Golden State @ Oklahoma City preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 24, 2018 ) Oklahoma City 80, Golden State 112

The Oklahoma City Thunder dropped three straight games by a total of eight points before figuring things out down the stretch on Sunday and snapping the slide with a 109-104 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Thunder will try to stay in the running for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs and earn back-to-back wins when they host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

Sunday's win pushed the Thunder into fifth place in the West, a half-game behind the fourth-place San Antonio Spurs but just a half-game ahead of the sixth-place Utah Jazz. "This is a huge win," Thunder forward Paul George told reporters after beating the Pelicans. "This is a great win, playing against an opponent who is in the same position for us. A must win for both teams. It was a step in the right direction for us to pick up a game like this on an opponent’s floor." The Warriors are locked into the No. 2 spot in the West and are trying to find a rhythm again now that Kevin Durant (ribs), Klay Thompson (thumb) and Draymond Green (pelvic contusion) are back in the lineup together. Durant led the way in back-to-back wins while averaging 28 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists against Sacramento and Phoenix.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (56-21): Thompson is playing with his thumb wrapped but it doesn't seem to be hampering his shooting stroke, and he is 20-of-38 from the floor over the last two games. Thompson and the rest of the Golden State offense is working through Durant with Stephen Curry (knee) still on the mend, and the All-Star forward is up for the challenge. "I felt like everyone came and contributed," Durant told reporters after Sunday's 117-107 triumph over Phoenix. "I don't think on this team there's one guy bossing everybody around and telling everyone what to do. I just think we're all working together. You see the ball moving four or five times in a possession."

ABOUT THE THUNDER (45-33): George is shooting just 33.3 percent from the floor over the last five games and was just 9-of-24 on Sunday but buried a key 3-pointer with just over a minute to play off a feed from Russell Westbrook. "It felt great, man, especially having a lot of easy and open looks that I was missing," George told reporters. "It felt good to have a shot to close the game out. It's just trying to stay consistent with it, the rhythm and getting good looks." Westbrook recorded a triple-double with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists on Sunday and broke out of his own shooting slump by going 9-of-17 from the floor.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Thunder SF Jerami Grant is 10-of-14 from the floor over the last two games.

2. Warriors SF Andre Iguodala (knee) missed the last two games and is day-to-day.

3. Golden State took the most recent meeting, 112-80 at home on Feb. 24, but dropped the first two matchups this season.

PREDICTION: Thunder 112, Warriors 107