A week ago the OKC Thunder returned home following a season-high four-game road trip and back to back losses.
They had clawed their way onto the playoff ladder with a split and were about to undertake their longest homestand in the calendar of five games.
The opponents featured two teams both in similar situations as the Thunder; vying for relevancy and jumbled in a chase pack to capture the bottom playoff seeds. A likely lottery-bound team and, a team projected to be among the favorites to win the big prize at season end. The latter of course is the Paul George led LA Clippers who fell to the OKC Thunder 118-112 in one of the most entertaining games this season.