Only two games stand in the way of the Thunder and a week of rest. It desperately needs this break to get healthy, but Oklahoma City cannot afford to overlook its pair of remaining games with San Antonio only 3.5 games back of the one seed. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell remain sidelined, while Phoenix is missing Grayson Allen. Here are three key matchups for this contest between the Thunder and Suns. 

Phoenix’s defense forces a turnover on 17% of its possessions, while Oklahoma City does so on 16.9% of its possessions. These rates rank second and third across the association behind only Detroit. Both teams also lead the league in deflections per game according to NBA.com. 

Ball security will therefore be at a premium in this matchup, which does not bode well for the Suns. Its offense commits turnovers at the ninth-highest rate largely because the roster lacks a traditional point guard. This flaw often overtaxes Devin Booker and Phoenix’s role players, which results in mistakes like turnovers. 

Oso Ighodaro is a name to monitor. The sophomore has turned the basketball over on 22% of his plays this season, which is the second-highest rate among qualified players behind only Draymond Green. 

But it’s not peaches and cream for Oklahoma City. It has struggled with turnovers over the past three games sans Gilgeous-Alexander and Mitchell, so the reigning champs will also be vulnerable. 

Finally, both defenses excel at limiting transition opportunities, so the team that racks up more easy points via turnovers gains a considerable edge. 

The Suns took a swing last offseason by trading two first-round picks in exchange for Mark Williams, and the move has paid off beautifully. 

Williams’ rim protection and defensive rebounding are driving forces behind why Phoenix currently ranks eighth in defensive rating. His 9-foot-9 standing reach makes it extremely difficult for opponents to create space inside the paint. For context, combine data on NBA.com goes back to the 2000 NBA Draft. Williams’ standing reach ranks second among all tested players since this date. Tacko Fall is the sole player to beat his mark. 

Williams plays around 24 minutes per game, so Oklahoma City has half of the game to attack the basket without Williams blocking its path. The Thunder’s offense must capitalize on these minutes. 

Oklahoma City is down a tremendous amount of scoring and playmaking with Gilgeous-Alexander and Mitchell sidelined, but trade deadline acquisition Jared McCain can help lessen the blow. 

He’s a dynamic scorer who started to look comfortable in Oklahoma City’s previous game. If he plays with confidence and lets it fly, then McCain may be able to break the stretches where the offense sputters.