After a rocky start to the season, the Portland Trail Blazers have started to find their groove.
Currently riding a three-game home winning streak, the Blazers are now looking to prove their mettle on the road. On Wednesday night, they will kick off an important five-game road trip against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The first four games of the trip are against teams with winning records as of Wednesday—Oklahoma City, two games against the Houston Rockets, and then the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Blazers have a 2-4 road record this season and are 6-8 overall. A key factor in Portland’s recent success has been the performance of their bench, which contributed more than 43 percent of the team’s scoring during their winning streak, including 58 of their 114 points in Sunday’s four-point win over Atlanta. Dalano Banton scored a season-high 23 points in that victory. Prior to this stretch, Portland had not won three consecutive games in over a year.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City is coming off a 110-104 loss to San Antonio on Tuesday night, marking the Thunder’s first back-to-back losses this season. This game began a challenging stretch for the Thunder, who will play 11 of their next 14 games on the road, making it crucial to secure victories at home.
The Thunder are still adjusting to a lack of size after 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren broke his pelvis, sidelining him for at least two months. Injuries have also kept Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams out of the lineup so far. Jalen Williams has stepped up, moving to the center role, and in five games without Holmgren, he has averaged 25.4 points per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the floor.
Wednesday’s game will be the second of four meetings between the teams this season, with Oklahoma City winning the first matchup 137-114 on November 1 in Portland.
The Blazers are hopeful that guard Anfernee Simons can return on Wednesday after missing the past two games due to an undisclosed illness. Simons, who left Portland’s November 12 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves due to shortness of breath, is listed as questionable. Center Deandre Ayton is listed as doubtful with a right finger sprain.
The Thunder may also be without guard Isaiah Joe for the second consecutive game due to a left calf contusion.
