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Trail Blazers, Thunder – Division rivals meet in pivotal game

By Ryan Allison

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Tonight at 7:30 p.m. PST, the Portland Trail Blazers face the Oklahoma City Thunder. Wednesday night’s victory over the Spurs hopefully jump-started the Trail Blazers as they enter a difficult stretch in the schedule. The Thunder have been on a tear, winning seven consecutive games before last night’s loss, and are in the hunt for the Northwest Division title. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN as well as locally on CSNNW. The radio call is available on Rip City Radio 620 AM.

Have the Trail Blazers turned a corner? Tonight’s matchup with the Thunder will be a great barometer and could potentially forecast the rest of the season for the Trail Blazers. Wednesday night’s victory came against a slumping Spurs team but it provided a chance for the Trail Blazers to curb their fourth quarter meltdowns. That’s exactly what they did, outscoring the Spurs 30-24 in the fourth quarter. The final 12:00 will be a factor again tonight as the Thunder have been playing extremely well.

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Even with the Trail Blazers’ recent downswing pattern in the final quarter, they are still second in the league in fourth quarter scoring margin at plus-2.0. The Thunder are on the opposite end of the spectrum, sporting a minus-1.0 margin which is good for 26th in the league. On the season, the Thunder are 14-17 without Durant. However; with Westbrook elevating his game and the team adding some new players, the Thunder have gone 8-3 in their last 11 games without Durant.

Toss in the Trail Blazers recent inability to perform at their highest level and the Northwest Division is technically still wide open. The Trail Blazers currently have a six game lead in the division and tonight’s game is pivotal. If the Trail Blazers can secure a victory, it will be the first time they have won the season series against the Thunder in five years. They won the first game in decisive fashion, 106-89, while they had to outlast the Thunder in the second game, winning in overtime 115-111.

Tonight’s leading question: How will the Trail Blazers handle Westbrook? Westbrook’s play has been off the charts and really something special. He recorded his second consecutive triple-double last night in Phoenix posting 39 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. It was also his third triple-double in his last 11 games. His play has helped the Thunder survive and even make a climb without Durant. Stand up and take a bow Mr. Westbrook.

Dec 23, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) attempts a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The last matchup in this series saw two young point guards battle each other. Lillard and Westbrook both had 40 points and both recorded a double-double, Lillard with assists (11) and Westbrook with rebounds (10). One glaring difference in their production was the amount of time each spent on the court as Lillard played seven more minutes. While Lillard has had more productive stretches in the season than where he currently is, he did play well on Wednesday. He had 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor, including 75.0 percent from behind the arc. His play on both sides of the ball will be very important tonight.

This will be the second game of a back-to-back for the Thunder. Normally that would benefit the opposing team but the Thunder are 9-3 in those games, winning their last eight. With their game last night in Phoenix going into overtime, maybe the Thunder will be a little more fatigued than normal. The Trail Blazers must come out with energy and jump out to a first quarter lead. If they do that and maintain their lead heading into the fourth, they have a great chance to beat this talented Thunder squad.

Next: Blazers claw back to top Thunder 115-112