3rd Quarter Report

The Thunder have overcome an early deficit to take the lead back in this one. They have jumped out to a 93-86 lead against the Trail Blazers.

If the Thunder keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 37-8 in no time. On the other hand, the Trail Blazers will have to make due with a 17-29 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who’s Playing

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Portland Trail Blazers

Current Records: Oklahoma City 36-8, Portland 17-28

How To Watch

• When: Sunday, January 26, 2025 at 6 p.m. ET
• Where: Moda Center at the Rose Quarter — Portland, Oregon
• TV: Fan Duel SN – Oklahoma
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Ticket Cost: $7.00

What to Know

The Thunder have enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Portland Trail Blazers at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. One look at the odds and it’s safe to say the Thunder are not losing any sleep ahead of Sunday’s contest.

Last Thursday, the Thunder were within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap as they fell 121-115 to the Mavericks.

The Thunder’s loss came about despite a quality game from Jalen Williams, who went 11 for 19 en route to 33 points plus seven assists and four steals. What’s more, Williams also posted a 57.9% field goal percentage, which is the highest he’s posted since back in December of 2024. Aaron Wiggins, on the other hand, was considerably less helpful: he went 0-6 from long range.

Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They secured a 102-97 W over Charlotte. Portland was down 37-24 with 9:36 left in the second quarter but they still came back for the handy five-point victory.

The Trail Blazers’ win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Anfernee Simons, who scored 27 points in addition to five rebounds and two steals.

Even though they won, the Trail Blazers struggled to work together and finished the game with only 17 assists. They’re 4-8 when they just don’t pass the ball.

Oklahoma City’s defeat ended a nine-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 36-8. As for Portland, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-28.

Sunday’s matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy match: The Thunder haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 11.4 turnovers per game (they’re ranked first in turnovers per game overall). It’s a different story for the Trail Blazers, though, as they’ve been averaging 15.5. Given the Thunder’s sizable advantage in that area, the Trail Blazers will need to find a way to close that gap.

The Thunder beat the Trail Blazers 109-99 when the teams last played back in November of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Thunder since the team won’t have the home-court advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.

Odds

Oklahoma City is a big 13.5-point favorite against Portland, according to the latest NBA odds.

The line has drifted a bit towards the Thunder, as the game opened with the Thunder as a 11.5-point favorite.

The over/under is 225.5 points.

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Series History

Oklahoma City has won all of the games they’ve played against Portland in the last 3 years.

• Nov 20, 2024 – Oklahoma City 109 vs. Portland 99
• Nov 01, 2024 – Oklahoma City 137 vs. Portland 114
• Mar 06, 2024 – Oklahoma City 128 vs. Portland 120
• Jan 23, 2024 – Oklahoma City 111 vs. Portland 109
• Jan 11, 2024 – Oklahoma City 139 vs. Portland 77
• Nov 19, 2023 – Oklahoma City 134 vs. Portland 91
• Mar 26, 2023 – Oklahoma City 118 vs. Portland 112
• Feb 10, 2023 – Oklahoma City 138 vs. Portland 129
• Dec 21, 2022 – Oklahoma City 101 vs. Portland 98
• Dec 19, 2022 – Oklahoma City 123 vs. Portland 121