Game Thread GAME# 49: THUNDER @ BLAZERS - APRIL 3, 2021 - SATURDAY, 7:00, NBCSNW

[Darkwebs]

2020-21 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
20 - 28
(11-13 Road)
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
29 - 19
(14-9 Home)

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

PG

THEO MALEDON VS DAMIAN LILLARD

SG

SVI MYKHAILIUK VS CJ McCOLLUM

SF

KENRICH WILLIAMS VS NORMAN POWELL

PF

ISAIAH ROBY VS ROBERT COVINGTON

C

MOSES BROWN VS JUSUF NURKIC

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

---

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WHEN: 7:00 PM (PDT), SATURDAY, 4/3/2021

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

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

-- OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER --

JEROME , MILLER

JACKSON , HALL

MUSCALA , POKUSEVSKI , BRADLEY


---- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ----

SIMONS , BLEVINS

ELLEBY , LITTLE , JONES Jr.

ANTHONY , GILES III , KANTER



INJURIES
THUNDER
Ty Jerome (right ankle sprain): QUESTIONABLE
Mike Muscala (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Luguentz Dort (concussion protocol): DOUBTFUL
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right foot plantar fasciitis): OUT
Al Horford (season-ending rest): OUT
Darius Bazley (shoulder): OUT
TRAIL BLAZERS
Nassir Little (sprained right thumb): QUESTIONABLE
Zach Collins (left ankle stress fracture): OUT



HEAD COACHES

- VS –

MARK DAIGNEAULT ------------------ TERRY STOTTS



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

• The Trail Blazers April 3 game against the Thunder will be the third and final meeting between Portland and Oklahoma City this season. The season series is tied, 1-1.

• LAST MEETING: Portland won the most recent matchup between the two teams on Feb. 16, 115-104. Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 31 points (12-25 FG, 5-14 3-PT, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds, 10 assists and two steals. Luguentz Dort paced the Thunder with 23 points (8-18 FG, 3-9 3-PT, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, three assists and one steal.

• Anfernee Simons added 15 points (5-9 FG, 5-8 3-PT), two rebounds, one assist and one steal against the Thunder on Feb. 16.

• Derrick Jones Jr. had 13 points (4-9 FG, 1-4 3-PT, 4-6 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and one block, with his four free-throws made being a season-high.

• Darius Bazley recorded 14 points (4-16 FG, 1-7 3-PT, 5-6 FT), six rebounds, a career-high six assists, one steal and one block against Portland on Feb. 16.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Thunder lead, 123-119
PORTLAND HOME: Trail Blazers lead, 77-44
OKLAHOMA CITY HOME: Thunder lead, 79-42

​

 

[Darkwebs]

Both Portland and OKC will be playing on the 2nd night of a back-to-back.

Gotta win this one. No excuses.

 

[TBpup]

Gameplan: "Protect Melo's legacy"

 

[Chris Craig]

Moses gonna drop 40 on us

 

[blazerkor]

So we should kick these guys asses. They suck, their best player is out. I know they might have a chip on their shoulder from being blown out so badly tonight but we should be pretty pissed too. I think we'll beat them by more than ten points.

I gave a solid NO because there really is no reason why but this team does have a history as the Portland Trail Blazers... I don't see a reason to fuck with that.

 

[illmatic99]

Gameplan: "Protect Melo's legacy"

isnt it funny how the broadcast team had their graphic about melo climbing up the FG made list ready to go the moment he hit his second shot tonight?

it's almost like the whole squad just is focused on all things melo this season.

not to forget that he took 12 shots to hit 2 tonight

 

[wizenheimer]

I voted yes on the poll but I think the best solution is to rotate the name of Oregon cities, towns, and counties every month. One month it would be the Klamath Trailblazers; the next month the Sweet Home Trailblazers; then the Sisters Trailblazers.

Can't wait till it's the Burns Blazers...that would honor the town, and the defense

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I voted yes on the poll but I think the best solution is to rotate the name of Oregon cities, towns, and counties every month. One month it would be the Klamath Trailblazers; the next month the Sweet Home Trailblazers; then the Sisters Trailblazers.

Can't wait till it's the Burns Blazers...that would honor the town, and the defense

Boring Blazers would be an epic jersey!

