Tip-Off: 9 PM CT
Location: Moda Center (Portland, Oregon)
Television: FSOK
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @TheThunderGuys for live-tweets during the game
The Oklahoma City Thunder pick up their fifth win in the last six games last night, but it wasn’t easy. Despite playing a handful of well-below .500 teams, the Thunder has struggled, yet still found a way to get wins. Tonight’s matchup with the Trail Blazers in Portland will be a different story.
The Thunder has lost seven consecutive games in Portland and has not won since February 11, 2014. The Trail Blazers are currently on a five-game winning streak, including three in a row at home, and they have a 2-0 advantage over Oklahoma City on the season. Tonight’s game has playoff seeding implications, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Thunder moving forward, so they need to pick up another road win tonight.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Russell Westbrook
- SG: Josh Huestis
- SF: Paul George
- PF: Patrick Patterson
- C: Steven Adams
Blazers
- PG: Damian Lillard
- SG: C.J. McCollum
- SF: Evan Turner
- PF: Al-Farouq Aminu
- C: Jusuf Nurkic
Injuries
Thunder
- Andre Roberson (rupture left patellar tendon) is OUT.
- Carmelo Anthony (rest) is OUT.
Blazers
- Maurice Harkless (left knee) is OUT.
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 18-20 against the Trail Blazers (11-8 at home, 7-12 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the season series against the Trail Blazers three times, lost it four times, and tied twice.
- Oklahoma City is 0-2 against Portland so far this season.
- The teams will meet again on March 25 in Oklahoma City.
- The Thunder has lost six of the last seven matchups overall with the Blazers and seven in a row in Portland.
- The Thunder lost the season series with the Trail Blazers 1-3 a year ago.
- Russell Westbrook scored a career-high 58 points at home against the Blazers last season on March 7, 2017.
Game Notes
- Oklahoma City is on a three-game win streak, and Portland is on a five-game win streak.
- Oklahoma City and Portland are both 7-3 in the last 10 games.
- Oklahoma City is 17-17 on the road, while Portland is 19-11 at home.
- Oklahoma City is 22-18 against the Western Conference, while Portland is 22-15.
- Oklahoma City is 6-5 on the second day of a back-to-back, while Portland is 17-18 coming off of one day of rest.
Be sure to check out this week’s episode of Thunder Things with the Thunder Guys.
Article written by Zack Low. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook.