Thunder vs Trail Blazers preview: one last shot to catch Portland

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Portland Trail Blazers

Time: 6PM CST

Location: Chesapeake Arena, OKC

Broadcast: FSOK

***

The Thunder welcome the Trail Blazers to OKC tonight in what will be the final matchup of the regular season between the two. The teams have mirrored each other closely for much of the season, but as of late the Blazers have done a great job finding themselves, playing to their strengths, and hitting stride at the right time.

Furthermore, they have already won the season series over the Thunder, and OKC hasn’t looked good so far in any of the losses. Jusuf Nurkic (questionable to play tonight) has been a major thorn in the Thunder defense, and Portland’s improved play on the defensive end has allowed them to hold steady in the 3rd seed for the playoffs. Westbrook, Adams and George will have their hands full.

For OKC to finally break through Portland and, most importantly, give themselves a shot at overtaking them in the standings, tonight is a must-win. The Thunder are already behind the 8-ball since, having lost the regular series, they now must finish a game ahead of Portland to overtake them. It’s a long shot, but it isn’t not shot.

Let’s see if OKC is up to the challenge.