The Oklahoma City Thunder pay a visit to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday in Inglewood, Calif., with the matchup providing a reminder of the challenges they are facing this season.
The Thunder improved to 3-0 on the season with a 108-101 home victory over the Clippers on Oct. 25, but the result was secondary to the injury issues that developed.
Jalen Williams suffered a serious leg injury when he came away with a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula on a drive to the basket late in the game. Early in the game, Cason Wallace departed with left shoulder soreness and Jaylin Williams exited with wrist soreness.
Chet Holmgren did not leave that game early, but he has not been on the court since as he addresses a patellar tendon tear expected to keep him out until January. Wallace remains out with a torn labrum, while Jaylin Williams has missed the past five games with back spasms. Ajay Mitchell is questionable for Friday with a left ankle sprain.
Through it all, the Thunder have gone 5-4 since last facing the Clippers — but they head into Friday’s game following consecutive losses at Portland, including a 118-108 setback Wednesday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points in the most recent defeat, while Isaiah Hartenstein added 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
To help weather the injury storm, the Thunder reacquired Nique Clifford from the Sacramento Kings on Sunday for two second-round draft picks. He has averaged 4.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 18 minutes in two games with his new team. Clifford was a first-round pick by Oklahoma City in 2025 but went to the Kings in a draft-day deal.
“He’ll be great,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s obviously hard to come to a team that has a certain style that you haven’t played before, but he has physical gifts. He’s a smart kid. … He has NBA tools so those tools will be on full display.”
Friday’s game will be the second NBA Cup game for both teams, with the Thunder 1-0 in West Group B while the Clippers are 0-1.
Los Angeles also knows about injury issues with Bradley Beal (knee), Brandon Ingram (heel) and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) all working toward their season debuts. Max Strus played his first game last week. Ingram is close to a return, but head coach Tyronn Lue said he won’t play against the Thunder.
Los Angeles is 2-8 this season and returns home following a 133-110 loss Tuesday at Phoenix where seven Clippers scored in double figures, but none had more than the 13 points from Darius Garland, Rui Hachimura and Baba Miller.
“We didn’t have that defensive mindset, that defensive toughness to be physical, get to guys, get back in transition, understand where shooters are,” Lue said after the Suns shot 51.2% (22 of 43) from 3-point range. “… That’s what we have to be and if we can’t be that, we can’t play.”
If there were any signs of progress, it was with the Clippers’ relatively low turnover total for the second consecutive game. Los Angeles had 13 turnovers to drop below 20 per game, but its 18.5 average still ranks among the bottom two teams in the NBA.
