In a meeting between the two teams with the best records in the Northwest Division, the Portland Trail Blazers (51-29) travel to play Oklahoma City Thunder (43-36) at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Apr. 13 and will air on NBA TV, KGW and FSN-OK.
The Thunder were victorious over the Kings 116-103 on Friday. Russell Westbrook fueled the Thunder, recording 27 points and 10 assists to notch his 30th double-double this season. The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, are coming off a 111-105 loss at the hands of the Jazz on Saturday. Damian Lillard had a team-high 28 points.
Over the last five games, Enes Kanter has been playing at a high level for the Thunder. During that stretch, he has averaged 21.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 0.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks.
The battle on the backboards could prove decisive, pitting strength against strength. Oklahoma City is among the league’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking second in offensive rebound percentage at 28.7%. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers rank fifth in the NBA at corralling defensive rebounds with a defensive rebound percentage of 76.4%.
The Trail Blazers have won all three matchups against the Thunder this season, including a close 115-112 victory in their last matchup. Despite the loss, Westbrook put up a triple-double with 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Thunder are attempting to build on their records of 43-36 Straight Up (SU) and 37-40-2 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 3-7 ATS. The Thunder have one of the most prolific home offenses in the entire league, averaging 107.0 points per game. Oklahoma City is known to control the offensive glass, where they rack up an impressive 12.7 offensive rebounds per game.
Across the court, the Trail Blazers head into the game with records of 40-39-1 ATS and 51-29 SU. In divisional games, Portland has gone 11-4 SU and 6-8-1 ATS. Portland is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the league, converting 9.9 shots from three-point range per game. Portland’s three-point defense has set the standard for the league, with opponents making a league-low 511 shots from the three-point line (6.4 per game). The Trail Blazers are in for a physical game against Oklahoma City. The Thunder are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 22.2 fouls per game.
Following the Trail Blazers’ latest win over Oklahoma City, the head-to-head record between these two is now an even 5-5 SU over the past 10 meetings. However, with a 5-4-1 record, the Thunder have the advantage ATS. Oklahoma City and Portland each held the edge in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once in their last 10 meetings.
Predictions: SU Winner – POR, ATS Winner – POR
Notes
Oklahoma City ranks sixth in points per game with 103.6, while Portland ranks 12th in points allowed with an average of 98.3 given up.
Portland ranks ninth in points allowed per road game (101.0 PPG), while Oklahoma City ranks third in points per home game with 107.0.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have a winning record (25-10) when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Portland Trail Blazers are 13-17 when they don’t hit triple digits.
When the Oklahoma City Thunder allow at least 100 points they are 18-26, while the Portland Trail Blazers are 38-12 when they register triple digits.
The Thunder have an offensive rating of 104.4 (ranked 11th). The Trail Blazers rank 10th for their defensive rating of 100.9.
Oklahoma City averages 99.2 possessions per game, scoring 1.044 points on each possession. While Portland averages fewer possessions per game with 97.5, the team scores more points per possession with 1.057.
Portland is the eighth-ranked team in the NBA in average effective field goal percentage at 50.8%. Oklahoma City is 12-18 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Oklahoma City Thunder average 22.6 three point attempts per game and are 11-12 when attempting at least 25 in a game. The Portland Trail Blazers average 27.3 attempts and have a solid record (36-23) when attempting 25 or more.
Oklahoma City has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.45 this season (ranked 23rd). Portland ranks higher with an A/TO of 1.66 (ranked 13th).
Oklahoma City is at the top of the NBA when it comes to rebounding with 47.5 per game. On the other side, Portland also earns a lot of rebounds, with a rank of second (46.0 per game).
Oklahoma City is ranked second in defensive rebounds, while Portland ranks 16th in offensive rebounds.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 13.0% this season. The Portland Trail Blazers have a winning 27-15 record when their TOV% is 13.0% or higher.
