Thunder-Trail Blazers Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Jan 12 2013 2:40PM

Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder have taken their high-scoring act on the road, where they'll mostly spend the rest of January.

The Portland Trail Blazers, though, have been pretty stingy at home recently.

Oklahoma City looks to end Portland's nine-game home winning streak by earning a fifth straight victory in the series Sunday night.

The Thunder (28-8) rank near the top of the league averaging 105.7 points and improved to 23-0 when scoring more than 100 with Friday's 116-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Durant, among the league leaders at 28.5 points per game, finished with a season-high 42 for Oklahoma City, which is averaging 110.8 points while winning three of four on the road. Durant is shooting 57.7 percent from the field in six games this month.

"He's a special player," said reserve Kevin Martin, who is 7 of 13 from 3-point range over the last two games. "He's the heart of our team and we just want to follow his lead. To see your superstar bring intensity like that, everybody else better bring it also."

Though the Thunder, who also got 27 points and 10 assists from Russell Westbrook on Friday, are mostly known for their offensive attack, their defense has led to a lot of that production.

They rank among the league's best in points off turnovers (17.9 per game) and fast break points (16.7).

"We pride ourselves on defense and as long as we have our defensive mindset, we're going to always be a team that's going to compete for wins," said coach Scott Brooks, whose team has held its last five opponents to 42.2 percent from the field.

Friday began a stretch of Oklahoma City playing nine of 10 games on the road, including a season-high six-game trip Jan. 18-27. Brooks expects his team to bring the same effort no matter where the games are played, though.

"They work hard every day," he said. "They work for everything they get. Nothing is ever given to them and they're still going to keep improving."

The Blazers seem prepared to handle the Thunder's offensive attack. They're allowing an average of 92.1 points over their last nine home games, giving up more than 94 only once. The last six visitors have shot 26.7 percent from beyond the arc, but Oklahoma City leads the Western Conference in 3-point shooting at 39.6 percent.

Portland (20-16) is in the midst of its longest home winning streak since a 12-game run during the 2008-09 season, but it had an overall four-game win streak snapped with Friday's 103-97 loss at Golden State.

Damian Lillard scored a career-high 37 points and hit 7 of 12 3-pointers, though his teammates were 8 for 31 as the Blazers set a team record for 3s attempted.

They rank among the league's worst in field-goal shooting at 43.6 percent after hitting a combined 37.8 over the last two games.

"We had a lot of shots at the rim and missed some of those opportunities," coach Terry Stotts said. "You have those nights."

LaMarcus Aldridge has had his share of those nights, shooting a career-worst 45.9 percent. He scored a season-low seven points Friday while hitting 3 of 14 from the field, and he's shooting 36.7 percent over his last five games.

Aldridge shot 8 of 22 and scored 22 points in Portland's 106-92 loss at Oklahoma City in the most recent meeting Nov. 2. Durant was held to 23 points but had season highs of 17 rebounds and seven assists.

Westbrook scored 32 and is averaging 30.0 during the Thunder's four-game win streak in the series.

Durant has 33 and Thunder beat Blazers 87-83

By ANNE M. PETERSON
Posted Jan 14 2013 1:16AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) The short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder were rescued by LaMarcus Aldridge's miscalculation and Kendrick Perkins' defense.

Aldridge airballed a 20-foot step-back jumper with 1.7 seconds left would have tied it for the Trail Blazers, and the Thunder went on to snap Portland's nine-game winning streak at the Rose Garden with an 87-83 victory on Sunday night.

"It felt good when it left my hands," Portland's All-Star said. "But it definitely wasn't good when I shot it."

Kevin Durant had 33 points for the Thunder, who had their lowest output since scoring 84 in the season opener against San Antonio. Russell Westbrook added 18 points and nine assists for the Thunder in the absence of starters Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha.

Aldridge had a season-high 33 points and 11 rebounds for the Blazers, who trailed by 11 points but came within one point with less than a minute left.

Westbrook's 3-pointer made it 84-74 with 3:35 left but the Blazers closed to 84-80 after Nicolas Batum's putback with 1:57 to go. Batum added a 3-pointer with 21.9 seconds left to make it 84-83.

Perkins missed the first of two free throws and, after a timeout, Aldridge missed his fadeaway jumper - under hard-nosed pressure by Perkins. Westbrook then made two free throws for the final margin.

"After Perk made his one free throw to give us a little cushion, he came back down and played some great defense on LA (Aldridge)," Durant said. "You can't ask for much more than that from a big man. He was unbelievable on that play."

The Blazers had three options on the play, the second was for Aldridge to hand off to Batum, who he thought didn't have a shot. Instead, Aldridge took it.

Afterward, the Blazers' locker room was subdued. Wesley Matthews, one of the options, sat with his head in his hands.

"Every time you lose it's frustrating," Matthews said. "Especially when you should have won."

The Blazers had extended their Rose Garden winning streak to nine after rallying for a 92-90 win over Miami on Thursday night. But Portland fell 103-97 at Golden State on Friday to stop a four-game overall winning streak.

Ibaka missed the game because of chest contusion he sustained in the third quarter of the Thunder's 116-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. It was the first time Ibaka missed a game this season. The 6-foot-10 forward is averaging 14.3 points and 8.4 rebounds.

Ibaka was replaced by Nick Collison in Oklahoma City's starting lineup.

