Steven Adams Will Play With no Minute Restrictions
Steven Adams will play tonight when the Thunder host the Portland Trailblazers. Adams sat out Friday's loss to the Heat with a knee contusion after only playing seven minutes against the Raptors. Billy Donovan says that Adams will play with no minute restriction. Danilo Gallinari will rest, Terrance Ferguson is ill, and Abdel Nader will miss his third consecutive game with a left ankle sprain.
If you're thinking that Gallinari is setting because of load management or the Thunder are trying to rest him for an impending trade, Donovan says this a "collaborative effort" between the medical staff and the player. Gallinari is feeling "great," according to Donavon. Since the Thunder are at the halfway point of the season, they want to do everything they can for any player to give them proper rest to keep them healthy throughout the season.
C.J. McCollum is out for Portland with an ankle injury; the Trailblazers also made a trade this afternoon shipping Kent Bazemore, Antony Tolliver, and two second-round picks to the Kings. In exchange, the Blazers receive Trevor Arizia, Wenyen Gabriel, and Caleb Swanigan. Since coach Terry Stotts won't have his full allotment of players, he will dress the NBA required eight.
Even though Camelo Anthony made a stop in Oklahoma City during his short tenure with the Rockets, tonight feels like it's his Thunder homecoming. Anthony is experiencing a resonance with the Trailblazers averaging 16 points and shooting 39 percent from three. In case you were wondering, his numbers as a Thunder were 16 and 35 (not as ineffective as some fans would like to make him). When asked about Anthony's revitalization Donovan responded: "Carmelo has always been a terrific player"...."I enjoyed the time that we had together; he was a total pro."...Donovan says that Anthony will go down as one of the great scorers in the game and that he's been put in a great situation in Portland with the guys around him.
Thunder/Trailblazer tipoff at 8 pm on Fox Sports Oklahoma.
