Thunder Gameday: Late Night in Portland Ahead

Two struggling teams in the Thunder and Trail Blazers are set to face off on Monday night.

Both the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder have struggled to get wins of late. Over their past 20 games combined, just three contests have been won.

At this point in the season for teams like this, it’s all about player development and building towards the future. As such, the Thunder and Blazers have both been rolling out interesting lineups over the past few weeks.

Who is going to take another step in the right direction towards better lottery odds?

Alonzo Adams / USA Today

ODDS: 

The Thunder enter the day as 3-point underdogs to the Trail Blazers, and the total over/under is 223.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME: 

In the month of March, Anfernee Simons has averaged 24.5 points and 4.5 assists per contest. In the absence of Damian Lillard, he’s emerged as a legitimate piece for the future in Portland. However, he’s listed as out tonight against OKC  

Outside of Simons, Josh Hart is another player that’s done the bulk of the scoring for Portland recently. He’s also expected to miss tonight’s game as the Blazers could struggle to produce points.

Defense has been an issue for the Trail Blazers all season, as they own the second-worst defensive rating in the NBA. They’ve allowed 115.8 points per 100 possessions in the 2021-22 campaign.

On the flip side, Oklahoma City has the worst offense in the league, but should have every opportunity to score on this Portland defense.

RECORDS: 

Oklahoma City Thunder (21-53) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (27-47)

WHEN: 

Monday, March 28, 2022 at 9:00 PM CT

LOCATION: 

Moda Center - Portland, OR

TV/RADIO: 

Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

FINAL WORD: 

With Josh Giddey officially out for the season, Tre Mann will really have an opportunity to play extended minutes the rest of the way. Over the past two months, he’s been one of the best scoring rookies in the entire NBA.

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