DeMar DeRozan wasn’t in the lineup the last time that the Oklahoma City Thunder faced the San Antonio Spurs.
He will be on Sunday.
DeRozan is the Spurs’ top scorer, averaging 22.9 points per game and shooting 53.2% from the field.
Even without DeRozan, San Antonio dispatched the Thunder 114-106 on Feb. 11 thanks in part to a 25-point, 14-rebound double-double from LaMarcus Aldridge and 25 points from Dejounte Murray.
Aldridge is only averaging 19.0 points and 7.6 rebounds on the season, but his stats are way up against OKC, averaging 28.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in three games this year.
Nerlens Noel said that his defensive gameplan against Aldridge on Sunday is “just to bother him”.
Meanwhile, the Thunder come into Sunday having won 11 of their last 14. One of their three losses, however, was to the Spurs.
In that game, Chris Paul scored a game-high 31 points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (17), Danilo Gallinari (15), and Dennis Schroder (14) were all in double-figures.
Billy Donovan talked after Oklahoma City’s win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday about his three guards being able to coexist and thrive within the offense, saying “it wouldn’t have worked if those guys didn’t have the attitude, mentality they had towards it.”
“I talked to them before the season ever started. I told them there was going to have to be a level of sacrifice. That they all couldn’t have the ball in their hands, that they were going to have to play off each other. I think they were all really on board trying it, and they knew they weren’t going to have their hands on it the whole time.”
Billy Donovan on the Thunder’s killer three-guard lineup, said he talked to Paul, Schroder and SGA in preseason about how hard it could be to defend. “It wouldn’t have worked if those guys didn’t have the attitude, mentality they had towards it.” pic.twitter.com/4VdykJSjjI
— Erik Horne (@ErikHorneOK) February 22, 2020
It may be only two of the guards that are able to go Sunday against the Spurs.
Dennis Schroder tweaked his ankle in the third quarter of Friday night’s win, although he did return and logged 29 minutes of game time.
Donovan said on Saturday that Schroder was able to participate in a light practice, but that he would know more about Schroder’s status on Sunday.