3 Keys To The Game For The Thunder At Home Against The Raptors

The Thunder will look to stabilize things after losing to the Pacers against a gritty Raptors team Sunday Night, but they’ll have to do it shorthanded yet again. Oklahoma City will be without Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, and Jalen Williams, with Aaron Wiggins also questionable, thinning out an already taxed rotation. 

Against a Toronto team that thrives on physicality and disruption, this won’t be about style points. It’ll be about execution.

Here are the three keys to the game for the Thunder as they welcome the Raptors to town.

If there’s one thing Toronto wants, it’s chaos. The Raptors are at their best when they can turn defense into offense, generating easy points off live ball turnovers. That’s especially dangerous for a Thunder team missing multiple ball handlers and connective defenders.

For Oklahoma City, ball security has to be non-negotiable. Sloppy passes, rushed decisions, or trying to force the issue will play right into Toronto’s hands. 

This puts even more responsibility on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to be the steadying force. He doesn’t need to score 40, he needs to manage the game.

When the Thunder keep turnovers down, they force the Raptors into halfcourt offense, where Toronto has struggled to consistently score. Fewer transition chances mean longer possessions, tougher shots, and a game played on the Thunder terms rather than Toronto’s preferred style.

With Hartenstein sidelined and Wiggins potentially out, rebounding becomes a collective responsibility. Toronto may not be an elite rebounding team statistically, but they are physical and relentless, especially on the offensive glass.

Chet Holmgren can’t do it alone. Guards have to crash down, wings need to box out, and the Thunder must finish possessions before thinking about pushing the ball the other way. Allowing second chance points is a quick way to lose control of a game, particularly when depth is limited.

Every extra possession Toronto earns is another opportunity for them to grind the game down and wear the Thunder out. If the Thunder can hold their own on the glass, they not only limit damage but also give themselves cleaner opportunities to run and score before the Raptors’ defense gets set.

Toronto is comfortable playing ugly. They don’t mind dragging teams into slow, physical games where every basket feels earned. That’s not where the Thunder want to live, especially short handed.

Oklahoma City needs to come out with purpose from the opening tip. Push the pace, attack early, and force Toronto to react. 

A fast start puts pressure on the Raptors to score outside their comfort zone and prevents them from settling into a grind-it-out rhythm.

This is where role players stepping into expanded minutes must be decisive. Hesitation allows Toronto’s defense to load up and recover. Confidence, quick decisions, and energy are essential, particularly early.

This matchup isn’t about talent on paper, it’s about discipline. The Thunder don’t need perfection, but they do need focus. 

If they take care of the ball, rebound as a group, and set the tone early, Oklahoma City can control the game despite being short handed. Against a Raptors team that feeds on mistakes, clean basketball is the clearest path to a win.