Game Thread GAME# 24: THUNDER @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 8, 2019 - SUNDAY, 6:00 PM, NBCSNW

[Darkwebs]

2019-20 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
9 - 12
(2-7 Road)
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
9 - 14
(4-5 Home)

______________________________
---------PROBABLE STARTERS---------

PG

CHRIS PAUL VS DAMIAN LILLARD

SG

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER VS C.J. McCOLLUM

SF

TERRANCE FERGUSON VS KENT BAZEMORE

PF

DANILO GALLINARI VS CARMELO ANTHONY

C

STEVEN ADAMS VS HASSAN WHITESIDE

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------- JERSEYS -------

---

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WHEN: 6:00 PM (PST), SUNDAY, 12/8/2019

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

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--------------BENCH--------------

-- OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER --

SCHRODER , HALL , DORT

BURTON , NADER , BAZLEY

NOEL , MUSCALA , PATTON


---- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ----

SIMONS , TRENT Jr.

LITTLE , HEZONJA , HOARD

TOLLIVER , LABISSIERE , BROWN



INJURIES
THUNDER
Terrance Ferguson (hip): QUESTIONABLE
Hamidou Diallo (hyperextension sprain, right elbow): OUT
Andre Roberson (injury recovery; left knee): OUT
TRAIL BLAZERS
Gary Trent Jr. (right hamstring strain): QUESTIONABLE
Rodney Hood (torn Achilles): OUT
Zach Collins (dislocated left shoulder): OUT
Jusuf Nurkic (left leg): OUT



HEAD COACHES

- VS –

BILLY DONOVAN --- TERRY STOTTS



OFFICIAL THUNDER'S GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Friday’s game will be the third of four meetings between the Trail Blazers and the Thunder during the 2019-20 season. Portland leads the season series 2-0

• LAST MEETING: Portland defeated Oklahoma City, 136-119, on Nov. 27 in Portland. The Trail Blazers were led by Damian Lillard’s 27 points (7-15 FG, 5-9 3-PT, 8-8 FT), five rebounds and five assists, while the Thunder were led by Abdel Nader’s 23 points (7-9 FG, 3-4 3-PT, 6-6 FG), two rebounds and one assist.

• CJ McCollum finished with 22 points (8-16 FG, 4-7 3-PT, 2-2 FT), two rebounds and four assists against the Thunder on Nov. 27.

• Hassan Whiteside had 21 points (8-13 FG, 5-5 FT), 16 rebounds and one assist in 22 minutes against the Thunder on Nov. 27.

• Chris Paul had 16 points (6-12 FG, 4-4 FT), two rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes against the Trail Blazers on Nov. 27.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Thunder lead, 120-118
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 77-42
AT THE THUNDER: Thunder lead, 78-41

​

 

[Bruno_Sabino]

It’s a tough game, not a easy one. Baze probably will be the starter. Need to get this W. Let’s go!

 

[Darkwebs]

Let's all forget about that disaster the previous game and concentrate on this one. This is still a winnable game, even with our injuries.

This is one of the teams we are fighting against for the last few playoff spots. So a win here is doubly important.

 

[Darkwebs]

Is it just me, or does it seem like we play other teams when we're missing a lot of our players?

/HCP

 

[TBpup]

A sub .500 team?

We got this!

 

[KingSpeed]

Thunder had a weird game last night. They were down 2 and CP3 missed a jumper with 6 secs left so I switched to the start of our game. I was shocked to hear OKC won by 12 in OT. Apparently, Minny missed 2 FTs and got rebound, then missed another FT, then got a tech and Gallo hit the FT. Then Minny made a FT with like 1 sec left and then Adams throws full court to Dennis who hit a layup to send it to OT.

 

[PHXBlazer1]

Start Nassir fuck it

 

[stampedehero]

Hood got injured> that sucks!.....Liked Simons work and hope he continues.

 

[James lamphear]

Start Nassir fuck it

Yes going agree with you on this due to he might be our future small forward. But that not how Stotts looks at thing he doesn't what to mess up rotations. I expected him either Baze but won't be surprised if it Mario.

 

[SIeepwalker]

Start Nassir fuck it

May I introduce you to our coach Terry "Genius" Stotts ?

 

[AldoTrapani]

So ya still down for the 8Th seed and be that bubble playoff team? Lol

 

[kjironman1]

So ya still down for the 8Th seed and be that bubble playoff team? Lol

Better than being 9th or 10th seed and still not having a great pick.
I’ll take playoffs any day.

 

[riverman]

They'll start Baze and have Mario back him up...Nas will probably sub in for Melo....this depends upon how long Trent is out

 

[SIeepwalker]

Better than being 9th or 10th seed and still not having a great pick.
I’ll take playoffs any day.

I'll take 9th or 10th and have a chance to strike gold in the lottery over 8th.

 

[AldoTrapani]

I'll take 9th or 10th and have a chance to strike gold in the lottery over 8th.

Yea I can’t believe the iron man would say that either lol

 

[kjironman1]

I'll take 9th or 10th and have a chance to strike gold in the lottery over 8th.

Do you realize how bad the odds are? Even being the worst team gets you only 14% chance. A 9th or 10 seed has like .005% chance. That is 5/1000 of a chance at the top pick And it only goes up to 2/100 of a chance at top 4.
Nah i'll take to Playoffs and hope to strike gold in a series.

