Greg Oden

The selection of Oden reignited Blazermania, dormant in Portland during a period in which local fans were reluctant to embrace the team on or off the floor. A growing young team with strong character started to win Portland over a year ago, but the addition of Oden took the excitement to another level. Fans crowded Pioneer Courthouse Square to cheer Oden when he was first introduced in Portland after being drafted. There was talk of a return to the postseason.

And then Oden got hurt, undergoing microfracture surgery in September that will sideline him the entire season. The injury seemed like a crushing blow to the Blazers and their fans. The season started as predicted, with Portland 4-8 through 12 games and 5-12 through Dec. 12.

Then everything turned again. Stunningly, the Blazers caught fire, winning 13 straight games. The winning streak lasted nearly the entire month of December and caught the attention of the entire league. Portland went into 2008 atop the Northwest Division and in the thick of a crowded Western Conference playoff race. The Blazers followed their streak-ending loss with four more wins, then went through a period where they split seven straight games, alternating wins and losses.

The most recent mini-Blazers season has been less positive. Portland went into the All-Star break with a four-game road swing and started the trip without All-Star guard Brandon Roy, who returned home to Seattle for a funeral. Without Roy, the Blazers were blown out in Detroit and lost in Indiana. His return was not enough to lift Portland to victory in either Houston or Dallas, and the Blazers went into the break on a four-game losing streak. That skid extended to five, tying the team's longest this season, when Portland lost at home to Sacramento on Tuesday coming back from the break.

While they would have the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference, the Blazers face a difficult battle attempting to make the playoffs in the West. In the wake of their losing streak, they have slipped five games back of the eighth and final spot in the postseason and 4.5 games behind ninth-place Golden State. If none of the West's current playoff teams fell off their current pace, Portland would have to go 23-6 the rest of the season to catch up.

Even if the Blazers fall short of the postseason, their campaign still has dramatically exceeded expectations and raised hopes for the future. Portland has not only the youngest roster in the NBA but also the third-youngest squad in league history. Still, the Blazers have proven difficult to beat in close games, winning 11 contests they trailed after three quarters and going 7-2 in games decided by three points or fewer. Much of the credit for that success has to go to Roy, the reigning Rookie of the Year who has taken his game to new heights this season, earning a trip to the All-Star Game. Roy acquitted himself nicely in New Orleans, scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds. He was on the floor during crunch time with several NBA legends.

Roy is hardly the only young Blazers player to step up, or even the only sophomore. Forward LaMarcus Aldridge, the second overall pick in 2006, is averaging 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds a night having stepped into the starting lineup in place of the departed Zach Randolph. Forward Travis Outlaw deserves Most Improved Player consideration and has become a second go-to option for Portland down the stretch. Still just 23, Outlaw, who entered the NBA out of high school, is averaging 13.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game off the bench. And Seattle native Martell Webster, though currently suffering through a shooting slump, has averaged 10.5 points and shot 37.6% from downtown.

Another unheralded Blazers player has proven key to the team's success. Forward James Jones, little used in Phoenix a year ago, is second in the NBA in three-point percentage at 48.3%. However, Jones has not played since Feb. 1 because of soreness in his left knee. Jones hopes to return next week, and that would not be a moment too soon for Portland. The Blazers are 22-12 this season when Jones sees action, 6-13 when he has been unable to go.

For tonight's matchup with their I-5 rivals the Seattle SuperSonics, Portland has another major injury concern - Roy. After getting little rest during All-Star Weekend, as he played in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam as well as the All-Star Game, Roy has been bothered by a viral infection and an ankle injury. He missed Wednesday's practice and is listed as questionable for tonight's game.

Meanwhile, the Sonics hope to get Roy's opposite number back in the lineup. Kevin Durant missed Tuesday's win over Memphis due to flu-like symptoms, but was able to return to practice on Wednesday and go through shootaround Thursday morning. It would be surprising if Durant did not play.

The Sonics will take the floor without center Kurt Thomas, traded to San Antonio on Wednesday. The move will force Carlesimo to shake up his starting lineup, which has been relatively consistent over the last month aside from minor injuries. Dealing Thomas frees up more time in the middle for young Sonics centers Johan Petro and Robert Swift. Petro will replace Thomas in the starting lineup.

KEY MATCHUP
	After dealing Steve Blake to Milwaukee in the summer of 2006, the Blazers brought him back as a free agent one year later. Blake, whose mistake-free style endears him to Portland Head Coach Nate McMillan, has started 49 of his 52 games. His 3.52 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks seventh in the NBA. Blake can also make opposing defenses pay for leaving him open, hitting 43.5% from downtown. Sonics point guard Earl Watson scored a season-high 26 points Tuesday. He also handed out nine assists, right on his average in six February games to go along with 13.7 points per game in the month.

The Sonics gave the Blazers a challenge on Christmas night in Portland, but ultimately saw the Blazers extend their winning streak to 11 games with an 89-79 win. In a game that was tight throughout the first half, Portland surged ahead during the third quarter, using a 12-0 run to build a lead as large as 16 points. The Sonics rallied to within six early in the fourth quarter, but a 9-0 Blazers run provided an insurmountable lead.

The Sonics held Portland to 38.7% shooting, but the Blazers committed only six turnovers and dominated the offensive glass, pulling down 19 of their own misses. The Sonics were not much hotter on offense, shooting 40.8% from the field. Only two Seattle players, Durant (23 points) and forward Wally Szczerbiak (19), scored double-figures. Watson handed out 11 assists, and Nick Collison (14) and Thomas (10) both contributed on the glass. For Portland, leading scorer Roy shot just 2-for-10 from the field in the first half before scoring 11 points in the third quarter alone. He finished with 17, seven assists and six rebounds.

Kia Surprising Stat

INJURIES

Sonics - Guard Kevin Durant (flu-like symptoms) is probable. Guard Brent Barry (strained left calf) is out.

Portland - Guard Brandon Roy (viral infection, ankle) is questionable. Forwards James Jones (left knee) and Darius Miles (microfracture surgery, right knee) and center Greg Oden (microfracture surgery, right knee) are out.

For more analysis before tonight's game, listen to the Sonics Pregame Show starting at 7:00 on KTTH 770 AM.