The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday.

The Thunder (36-36) come into this matchup winning eight of their last 10 games. This club looked dead in the water before that run but this winning streak has them right back in the play-in tournament. Oklahoma City is tied for seventh in the Western Conference, but they're only two games up on the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans in 10th and 11th. That's a lot of teams the Thunder have to battle to hold this playoff spot, but this club has surprised people all year. This franchise has been in a rebuilding period for a decade now, but all of the draft picks and young players are finally showing why this group will be a threat in years to come.

The Clippers (38-35) suffered a tough loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday but they lost more than just that game. Paul George suffered what looked like a severe leg injury, and it's very unlikely that he returns anytime soon. Losing a perennial All-Star is obviously brutal for any team, but this club is fortunate to have some depth behind him. It'll be up to guys like Marcus Morris and Robert Covington to play bigger roles in his absence, while Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook will be asked to carry the load. Kawhi also had a frustrating possession at the end of that loss on Thursday, failing to get off a shot in the final 23 seconds, despite losing by just one.

These teams just played on Tuesday, with Oklahoma City prevailing, 101-100. That game couldn't have been closer, with neither team leading by more than five points across the final three quarters.