Oklahoma City travels to face Minnesota at 8:30 p.m. Central. It’s the second night of a back-to-back for the Wolves, so the rest advantage goes to the Thunder. 

Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell and Alex Caruso are out, while Cason Wallace is questionable to play. On the bright side, Isaiah Hartenstein returns after missing the past 16 games with a calf injury. He will probably be on a minutes restriction for the foreseeable future, but it’s excellent news for the Thunder’s decimated frontcourt. 

Here are three key matchups for this clash between the Wolves and Thunder. 

Oklahoma City’s vaunted perimeter defense takes a massive hit with Caruso and Mitchell sidelined and Wallace’s status in doubt. Containing ball handlers at the point of attack may subsequently be an issue when Luguentz Dort is not involved in the action. 

At least the Thunder can throw Dort at Anthony Edwards. Minnesota’s superstar is averaging 29.4 points per game this season on 62.2% true shooting. The only players to match or exceed both marks are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić – the two best players in the league. 

Dort has a history of winning this matchup. Since Oct. 2023, he has defended Edwards for 333 possessions and held the MVP candidate to 14.2 points per 75 possessions on 55% true shooting. 

Edwards likely torches Oklahoma City’s other defenders tonight, but it would be a boon for the Thunder if Dort limits the superstar’s shot attempts when they are both on the court. 

How effective will Hartenstein be after missing the past 16 games? It typically takes a small amount of time to get back into game shape and readjust to NBA speed after missing a month of basketball, so the veteran may be a little slow to process and react tonight. 

Minnesota ranks ninth in pace and 12th in transition possessions per game, which means he could be running more than usual. Fortunately, Rudy Gobert is a non-shooter who allows Hartenstein to camp inside the paint and somewhat conserve energy on the defensive end during half-court possessions. 

Overall, Oklahoma City desperately needs Hartenstein to rebound, protect the rim and create quality looks for his teammates. Hopefully the extended absence does not make him too rusty and gassed in this matchup.  

The Thunder’s defense surrenders the sixth-highest three-point attempt rate. Donte DiVincenzo ranks 18th across the NBA among qualified players in three-point attempts per 100 possessions, and he has knocked them down at a 38.1% clip. 

If DiVincenzo punishes Oklahoma City’s defense by sinking triples, then it will reduce the amount of help that the Thunder can send to Edwards and the paint.