OKC Thunder vs. New York Knicks: Hartenstein’s first game against his former team

After defeating the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night and extending their winning streak to 13 total games, the Oklahoma City Thunder They face a big test with one of the best teams in the league visiting the Paycom Center.

The New York Knicks are riding their respective nine-game winning streak, so both teams are very hot heading into the new year. With some players having history with both franchises and All-Stars on both ends, this game is sure to be electric.

Time and location

The OKC Thunder will host the New York Knicks today, January 3, at the Paycom Center at 8:00 pm EST/7:00 pm CST, as well as on NBA TV and FanDuel Sports Network – Oklahoma.

Lineups

For the Thunder, this is what they should have as a starting five:

As for the Knicks, here’s what their potential unit could look like:

Injuries

When it comes to Oklahoma City, Alex Caruso He still figures in day-to-day life with a hip injury. Chet Holmgren (hip) and Nikola Topic (ACL) are out for tonight’s game.

For New York, star point guard Jalen Brunson is questionable with a calf injury, as is Miles McBride, who has a hamstring injury. Mitchell Robinson is out with an ankle injury.

what to know

These two teams, first in the West and third in the East, are some of the best the NBA has to offer. Although Brunson may not play in this game, Towns and SGA have been playing at an MVP level all season.

Shai, who is averaging 31.2 points, 6.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds and two steals, is taking the league by storm. SGA, the clear leader in All-Star votes for guards in the West, has been the face of arguably the best team in the league. Second in points per game and third in steals per game, Gilgeous-Alexander does it all.

For KAT, he is putting up 24.9 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and almost a block per game. Second in rebounds per game and 14th in three-point percentage (third among bigs), Towns has been the perfect addition to this hungry Knicks team.

However, the main story falls on Isaiah Hartenstein, as this will be his first matchup against his former team this season. As a Knick, Hartenstein played a crucial role in their playoff success, especially when Mitchell Robinson went down. Now with OKC, Hartenstein is posting career highs in almost every major category (12.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 blocks).

It’s safe to say Hartenstein has found a home in Oklahoma City. It will be interesting to see how he compares to Towns in tonight’s elite game.

Back in OKC

Doors opening at 5:30 pm
https://t.co/uF953Al05V
FanDuel sports network
@sportsanimal pic.twitter.com/6jpdhWA2CW

– OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 3, 2025

MORE THUNDER CONTENT:

Oklahoma City Thunder record their longest winning streak in franchise history

OKC Thunder Ranked Second in ESPN Power Rankings Entering New Year

Should the OKC Thunder worry about their three-point shooting?