 

[SIeepwalker]

Do you realize how bad the odds are? Even being the worst team gets you only 14% chance. A 9th or 10 seed has like .005% chance. That is 5/1000 of a chance at the top pick And it only goes up to 2/100 of a chance at top 4.
Nah i'll take to Playoffs and hope to strike gold in a series.

Still better than 0% I've seen this team get swept enough time to not want the 8th seed. If we are only good enough to sneak into the 8th spot, then we are not winning a championship. And right now it's championship or nothing for me.

 

[riverman]

And right now it's championship or nothing for me.

I don't require that to cheer for the team or follow their season.

 

[Scalma]

Trent would be a better option to start than either little or Bazemore, mainly because of his shooting. But if he’s out I’d rather see Little than Bazemore.

 

[hoopsjock]

Thunder had a weird game last night. They were down 2 and CP3 missed a jumper with 6 secs left so I switched to the start of our game. I was shocked to hear OKC won by 12 in OT. Apparently, Minny missed 2 FTs and got rebound, then missed another FT, then got a tech and Gallo hit the FT. Then Minny made a FT with like 1 sec left and then Adams throws full court to Dennis who hit a layup to send it to OT.

Someone for Minny checked in without his jersey tucked in. It's supposed to be a delay of game penalty. Normally that wouldn't matter but Minny already had a delay of game so Chris Paul went and told the refs the rule and they basically had to call it even though they never do because ignoring a rule would've been worse. Since it was Minnesota's 2nd violation it resulted in a technical.

Then Minnesota was dumb and allowed a full court inbound pass for a layup as time expired. Crazy finish.

 

[kjironman1]

Still better than 0% I've seen this team get swept enough time to not want the 8th seed. If we are only good enough to sneak into the 8th spot, then we are not winning a championship. And right now it's championship or nothing for me.

Once you are picking after top 10 it's all a crap shoot. Even a number one is a crap shoot. At least for Portland. Certainly 4-10.

 

[Strenuus]

Once you are picking after top 10 it's all a crap shoot. Even a number one is a crap shoot. At least for Portland. Certainly 4-10.

So what im hearing is we need to lose more.

Ironman is in on the tank! Lets gooooooooo

 

[AldoTrapani]

Do you realize how bad the odds are? Even being the worst team gets you only 14% chance. A 9th or 10 seed has like .005% chance. That is 5/1000 of a chance at the top pick And it only goes up to 2/100 of a chance at top 4.
Nah i'll take to Playoffs and hope to strike gold in a series.

iron man it’s even worse odds that our team would do anything as an 8th seed lmao

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Tanking on its surface sounds like it has merit, but does it?

In the examples of it sort of working, say Philly they still haven't won anything and spent over a decade being relatively pathetic, their best player has a lot of injury issues, and drafted quite a few guys really high that didn't work out.

Theres cases like Phoenix where they seem to have a star in booker but that hasnt amounted to much. We dont know what Ayton will do but they have a plethora of bad draft choices too.

The points been made that Portland cant get FA’s, and thats historically been true, but outside of major markets the only places that have a track record of getting FA’s are teams who have a Star, and are winning, or have won. Like Miami, or GS. Both fairly big markets or in Miami’s case nice beaches, but Portlands best chance to land a FA of much stature is winning, and having a star (like Dame for instance).

I get why people think oh tank away and next year you’ll be better and have healthy guys back with a new shiny young player. That may work, but its just as likely it doesnt work, that their 6th pick in the draft is playing in China in 5 years instead of the NBA, you just dont know.

I think its not a great precedent to tank when your star is healthy, it starts to create a mentality that losing is ok.

The problem is there is no sure fire way to win a championship, and all roads to getting one require a lot of things to go your way.

 

[BlazerBeav]

I've already paid to go see 32 more home games, and that alone is a good reason to be against tanking.

 

[Blazers1977]

Someone for Minny checked in without his jersey tucked in. It's supposed to be a delay of game penalty. Normally that wouldn't matter but Minny already had a delay of game so Chris Paul went and told the refs the rule and they basically had to call it even though they never do because ignoring a rule would've been worse. Since it was Minnesota's 2nd violation it resulted in a technical.

Then Minnesota was dumb and allowed a full court inbound pass for a layup as time expired. Crazy finish.

it was Jordan Bell (the former duck)

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Tanking is for cowards.

Dame would never allow it.

 

[Blazers1977]

Tanking is for cowards.

Dame would never allow it.

If you advocate tanking you’re a fair weather fan. You’re just saying “I don’t care how we win, I just want a winning team.” That’s no different from laker fans that never watch a game if the team isn’t a contender.

 

[Strenuus]

If you advocate tanking you’re a fair weather fan. You’re just saying “I don’t care how we win, I just want a winning team.” That’s no different from laker fans that never watch a game if the team isn’t a contender.

Ummm... Thats not how that works.

A fan can want different personnel and a different (temporary) approach and still be a fan.

A fair weather fan DOESNT PAY ATTENTION until the team wins. Thats the difference.

 

[KingSpeed]

So ya still down for the 8Th seed and be that bubble playoff team? Lol

No, I think the 6th seed is there for the taking though. That should be our goal at this point.