Go ahead and add Danilo Gallinari to the list of players who won’t be in action when the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
According to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, Gallo will miss OKC’s game against the Wolves with left thumb soreness.
It’s the second week in a row that Gallinari has not played in the second game of a back-to-back. He sat out Oklahoma City’s win over the Trail Blazers on Jan. 18 to rest.
Gallo has played a significant part in Oklahoma City’s offense this season. Since coming over from the Clippers as part of the trade for Paul George, Gallinari is second on the team in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per game.
He led the team with 25 points in Friday night’s 140-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks, going 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
In the final year of his contract, Gallinari has been continuously mentioned as a potential target for multiple teams prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
The Thunder will also be without center Nerlens Noel, though his absence will likely stretch beyond Saturday night.
The team announced on Saturday morning that Noel had undergone successful surgery to repair a fractured cheek and that his status would be re-evaluated next week.
Per Mussatto’s tweet, Terrance Ferguson and Abdel Nader will also be sidelined on Saturday.
Steven Adams is questionable with a left ankle sprain.
Tip-off in Minnesota between the Thunder and the Timberwolves is at 7 p.m. CT.
