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The Oklahoma City Thunder have been the story of the entire NBA season, but their hunt for another trophy faces a serious threat tonight. The Phoenix Suns nearly pulled off the upset two weeks ago, and now the two teams meet again with a trip to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas hanging in the balance. The big question is who will be healthy enough to make the difference. The Thunder are getting their biggest star back, while the Suns are hoping for the same.

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Are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams playing tonight? Latest injury report on Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder have received the best possible news for their NBA Cup quarterfinal. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is set to play on Wednesday night.

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SGA missed his first game of the season on Sunday with left elbow bursitis, but is not listed on the team’s official injury report, confirming his return. His presence is a massive boost for the OKC Thunder, which has won 15 consecutive games.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been the driving force of the league’s best team, averaging 32.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting a career-high 44.3 percent from three-point range. His return pairs perfectly with forward Jalen Williams, who is also fully available and coming off a 25-point performance in the last game. The Thunder will, however, be without two key rotation players.

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USA Today via Reuters

Center Isaiah Hartenstein remains out with a right soleus strain, marking his sixth consecutive missed game. Guard Isaiah Joe is also out due to left knee soreness, an issue that has caused him to miss eight games already this season. Apart from this duo, the Thunder side will also miss Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber.

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Are Jalen Green, Grayson Allen playing tonight? Latest injury report on Suns

The Phoenix Suns face a less certain health situation as they attempt to topple the NBA’s top team. Their franchise star, Devin Booker, has been upgraded to questionable with a right groin strain. Booker suffered the injury on December 1 and has missed the Suns’ last two contests. He was seen getting shots up after a recent practice, and head coach Jordan Ott provided an update earlier this week.

“He’s been able to get on the court the last couple of days,” Ott said of Booker.

The coach confirmed the team would continue to assess Booker’s status leading up to game time.

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The Suns will be without shooting guard Jalen Green, who is out with a right hamstring strain. Forward Isaiah Livers is also out due to a right hip strain.

On a positive note, forward Dillon Brooks is not on the injury report after playing through soreness in the team’s last game.

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Thunder vs. Suns Predicted Starting Line-Ups

The predicted starting lineups for Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal are based on the latest available injury reports. For the Thunder, the return of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stabilizes their first unit, while the Suns’ lineup hinges on a game-time decision.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (G)Devin Booker (G) – Questionable
Cason Wallace (G)Grayson Allen (G)
Lu Dort (F)Dillon Brooks (F)
Jalen Williams (F)Royce O’Neale (F)
Chet Holmgren (C)Mark Williams (C)

With Isaiah Joe out, Cason Wallace is the expected starter at shooting guard for Oklahoma City. For Phoenix, Grayson Allen is the likely candidate to start at guard, especially if Booker is ultimately unable to play.

The availability of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes the Thunder heavy favorites to protect their home court and historic winning streak. However, a potential Devin Booker return could transform this matchup, as the Suns have already proven they can compete with Oklahoma City.

The winner of this game advances to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas this Saturday, December 13. They will face the winner of the other Western Conference quarterfinal between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.

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