Though they’ve won their last four games on the road, the Portland Trail Blazers haven’t had the same recent success at home with three-straight losses at the Moda Center. They’ll try to end get back on the right side of things before heading out on the road for two more games with a tilt versus the Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday night at the Moda Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY
ALL TIME: Thunder lead, 123-119PORTLAND HOME: Trail Blazers lead, 77-44OKLAHOMA CITY HOME: Thunder lead, 79-42LAST PORTLAND WIN: 115-104, 2/16/21 (OKC)LAST OKLAHOMA CITY WIN: 125-122, 1/25/21 (Portland)CURRENT WIN STREAK: One (Portland)
SERIES 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.
• Saturday's game will be Damian Lillard's 34th career regular season game against the Thunder. Lillard has played more games against Oklahoma City than any other team, and holds career averages of 23.7 points and 7.3 assists over those 33 games played. Lillard set a career-high with 18 made free-throws against the Thunder on March 7, 2019, which he has since matched twice.
• 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. Simons recorded a season-high in the first game between Portland and Oklahoma City this season, finishing with 26 points and six three-pointers.
• 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 being a season-high.
• In his lone game against Portland this season on Jan. 25, Shae Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 25 points (8-12 FG, 3-4 3-PT, 5-10 FT), nine rebounds, six assists, one steal and tied a season-high with two rejections.
• 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. It was the first time in his career recording five or more assists.
• MILESTONE WATCH: Damian Lillard (1,969 career 3PM) is currently 14th on the all-time NBA list of made three-pointers. LeBron James is in 13th with 1,973, and Joe Johnson sits in 12th with 1,978. James and Lillard are third and fourth among active players.
LAST THREE GAMES
Game #48 - Milwaukee 127, Portland 109 — April 2, 2021, Moda Center, Portland
Antetokounmpo was 18-of-18 from inside the arc, and the Bucks handled the Trail Blazers, 127-109 at Moda Center ... The Trail Blazers made 20 or more three- pointers for the eighth time this season, breaking a tie with Milwaukee for the third-most in the NBA ... Damian Lillard led Portland with 32 points (10-19 FG, 5-10 3-PT, 7-10 FT), four rebounds, five assists and three steals ... Robert Covington was 6-of-11 from 3-PT range, finishing with 18 points and seven boards ... CJ McCollum added 18 points (7-16 FG, 3-8 3-PT, 1-4 FT), two rebounds, seven assists and three steals ... Norman Powell had 12 points (5-15 FG, 2-7 3-PT), three rebounds, two assists and three steals ... Jusuf Nurkic had nine points, 11 rebounds and three assists ... Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee, tying a season- high with 47 points (18-21 FG, 11-13 FT) and 12 rebounds, two assists and three blocks ... Jrue Holiday added 22 points (9-14 FG, 2-6 3-PT, 2-2 FT) and 10 assists. Game #47 - Portland 124, Detroit 101 — March 31, 2021, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
Portland outscored Detroit by 15 points in the final frame, capping a 124-101 victory over the Pistons in Detroit ... Portland had six players score in double-digits for the 13th time this season, improving to 10-3 in those games ... Damian Lillard led Portland with 33 points (9-19 FG, 5-7 3-PT, 10-11 FT), four rebounds and 10 assists ... CJ McCollum added 24 points (8-16 FG, 4-8 3-PT, 4-4 FT), three rebounds, six assists and two blocks ... Robert Covington had 16 points on 6-of-8 from the field (4-5 3-PT), six boards and three steals ... Carmelo Anthony had 16 points and three boards off the bench ... Anthony is one FGM from tying Patrick Ew- ing for 16th all-time ... Normal Powell had 14 points, three rebounds and three steals ... Jerami Grant led the Pistons with 30 points (11-19 FG, 3-5 3-PT, 5-9 FT), two rebounds, four assists and three blocks ... Hamidou Diallo had 19 points and seven boards in his third game as a Piston ... Mason Plumlee added 18 points.
Game #46 - Portland 122, Toronto 117 — March 28, 2021, Amalie Arena, Tampa
The Trail Blazers balanced scoring attack proved too much for the Raptors as Portland earned the W over Toronto Sunday evening in Tampa ... The Trail Blazers had seven players finish in double figures, improving to 9-3 when at least six players score 10+ ... CJ McCollum led Portland with 23 points (9-18 FG, 1-7 3-PT, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a season-high three blocks ... Damian Lillard added 22 points (7-21 FG, 2-7 3-PT, 6-6 FT) and 11 assists ... Lillard recorded nine assists in the first quarter, a career-high for a single period ... Robert Covington recorded his fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points, 12 boards, three steals and four blocks ... Derrick Jones Jr. had 16 points (7-9 FG, 1-3 3-PT, 1-1 FT), three rebounds and two blocks off the bench ... Pascal Siakham led the Raptors with 26 points (8-16 FG, 2-3 3-PT, 8-10 FT), eight rebounds and two assists ... Fred VanVleet added 20 points and eight assists.
INJURY NOTES
Nassir Little (right thumb sprain) is questionable while Derrick Jones Jr. (right quad contusion) and Zach Collins (left ankle stress fracture) are out for Saturday’s game versus Oklahoma City.
The Thunder have not yet released their injury report for Saturday’s game.
BROADCAST NOTES
Saturday’s game can be seen locally on NBC Sports NW. The game can be heard on Rip City Radio 620 AM and on all of the stations of the Deschutes Brewery Trail Blazers Radio Network.