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Oklahoma City got back on track Tuesday night, avenging its disappointing loss to the Lakers and snapping a rare two-game winning streak. The Lakers continued to make it rain from the outside, but the Thunder played more like the team we’ve seen all season long.
Of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the one who pulled through for the Thunder. He has been the most reliable player in the league all season long, and it was expected that he would lead the bounce back charge.
It was Jalen Williams, though, who pushed the Thunder over the top and became the X-Factor. That’s been the case all season, too, when Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander are both playing at a high level this team is nearly impossible to stop.
The first time All-Star had a terrific first half, chipping in 17 points for the Thunder. He struggled mightily in the third quarter though, and as a result, the team struggled too. Williams was 0-for-4 with zero points and a -10 in the third frame alone. His bounce back was a big reason Oklahoma City won the game. He didn’t lose any confidence and rebounded with a huge final frame. In 10 fourth quarter minutes, Williams totaled nine points on 3-of-5 shooting and was a +18.
All in all, he totaled 26 points, four rebounds, and four assists against one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Plenty of unfair criticism has been thrown at Williams this season, but he has shown up in a ton of big games for this Thunder team. The stage in the playoffs will certainly be bigger and brighter in the playoffs, though.
All things considered, Williams had a solid first showing in the playoffs a season ago, even if the media changes the narrative. He was on pace with his numbers over the course of the season. But with another year of improvement and an All-Star nod under his belt, more will be expected this time around. Many people talk about game changers for the Thunder, but Williams will always be at the top of that pole.
Oklahoma City will rely on him heavily in the playoffs, and Tuesday night was a good sign for his confidence. The Thunder’s ceiling is exponentially higher when Williams produces like an All-Star.
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Are the Clippers Going to Take the Preseason Seriously?
The Clippers have had an eventful offseason, both with player moves and the Kawhi scandal. These events have overshadowed key questions about the team’s talent and season outlook. With the preseason right around the corner, it would make a lot of sense for the oldest team in NBA history to take some extra rest and coast into the start of the regular season. However, that appears not to be the case with the Clippers in 2025. Team Health Status On a team like the Clippers, there are always health issues and injuries during the preseason. Fortunately, this time around, none of them are serious, and there are only a few. The only injured players are Bogdan Bogdanovic. Who suffered a ruptured hamstring muscle during EuroBasket, and Bradley Beal, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in May. Both players appear to be recovered or close to it. Bogdanovic has already participated in contact practices and is expected to be seen during the preseason. Beal, on the other hand, has had contact practices, but more limited ones. Beal is expected to be ready for opening night. The most surprising and exciting news is that Kawhi Leonard is expected to participate in the Clippers’ preseason. This hasn’t happened in a long time, but when asked about it, the forward responded positively and said he was looking forward to participating in the preseason. Who Will Be in the Clippers’ Starting Lineup? Ty Lue faces a challenge assembling the starting five after all the trades and signings. Set positions are James Harden at point guard, Bradley Beal at shooting guard, Ivica Zubac at center, and Kawhi Leonard, though his exact spot is unclear. With John Collins joining the fray, he seemed set at starting power forward, with Kawhi at small forward. However, this lineup is not set. Collins can defend the paint and stretch the floor, but with him in the lineup, Kawhi becomes the main perimeter defender. Though Kawhi is capable and played great defense last season, this role would increase his workload by matching up against top scorers every night. Lue was recently asked if John Collins would be part of the starting lineup, to which the coach replied: “John Collins? John Collins, I can’t remember.” If Collins is not a starter for the Clippers, the lineup would likely be as follows: Harden, Beal, Derrick Jones Jr., Leonard, and Zubac. LA’s Lofty Expectations As the Clippers head into the new season, all eyes are on Ty Lue and how he will manage this revamped roster. The talent the Clippers have is undeniable, but chemistry, health, and rotations remain uncertain. For a core that has been chasing a ring for years, this season seems decisive. If Lue finds the right balance and keeps his stars healthy, the Clippers could finally silence the doubters. If not, this will be remembered as yet another season of what might have been.
Jacksonville Jaguars Announce Unfortunate Decision After Win Against Chiefs
The Jacksonville Jaguars ended their 16-year losing streak to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night after a thrilling 31-28 victory at EverBank Stadium. Trevor Lawrence turned in another strong performance to help lead the Jaguars to victory with 18-of-25 completed passes for 221 yards and one touchdown. It wasn’t all good news for the Jaguars, though, who improved to 4-1 after taking down Patrick Mahomes and the mighty Chiefs. They lost starting tight end Brenton Strange in the first half after the former Penn State Nittany Lions star suffered a hip injury. Strange was unable to return to the game, and tests have determined a significant quad issue for the 24-year-old. The Jaguars took to social media on Tuesday to announce that Strange has been placed on injured reserve (IR), which means he will be forced to miss at least four games due to his hip problem. “The Jacksonville Jaguars have made the following roster moves: Placed TE Brenton Strange on injured reserve Signed WR Tim Jones to the practice squad Released WR Erik Ezukanma from the practice squad,” JaguarsPR posted on X. In five games played this season, Strange has already registered a team-high 20 catches for 204 yards. He hasn’t scored a touchdown yet, but is currently on pace to set career-high receiving marks. This injury is a tough blow amid his strong start, and the hope is that Strange will be able to pick up where he left off once he’s healthy enough to return. The silver lining for the Jaguars here is that Strange has reportedly avoided a season-ending injury, and the team expects him to be back in around a month. For now, Jacksonville will need to turn to the likes of Johnny Mundt and Hunter Long to fill the void at tight end. The Jaguars also announced on Tuesday that they’ve brought in WR Tim Jones to the practice squad, while Erik Ezukanma has been released. It remains to be seen if Jones will be able to do enough to earn a spot on the active roster. Jacksonville’s next game is on Sunday as they take on the 3-2 Seattle Seahawks in a home game at EverBank Stadium for Week 6.
