Adams Not Feeling Well, But Expected To Start

Thunder rookie center Steven Adams is suffering from some flu-like symptoms but he is expected to start tonight.

Adams was seen in the Thunder lockerroom before the game, dressed in his uniform and listening to music while reading the scouting report for tonight's game.

Thunder head coach Scott Brooks told reporters before the game that defense is job one tonight.

"We gotta make sure we play better defense tonight, our guys know you have to defend in this league," Brooks said.

Tonight both defending the perimeter against Mike Conley and Courtney Lee and protecting the paint from assaults by Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol will be the tasks.

"We have to crowd Gasol," Brooks said, "He's one of the best passing bigs in the league so we want to make him put it on the floor."

Memphis head coach Dave Joerger said the loss of Kendrick Perkins appears to have big in watching them the last couple of games.

"Perkins is a great communicator, he's yelling out, telling them where they need to go and where they need to be. We do the same things with our bigs, so it's tough to replace that."

The Thunder will be trying to avoid losing four straight home games for the first time since April of 2009. That was the tail end of the Thunder's first season in Oklahoma City.

Tipoff is set for 7:10 and you can see the game on Fox Sports Oklahoma. Click back after the game to hear comments from Brooks and Thunder players.