What to Watch For in OKC Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers
The Oklahoma City Thunder face the Portland Trail Blazers on the second night of a back-to-back series. OKC enters the matchup with a perfect 8-0 record, marking the best start in franchise history. Portland, meanwhile, holds a 4-3 record and has won three of its last four games.
Team Situations
For Portland, assistant coach Tiago Splitter steps in as acting head coach while current head coach Chauncey Billups remains on leave during an ongoing investigation.
Injury Report
- Portland: Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle, Blake Wesley, and Damian Lillard are out. Shaedon Sharpe is listed as probable with a calf strain.
- Oklahoma City: Jalen Williams, Kenrich Williams, and rookie guard Nikola Topic will not play.
Additionally, big man Chet Holmgren and bench guard Ajay Mitchell should be monitored after both took hard falls during Tuesday’s game against the Clippers but played through them. Defensive specialist Lu Dort exited early with a shoulder contusion. The Thunder plan to release their official injury report by Wednesday afternoon.
“Let’s dive into what to watch for in this contest.”
Author’s Summary
Two teams meet in contrasting form as Oklahoma City defends its unbeaten start while Portland battles injuries and coaching uncertainty.