The OKC Thunder, which was expected to tank and sell its assets at the trade deadline, surprisingly turned out to be the buyers this Feb. 8. In pursuit of improving the roster and adding another ball handler to support star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his backcourt running mate, Josh Giddey, the Thunder traded for Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets. However, Hayward is yet to debut as a Thunder, and it will be a while before we can see him back in action.

As per the latest injury reports, Hayward will miss Sunday’s game against the Sacramento Kings due to a calf strain. According to Rylan Stiles of FanSided, the 33-year-old won’t be available until after the All-Star break.

In addition, the Thunder will also be without the services of Bismack Biyombo, who is not with the team. On the other side of the court, the Kings will be without Chris Duarte as he is dealing with a right ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in a few days. Sasha Vezenkov will also miss the game due to a right ankle sprain.

Thunder vs. Kings: Predicted starting lineups

Sunday’s game will mark their third meeting this season, with both the previous ones ending in favor of the Kings. Although OKC started their season strong, even reaching the top at one point, they have been wobbly for the past few days, winning only six of their last 10 games. They are also dealing with a two-game losing streak after being blown out by the Dallas Mavericks by 35 points on Saturday with a final scoreline of 146-111.

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This resulted in them dropping to fourth place in the West. Thus, they need to avenge their previous two defeats tonight to get back into the winning column. Therefore, they can start the game with Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Lu Dort.

Even though the Kings have won their last two head-to-head games, they are behind the Thunder in the Conference standings. A win tonight might help them dethrone the Thunder and climb to the fourth spot in the West. They are riding on a massive 29-point win over the defending champion Denver Nuggets and will hope to start their three-game road trip on a positive note. Therefore, the Kings starting lineup might feature Domantas Sabonis, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, De’Aaron Fox, and Kevin Huerter.

The tipoff is set for 3 p.m. ET at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma. Which team do you think will emerge victorious? Let us know in the comments!

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