Feb 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) drives to the basket against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

OKC Thunder Under NBA Investigation Ahead of Pistons Matchup

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Mar 15, 2025 3:14 PM ET

The Detroit Pistons’ Saturday night opponent is in hot water with the NBA currently. On Friday night, it was revealed the NBA will be launching an investigation into the Oklahoma City Thunder’s decision to sit multiple players against the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this month.

via @ShamsCharania: The NBA is investigating the Oklahoma City Thunder for potentially violating league's player participation policy, sources tell ESPN. Game under review is OKC’s March 7 win over Portland in which Thunder starting 5 (Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Holmgren, Dort, Hartenstein) sat.

The NBA is investigating the Oklahoma City Thunder for potentially violating league's player participation policy, sources tell ESPN. Game under review is OKC’s March 7 win over Portland in which Thunder starting 5 (Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Holmgren, Dort, Hartenstein) sat.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 15, 2025

The Thunder, like many teams across the NBA currently, have a crowded injury report even heading into their Saturday night matchup in Detroit, Michigan.

Unlike a handful of the teams also dealing with a potential penalty due to the player participation policy, the Thunder are not looking to tank games in order to increase their first-round pick odds.

Heading into Saturday’s game, the Thunder are ranked first in the Western Conference. With a 54-12 record, the Thunder have an 11.5-game lead for the first seed. They are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs and have a high chance of drawing one of two Play-In teams in the first round.

While the Thunder’s injury report remains crowded, players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort are expected to be in the mix. There is a slim chance OKC will run into any issues with the league regarding their lineup for the matchup in Detroit.

As for the Pistons, they are looking to bounce back after taking on a bad loss against the Eastern Conference’s last-seeded Washington Wizards. Sitting in sixth place, the Pistons have a shot at improving their seeding as the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee bucks are just one game in front.

The Pistons and the Thunder are set for a 7 PM ET tip.

This article first appeared on Detroit Pistons on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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