Predictions, picks and odds as the OKC Thunder hosts the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at Paycom Center. Plus, injury updates and news.

Jalen Williams scored 31 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 29 and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans 106-88.

The Oklahoma City Thunder survived the battle of attrition against the depleted New Orleans Pelicans with a 106-88 win. OKC has won both games in its small-ball era since Chet Holmgren suffered a hip fracture.

How not having Alex Caruso against the Pelicans adds more problems for the Chet Holmgren-less Thunder. Competing without Chet Holmgren became more complicated for the Oklahoma City Thunder as Alex Caruso was ruled out before their matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder will face off on Wednesday at the Paycom Center, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and streaming live on fuboTV. This matchup, a rematch of last season's play-in game, has lost some of its spark thanks to early-season struggles and key injuries on both sides.

The Thunder and the Nuggets are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2022, but not for long. The Oklahoma City Thunder will face off against the Denver Nuggets at 9:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Ball Arena. The Thunder will be coming into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.

Former NBA player and Duke basketball star Kyle Singler said he "fear[s] for his life every day" in an Instagram video he posted on Tuesday, sparking support from the basketball community.