Portland is the surprise of the young season. Under first-year head coach Micah Nori the Blazers opened 6-1, one of the 8 best 7-game starts in franchise history, with the NBA's 2nd-best offensive rating at 121.0 and the 2nd-best net rating at +12.9 through those 7 games. They're 6-3 now, and the injury list has grown. Ja Morant is still out with a hamstring injury, though Nori said a doctor in Los Angeles gave him a positive outlook. Vit Krejci is out with a left leg fracture, and Shaedon Sharpe is out tonight with a meniscus injury.
Nori's group is hitting the hardest part of its schedule right now. The month is front-loaded with heavyweights, and Victor Wembanyama already put up 29 in 24 minutes as San Antonio routed Portland. A Thunder team that has won 4 straight as of Monday is the next measuring stick. Win this one and Portland's start looks a lot more real. Lose it and the 6-1 opening starts to look like a hot week.
Oklahoma City's front line is the biggest question. Holmgren is gone for months, Thomas Sorber is still on the report with a knee injury, and Jaylin Williams has been ruled out of this game with a back problem. Nikola Topic is also day-to-day with a back issue. The thin roster hasn't hurt them yet: they held Washington to 75 points and beat Cleveland twice. But Portland's offense is the most efficient one they've seen in a while, and a team that thin up front can get worn down on the glass over 48 minutes.
Tipoff is 8:00 PM PT. The stakes are simple. Oklahoma City wants to prove 1 superstar and a deep bench can hold off a good team on the road, and Portland wants to show its record isn't just a product of an easy early schedule. Without Morant and Sharpe, the Blazers have lost 2 of their best 3 perimeter creators. Shai is the best player on the floor by a distance, and the game will probably come down to whether Portland can score enough to stay with him.
