Portland Trail Blazers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Preview, Prediction, Time, TV Channel

The Portland Trail Blazers return home after going 1-1 on a short trip to Sacramento (loss) and the LA Clippers (win) to host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night at the Moda Center.

That matchup begins a tough five-game stretch, including four on the road, starting Saturday at the Phoenix Suns.

That’s right. The Blazers played two on the road only to bounce back to start a home road back-to-back against Western Conference contenders.

Brutal planning.

The Thunder will cause all kinds of problems for the Blazers, starting with the fact that the two best players on the court will belong to the visiting team.

Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP candidate last season, is averaging 26 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

What makes the Thunder, who had the best record in the Western Conference last season, perhaps more frightening this season is the rapid rise of 7-foot-1 power forward Chet Holmgren.

He is averaging 22.5 points and 11.0 rebounds after posting 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds last season.

The Blazers will have their hands full trying to keep both Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren in check.

The Thunder have won the last 12 meetings with the Blazers. Portland last defeated Oklahoma City on April 3, 2021 at home.

Forecast: Thunder all the way. The Blazers could pull off an upset if the Thunder have a bad night, but that’s highly unlikely. The Thunder lead the NBA in defensive rating (91.3), while the Blazers rank 23rd in offensive rating (107.2).

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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

What: Trail Blazers (2-3) vs. Thunder (4-0), Friday at 19.00.

Where: Moda Center

Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).

TV channel: KATU Charge (Antenna: 2.2 in Portland. Comcast: 302 and 1170. DirecTV and Dish: Available January 1).

How to watch: Rip City TV Network. If you don’t have cable, you still can watch this game live for free using an HDTV antenna at your local ABC affiliate (Charge 2.2 in Portland). These antennas are very easy to install and cost about $20. You can buy one at your local Bi-Mart or Fred Meyer, or buy one online at Walmart or from Amazon and have it sent to your home quickly. Here are some instructions regarding how to set up an HDTV antenna on your television or other screen. You can find out more about which channel Rip City TV Network is on in your area by using the channel finder here.

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ODDS (Oregon Lottery/DraftKings)

Money line: POR +425 | OKC -575

Spread: POR +11 | Over/Under: 224

DAMAGE

Blazers: Robert Williams III (left hamstring strain), Shaedon Sharpe (left shoulder posterior labral tear) and Matisse Thybulle (right knee inflammation) is out.

Thunder: Isaiah Hartenstein (fracture of the left hand), Nicholas Topic (left knee surgery), Jaylin Williams (right hamstring strain) and Kenrich Williams (right knee surgery) is out.

NEXT UP

The Blazers begin a four-game road trip at 7:00 PM on Saturday at the Phoenix Suns.

— Aaron Fentress | [email protected] | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)