Sefolosha, held back with a sore neck, had also started in all of the Thunder's games this season, averaging 7.5 points and four rebounds. He was replaced by DeAndre Liggins, who made his first career start.

Liggins ended up playing 40 minutes, with 11 points and nine rebounds.

"It was one of our best defensive games of the year, and it's kind of surprising because we did not have two of our best defensive players in the games," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "But that's what team's do. Teams have to step up and figure out ways to win, and our guys came off the bench and did a great job."

The Blazers trailed by eight points early, but pulled to 18-17 on Aldridge's layup and free throw late in the first quarter. Portland couldn't get any closer and Collison's reverse layup midway through the second quarter gave the Thunder a 33-27 lead.

The Blazers responded with a 12-2 run, pulling ahead on a trio of free throws and a 3-pointer from Batum that put Portland ahead 39-25.

Durant was whistled for three fouls and went to the bench but the Thunder kept up the pressure and the Blazers hung onto only a 43-42 lead at the break.

The Thunder pulled back in front, 52-48, after Westbrook's finger-roll layup and Collison's hook shot. Durant made a 3-pointer over Batum to make it 57-50.

Liggins hit a 3 that stretched Oklahoma City's lead to 63-52.

Aldridge and Batum had back-to-back dunks to pull Portland to 72-67 with 8:04 left.

NOTES: There were lots of fans wearing Seattle SuperSonics gear at the Rose Garden, as there always are when Oklahoma City comes to town. But NBA fans from Seattle may not be lamenting the loss of a hometown team much longer. Reports emerged last week that the owners of the Sacramento Kings may be in talks with a group in Seattle that would relocate the team. The Sonics left for Oklahoma City in 2008. A fan in the stands at the Rose Garden held a sign that read "Bring Back the Rivalry!"

Notebook: Thunder 87, Trail Blazers 83

Kerry Eggers, for NBA.com
Posted Mon Jan 14, 2013 1:13 AM - Updated Mon Jan 14, 2013 1:13 AM

THE FACTS: Kevin Durant scored 22 of his 33 points in the second half to lift Oklahoma City past Portland 87-83 Sunday night at the Rose Garden. It was the eighth win in 10 games and 20th in the past 25 outings for the Thunder (29-8), who despite missing starters Serge Ibaka (chest contusion) and Thabo Sefolosha (neck strain) snapped the Trail Blazers' nine-game win streak at home.

Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge collected a season-high 33 points and 11 rebounds -- his 17th double-double of the season -- but missed a shot in the closing seconds that could have forced overtime. Nicolas Batum added 21 points with seven rebounds for the Blazers.

QUOTABLE: "It was inspired defensive basketball -- one of our best defensive games of the year, which was surprising, because we didn't have two of our best defensive players in the lineup."

-- Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks

THE STAT: Portland shot 36.0 percent from the field, its third straight game under 40 percent.

TURNING POINT: Portland had the ball trailing 85-83 lead with 8.5 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Aldridge launched a turnaround 18-foot airball. "Took one dribble and shot it," he said. "Thought it was good and it was bad. A bad shot by me. Have to do better." Russell Westbrook was fouled on the rebound and, with 1.7 seconds left, sank a pair of free throws to ice it for the Thunder.

QUOTABLE II: "I'm not going to criticize our guys. They played their (tails) off, were in position to put it into overtime and didn't quite get it done."

-- Portland coach Terry Stotts

HOT: Durant scored 13 of his points in the third quarter as OKC, down 43-42 at the half, mounted an 11-point lead late in the period.

NOT: It was a rough night offensively for both starting point guards. OKC's Westbrook had 18 points, eight rebounds and nine assists but was 5-for-21 from the field. Portland rookie Damian Lillard -- who scored a season-high 37 points in Friday's loss at Golden State -- finished with nine points and nine assists off a 3-for-14 shooting performance.

GOOD MOVE: In the first quarter, Portland's Will Barton hustled up behind Deandre Liggins and blocked a dunk attempt that got lodged between the rim and backboard. The Blazers won the ensuing tip and scored a layup at the other end.

BAD MOVE: Durant took a totally unnecessary third foul on a 3-point attempt by Batum with 4:40 left in the second quarter. Batum sank all three foul shots to push Portland on top for the first time at 36-35.

QUOTABLE III: "The best part of this league is when guys get opportunities, they step up and produce. DeAndre, with his energy and effort, not to mention his three 3s and nine rebounds -- he was everywhere tonight."

-- Durant on second-year pro Liggins, who had career highs in scoring (11) and rebounds (nine) in his first career start. He was 3-for-3 on 3-point attempts.

NOTABLE: It was the fewest points Oklahoma City has scored since an 86-84 loss to San Antonio in the season opener. ... The Thunder have won each of their last five meetings with the Blazers.

UP NEXT: For the Thunder, Monday @ Phoenix, Wednesday vs. Denver, Friday @ Dallas. For the Trail Blazers, Tuesday @ Denver, Wednesday vs. Cleveland, Saturday vs. Milwaukee.

• Thunder: Ibaka
• Trail Blazers: Leonard, Williams

• Thunder: Westbrook
• Trail Blazers: Stotts

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Rose Garden, Portland, OR
• Officials: #20 Leroy Richardson, #15 Bennett Salvatore, #45 Brian Forte
• Attendance: 20423
• Duration: 2:17