Cowboys coach makes it sound like personnel change some were expecting won't happen ahead of Week 6
The Dallas Cowboys are trending toward getting starting left tackle Tyler Guyton back for Week 6's matchup versus the Carolina Panthers. According to head coach Brian Schottenheimer, Guyton is "finishing up" the concussion protocol and "hopefully, he'll be out of it shortly." However, after a standout performance from backup tackle Nate Thomas, it was unclear how secured Guyton's starting job protecting Dak Prescott's blindside. Some fans and even media members and content creators were expecting Thomas to keep the job over the former first-round. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer dissipated any doubts on Wednesday. "I'm a little bit old school, I don't really think you lose your job because of injury," Schottenheimer told reporters. "But it also doesn't guarantee that you're going to stay the full-time starter. It goes back to the whole mantra of 'compete everyday.' But when guys come back from injuries they're going to take their spot back." Though Schottenheimer was responding to a question that wasn't specifically about Guyton, the message was clear. Cowboys fans should expect Guyton back at left tackle when healthy, which could be as soon as next Sunday. Schottenheimer mentioned backups could earn increased playing time if they stand out while filling in for someone, but that's hard to do at offensive line. Continuity in the trenches is one of the most important aspects to an offensive line's success and rotating offensive tackles could do more harm than good. But does that mean Thomas' quality start meant nothing? Not quite. Could Nate Thomas compete for playing time moving forward? There's no question Thomas played a good game on Sunday and even in Week 4, when he handled Micah Parsons one-on-one more than once. During the Jets win, he showed his athleticism run blocking for Javonte Williams, including leading the way on his 66-yard run. So even if Thomas won't take Guyton's spot for good, he's played well enough to put Guyton and Terence Steele on notice. If they don't play good, there's a good backup waiting for his name to be called. And here's the thing: Thomas' name was called even before Guyton's injury. In Week 4's tie to the Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys rotated Thomas in at right tackle, taking Steele's place even though the latter was healthy. Benching Guyton is tough because he's a first-round talent. Even if he hasn't been perfect so far, the Cowboys believe in his talent and upside. Plus, he's been playing better and better this year despite missing most of training camp due to a knee injury. But Steele? It's much more realistic to take his place. He's been a liability in pass protection. And yet, Steele could be a Top 3 run blocker on the team. What is clear is Thomas is making the Cowboys' coaching staff at least look at him and keep him in mind. I wouldn't be surprised if he winds up starting sooner rather than later. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');
Eagles receive good and bad injury news ahead of matchup with Giants
The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off one of their worst losses of the season after the Denver Broncos scored 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter last Sunday to win 21-17. The Eagles have a short week due to playing their divisional opponent, the New York Giants, on “Thursday Night Football.” They have the opportunity to fix the problems on offense, as the Giants are one of the worst defenses (26th, 377.2 yards) in the NFL. However, the Eagles could struggle on defense, as they may also be down one of their better defensive linemen, Jalen Carter. The Eagles received one positive and one negative piece of injury news for two key players Being a short week, the Eagles have a limited amount of time to practice and formulate a game plan, but also have a limited amount of time for their players to heal after a few came out of the Eagles' loss to the Broncos battered and bruised. Running back Saquon Barkley was one of those players who wasn't 100% healthy following the loss, as he found himself on Monday's injury report and did not practice with the team due to a knee injury. Barkley taking time to rest seems to have paid off, as he was a full participant in practice as of Wednesday’s injury report. Defensive linemen Jalen Carter was a new addition to the report, as he was limited in practice due to a heel injury. Carter is currently listed as "questionable" for Thursday night's game. Eagles need both Saquon Barkley and Jalen Carter to win against the Giants Even without Carter and Barkley, the Eagles have a better roster than the Giants, but having both makes the gap even wider. Saquon is one of the best running backs in the league and has extra motivation to play the Giants, as they're his former team. In one career game against them since signing with the Eagles, Barkley ran for 176 yards on 17 carries and scored one touchdown in their matchup last October, per StatMuse. Not having a game with over 100+ yards rushing this season, Saquon could have his first one of the season against his former team, as the Giants have the 26th-ranked defense (140.0 yards) against the rush. Hopefully, Carter is available, as he is the glue that holds the Eagles' defense together. Carter is credited with playing in every game, except he was disqualified from the Eagles' season opener against the Dallas Cowboys after he spat on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Carter has three solo tackles, seven assists and has not recorded a sack. If Carter can't play, the Eagles will need to rely on Jordan Davis to step up and fill in for Carter. Davis has 11 solo tackles, eight assists and a sack in five games this season. Davis will also need to pick up the slack for Carter on special teams, as the two have a blocked kick on their stat sheet against the Los Angeles Rams, which Davis ran back for a touchdown.
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