 

[BigGameDamian]

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson going to make his debut?

 

[kjironman1]

Bounce back game. Go get this one Blazers!

 

[kjironman1]

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson going to make his debut?

He isn't even signed yet.

 

[HolyBackboard]

OKC lost at Phoenix by 37 tonight ... please never let the Thunder in this one, Portland!

 

[DDolla]

Nurk and Enes should dominate this game

 

[Zach Collins Enthusiast]

I didn't watch the Bucks game but from the box-score we were demolished in the 1st and 3rd quarters - the new starting lineup/rotation doesn't work

 

[Tince]

Bounce back game. Go get this one Blazers!

This phrase is 100 times better than "must win"!

 

[blazerkor]

I didn't watch the Bucks game but from the box-score we were demolished in the 1st and 3rd quarters - the new starting lineup/rotation doesn't work

I guess you had to be there (by there I mean just watching it on a screen because you know, no one is actually there). The first quarter had to feel like a waking nightmare for Dame. He was hitting shots and serving up both wide open threes and point blank twos on platters for guys and they were missing really badly. Oh wait a minute that was actually the whole fucking game besides a stretch during the last like eight minutes of the first half and the first three or four of the second half... we went on a nice run for what amounted to about one quarter and got to within two. Then just back to a complete shit show.

So it's Dame doing great, RoCo and CJ doing well, Powell meh, everyone else was complete shit and just getting hit over and over again by a hammer named Giannis... yeah some other Bucks played well too but it was like Dame putting in a fantastic performance for nothing and Giannis just crushing us and absolutely no defensive adjustments to try and stop him. Maybe we put some different guys on him but just single coverage and no help resulting in absolute slaughter.

 

[stampedehero]

Nurk and Enes should dominate this game

Damn, Now Stotts knows what to do.........

 

[AldoTrapani]

Looks like the Powell signing might be a disaster. Not that he sucks or anything he’s actually pretty damn good but Stotts doesn’t use him well and the team is to rec ball oriented.. sucks

 

[Strenuus]

Season ending rest. Lol. Poor horford.

 

[THE HCP]

isnt it funny how the broadcast team had their graphic about melo climbing up the FG made list ready to go the moment he hit his second shot tonight?

it's almost like the whole squad just is focused on all things melo this season.

not to forget that he took 12 shots to hit 2 tonight

MULTIPLE TIME EMMY AWARD NOMINATED, AND WINNING "broadcast team".
Sir, if you are going to critique, let's at least get all the facts on the table.

 

[THE HCP]

OKC lost at Phoenix by 37 tonight ... please never let the Thunder in this one, Portland!

So they should be FIRED up right?

 

[AldoTrapani]

isnt it funny how the broadcast team had their graphic about melo climbing up the FG made list ready to go the moment he hit his second shot tonight?

it's almost like the whole squad just is focused on all things melo this season.

not to forget that he took 12 shots to hit 2 tonight

You didn’t get the memo ? It’s protect his legacy time for us fuck everything else

 

[THE HCP]

Season ending rest. Lol. Poor horford.

Heard he didn't want to be bought out. Making too much, not going to give back any money just to go somewhere else. Saw Presti said he would work on a trade for him this summer.

 

[B-Roy]

RoCo is shooting 40% on the year from three now. So all that talk about him losing his shot or not being a spacer early in the year.....yeah.

he’s been our second best player all year

 

[Scalma]

Jones is out, but Nas is upgraded to questionable. Please play so I don’t have to see Melo get 40 minutes.

 

[wizenheimer]

OKC since Dame's buzzer beater:

I don't think any single shot so altered a franchise as that one

 

[AldoTrapani]

OKC since Dame's buzzer beater:

I don't think any single shot so altered a franchise as that one

Ironically they probably have a better future than us. New young star point guard and a bunch of picks they don’t even know what to do with.

 

[Mr. Robot]

nurk is 3/5 from the 3-point land since he came back

that 3-pointer is developing, keep shooting em son

 

[Mr. Robot]

stotts said kanter will start tonight

 

[KSF-ERIC]

OKC since Dame's buzzer beater:

I don't think any single shot so altered a franchise as that one

OKC had a better record than us last year and won more playoff games. This year, they are trying to be worst team in NBA and have failed miserably.