Surging Portland Trail Blazers aim to buckle down against the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is building a strong case for his first MVP award, averaging 32 points, 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
LOS ANGELES – The Portland Trail Blazers will put their season-high four-game winning streak to the test when they face the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan 26 (Jan 27, Singapore time).
Portland are beginning a seven-game National Basketball Association (NBA) homestand with a matchup against Western Conference leaders Thunder, who are trying to bounce back from a 121-115 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Jan 23.
The Blazers turned in another strong defensive performance on Jan 24, beating the Charlotte Hornets 102-97 while holding them to 37.6 per cent shooting.
The impressive outing came one night after Portland limited Orlando to a season-low points total in a 101-79 victory over the Magic.
Anfernee Simons scored 27 points against the Hornets on Jan 24, while Jerami Grant added 22.
The rebuilding Blazers (17-28) lost five straight before going on their current winning streak. One of the most encouraging elements has been the play of rookie centre Donovan Clingan, who had just four points but 13 rebounds and four blocks in the win over Charlotte.
“Donovan played great,” Simons said. “Altering shots at the rim. Just being a presence down low.
“That’s all we need him to be. Play hard. Get some offensive rebounds. Get some put-backs. Just doing the dirty work.”
Portland coach Chauncey Billups also raved about the 2.18m Clingan, who was the seventh selection in last June’s NBA Draft.
“He gives us so much confidence to know that we can pressure people,” Billups said. “When we know he’s back there, he’s gonna try to clean up all the mistakes that we make with us trying to be so aggressive.”
The Blazers are seeking their first win over Oklahoma City (36-8) since April 3, 2021. Portland have lost 14 straight meetings since then, including two this season.
One of the few teams to give the Thunder trouble this season are the Mavericks (24-22), who won the season series against Oklahoma City 3-1 with the Jan 23 victory.
The Thunder played without reserve guard Isaiah Joe, who has missed the last two games due to illness. Joe is shooting 49.2 per cent from three-point range in 10 games in January.
The Jan 23 game marked Oklahoma City’s first home loss since Nov 17, snapping a 12-game winning streak on their own court.
“I think (Dallas) outplayed us in really every line-up,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I thought they were just the better team. They were the aggressor for much of the game, especially in the second half.”
Jalen Williams matched his season high with 33 points in the loss to Dallas, while All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points after scoring a career-high 54 in a home win over the Utah Jazz the previous day.
Gilgeous-Alexander is building a strong case for his first Most Valuable Player Award, averaging 32 points, 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds. He is shooting 52.9 per cent from the field and 34.8 per cent from three-point range.
Aside from his offensive contributions, the 26-year-old guard is also a major reason the Thunder are forcing a league-best 18.4 turnovers per game entering Jan 25. He leads the team with 2.0 steals per contest.
“(Gilgeous-Alexander’s) impact on both ends of the floor, efficiency – he’s playing like the best player in the world,” Oklahoma City guard Alex Caruso said.
The Thunder won 137-114 at Portland on Nov 1 and beat the Blazers 109-99 on Nov 20 to begin their 12-game home winning streak. REUTERS
