The Oklahoma City Thunder will not have two productive bench players available Wednesday in their game against the Toronto Raptors.
According to The Athletic’s Erik Horne, Abdel Nader and Nerlens Noel will both be out with left ankle sprains. Nader suffered an ankle sprain Monday during the Thunder’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Noel will miss his sixth straight game due to the injury, which he suffered during the Thunder’s win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 4.
Per Horne, the Thunder have also recalled Justin Patton from their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. On Tuesday, Patton had a stellar outing, scoring a team-high 45 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Patton shot 61.3% from the field and 50% from the 3-point line.
A third-year center out of Creighton, Patton has averaged 12.1 points per game this season in 23 games and leads the Blue in rebounds per game (8.2).
Abdel Nader and Nerlens Noel are both listed as out with left ankle sprains tonight vs. Raptors.
The Thunder have recalled center Justin Patton, who dropped 45 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and six blocks in the G League @okcblue’s win against the South Bay Lakers on Tues.
— Erik Horne (@ErikHorneOK) January 15, 2020
Nader, a third-year wing, is playing a career-high 16.3 minutes. His 3-point shooting production has rose with his increased minutes, as he’s shooting a career-high 36.4% from the 3-point line on a career-high 2.4 attempts.
Noel has been a key defensive player and rebounder in coming off the bench this season. He leads the team in blocks per game (1.5), and he also is averaging 5.1 rebounds.
[lawrence-related id=428993,428854,428944,428998]