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Two Losses in Portland Behind Them, the Short-Handed Thunder Visit the 2-8 Clippers in NBA Cup Play
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City try to steady themselves Friday night at Intuit Dome against a Clippers team that has dropped eight of its last nine.
Filed November 13, 2026 · 📍 Oklahoma City, OK 73102
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Key points
- Tipoff is 10:30 p.m. Eastern Friday at Intuit Dome in West Group B of the NBA Cup
- Oklahoma City (8-4) lost back-to-back games in Portland by double digits
- Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are out, and Ajay Mitchell is questionable with an ankle sprain
- The Clippers (2-8) remain without Brandon Ingram and Bradley Beal
The Oklahoma City Thunder have not had many weeks like this one. After two lopsided losses in Portland, a banged-up Thunder team heads to Los Angeles to face the struggling Clippers on Friday night, with an NBA Cup group game giving both teams a chance to change the subject.
Oklahoma City (8-4), seventh in the Western Conference, and Los Angeles (2-8), 13th in the West, tip off at 10:30 p.m. Eastern at Intuit Dome, CBS Sports reported [1]. It is the second Cup game for both clubs: the Thunder are 1-0 in West Group B, while the Clippers are 0-1 [1].
A Rough Trip to Portland
The Thunder lost to the Trail Blazers 123-103 on Tuesday and then 118-108 on Wednesday, both in Portland, Yahoo Sports reported [2]. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points in the second game, but it was not enough [2]. Citing OptaSTATS, Yahoo noted it was the first time in NBA regular-season history that the reigning MVP lost by double digits to the same team on back-to-back days [2].
Deni Avdija did the most damage on Wednesday, finishing with 28 points, six assists and four steals, according to Blazer's Edge [3]. Since beating the Clippers 108-101 at home on Oct. 25 to start the season 3-0, Oklahoma City has gone 5-4, CBS Sports reported [1].
The Injury Report
The Thunder will again be short-handed. Chet Holmgren remains out while he recovers from a knee injury, and Jalen Williams is out after left ankle surgery, Yahoo Sports reported in its injury rundown for the game [5]. Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams and rookie Thomas Sorber are also listed as out [5]. Ajay Mitchell, who has been dealing with a left ankle sprain, is questionable, according to CBS Sports [1].
That is a lot of rotation minutes to replace, and it puts even more on Gilgeous-Alexander's shoulders at the end of a long road stretch.
The Clippers have their own list. Brandon Ingram is out with a heel injury, and Bradley Beal is also out, along with Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Jordan Miller, according to Yahoo Sports [5]. CBS Sports reported that Ingram is getting close to a return, but coach Tyronn Lue said he will not play against the Thunder [1].
The Clippers' Slide
Los Angeles has lost eight of its last nine games, Yahoo Sports reported [4]. The latest was a 133-110 home loss to Phoenix on Tuesday in which the Suns' bench outscored the Clippers' reserves 81-62 and Phoenix made 22 three-pointers to the Clippers' 15 [4]. The Suns led by as many as 32 points, at 91-59 in the third quarter, and Darius Garland and Rui Hachimura led Los Angeles with 13 points apiece [4]. The Clippers had come into that game off their first win in more than two weeks [4].
Why the Cup Matters
These games are not exhibitions. NBA Cup group games count in the regular-season standings, and the league has scheduled group play on Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, 13, 20, 24, 25 and 27, NBA.com reported [6]. Every group game also counts toward a spot in the Cup's knockout rounds [6]. For the Thunder, a road win keeps them unbeaten in group play. For the Clippers, a loss would make the climb out of their group very steep.
What to Watch
For Oklahoma City, the questions are simple. Can a thin rotation hold up on the road on the back end of a hard week, and can the supporting cast give Gilgeous-Alexander enough help to avoid a third straight loss? The Thunder's identity has always been built on defense and effort, and nights like this one test whether that identity holds when the bench is short.
For Los Angeles, the task is just as clear: keep the game close, protect the ball and find someone to carry the scoring load until Ingram and Beal are back. After the beating the Clippers took from Phoenix's bench, they need a full 48 minutes from everyone who suits up.
My Take
Every good team hits a week like the one Oklahoma City just had. What separates good teams from great ones is how they respond, and the response usually starts with the best player. Gilgeous-Alexander has been the steadiest star in the league for a reason. Expect him to set the tone, and expect a hungry, short-handed Thunder team to play with the kind of edge that comes from being embarrassed twice in two nights.
The Clippers, meanwhile, need a spark of any kind. A home Cup game against a wounded contender is as good a place as any to find one.
Sources
Should athletes keep politics out of the game?
- Yes, just play
- They can speak off the field
- They have every right to speak out
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