It will be a battle between two of the NBA’s top scorers when Kevin Durant (28.1 PPG) and the Thunder (44-22) welcome Damian Lillard (25.8 PPG) and the Portland Trail Blazers (35-32) to Chesapeake Energy Arena. Action starts at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Mar. 14 and will air on FxK and CNW.
The Thunder lost to the Spurs 93-85 on Saturday. Durant was the game’s leading scorer, putting up 28 points. The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, are coming off a 121-84 win against the Magic on Saturday. Lillard had a good game, registering 19 points and 10 assists to claim his 15th double-double of the season.
Lillard has been hot over the last five games for the Trail Blazers, averaging 30.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 4.0 three-pointers.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Trail Blazers had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 115-110 win. Russell Westbrook put up 25 points and 15 assists.
The Thunder enter the game with records of 44-22 Straight Up (SU) and 26-37-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 9-3 SU and 8-4 ATS against divisional opponents. The Thunder are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making a superb 19.0 per game. Oklahoma City will look to take advantage of the Trail Blazers and their propensity to foul. Portland ranks 27th in the league in fouls, averaging 22.3 per game.
As for their opponent, the Trail Blazers have a record of 38-29 ATS and 35-32 SU. Although they’ve done very well in road games against divisional foes (5-1), Portland sports a lackluster 2-4 record ATS.
Portland beat Oklahoma City in their most recent meeting this season, bringing its SU record in the past 10 games to 6-4. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC
Notes
Ranked zeroth, Oklahoma City puts up 0.0 points per game. On the other hand, Portland gives up 0.0 and also ranks zeroth (in points allowed).
Oklahoma City and Portland are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per home game and points allowed per away game respectively. Oklahoma City scores an average of 0.0 points per home game, while Portland allows 0.0 points per away game on average.
The Portland Trail Blazers won their last game by 37 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the Oklahoma City Thunder are 13-1. Portland is 8-6 in blowouts this season.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Portland Trail Blazers are a tremendous 19-4. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder have an abysmal record of 3-11.
The Portland Trail Blazers have a poor 16-28 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Oklahoma City Thunder are 41-11 when they hit the century mark.
The Thunder have a defensive rating of 103.4 (ranked 12th), while the Trail Blazers rank seventh for their offensive rating of 106.3.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking third in the league with a FG% of 47.4%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Portland Trail Blazers have a subpar 8-17 record.
Oklahoma City averages 22.0 three point attempts per game, and Portland attempts 28.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Thunder have a winning 14-8 record while the Trail Blazers have a 27-23 record.
The Oklahoma City Thunder rank 23rd with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.48. The Portland Trail Blazers have a higher A/TO (1.51), ranking 21st.
Oklahoma City is at the top of the NBA when it comes to rebounding with 48.3 per game. On the other side, Portland also earns a lot of rebounds, with a rank of fifth (45.6 per game).
Portland ranks among the best in the league in offensive rebounding at fifth, while Oklahoma City is one of the top teams in defensive rebounding (ranked third).
The Trail Blazers’ opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 12.8% this season. The Oklahoma City Thunder have a winning 33-18 record when their TOV% is 12.8% or higher.
