The first-ever NBA Playoff game in Oklahoma City is a historic milestone, so perhaps it's only fitting that halftime entertainment for Thursday night's game will be the music group credited with another first - the first blockbuster-hit rap song.

The Sugarhill Gang, widely recognized as the first professional hip-hop group, will perform at halftime for the first-round Game Three as the Thunder takes on the Los Angeles Lakers. Tipoff at the Ford Center is 8:30 p.m.

In 1979, the Sugarhill Gang scored the first-ever rap hit with the infectious "Rapper's Delight." Eventually selling more than 8 million copies worldwide, the song remains the biggest-selling rap single of all time.

The Sugarhill Gang will perform "Rapper's Delight" and another hit, "Apache," at the half.

Other Thunder News:

·         The games Thursday and Saturday will be broadcast nationally on TNT and regionally on FOX Sports Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722) and heard on the Thunder Radio Network, led by WWLS-FM (98.1).

·         A limited number of tickets for the Thursday and Saturday games will be available through the Fill Up the Ford promotion. Through a lottery system, 100 pairs of Loud City tickets will be raffled. The first 25 numbers pulled will snag a complimentary pair of tickets, while the remaining 75 numbers will win an opportunity to buy two $15 tickets at the box office. The promotion kicks off at 3:30 p.m., with the drawing set for 6:30 p.m. Attendees will be treated to wings courtesy Buffalo Wild Wings on Northwest Expressway.

·         Thursday's installment of "Air Thunder," the weekly magazine TV show devoted to the Oklahoma City Thunder, will be broadcast live at 7:30 p.m. from the plaza outside the Ford Center. The program will air live on KSBI/Thunder TV Channel 52 and FOX Sports Oklahoma (Cox 37, 722). Viewers can also check out "Air Thunder," which is presented by INTEGRIS Health, at thunder.nba.com and Newsok.com.

·         A host of Thunder NBA Playoffs merchandise and apparel is available at the Thunder Shop at Leadership Square as well as the Thunder Shop location at the Ford Center on game nights. Items include T-shirts, hat, pennants, pins, commemorative basketballs and more.

·         Follow the Thunder's playoffs with reports, feature stories, videos and photo galleries on thunder.nba.com. Fans are also invited to join an interactive fan community, THUNDERALLY, which can be accessed through thunder.nba.com. The thunder.nba.com site also features a special video series, Thundermentary, which is chronicling the playoff journey of the Thunder and the energy and passion of the team and its fans.