on Thursday uncertain.
Nikola Topic and Ajay Mitchell are both unavailable for the away side through knee and toe injuries respectively with the former making steady progress towards returning to the fray next season.
Brooklyn Nets possible starting five:
Hayes, K Johnson; Williams, C Johnson; Claxton
Oklahoma City Thunder possible starting five:
Gilgeous-Alexander, Wallace; Williams, Dort; Hartenstein
We say: Thunder to win by 8+ points
As most top teams do, the Thunder have usually responded superbly to defeat this term, and we can see them doing just that in Thursday's clash.
We are backing the away side to cruise to a commanding triumph and secure an instant return to winning ways.
Adepoju Marvellous
