Lillard and Gilgeous-Alexander clash in Portland-Oklahoma City matchup

Thu, Feb 9, 2023
NBA News (AP)

Oklahoma City Thunder (26-28, 12th in the Western Conference) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (27-28, 10th in the Western Conference)

Portland, Oregon; Friday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Two of the NBA's best scorers, Damian Lillard and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, meet when Portland and Oklahoma City take the court. Lillard ranks seventh in the NBA averaging 30.1 points per game and Gilgeous-Alexander is fourth in the league averaging 30.8 points per game.

The Trail Blazers are 19-15 in conference play. Portland ranks fifth in the Western Conference shooting 37.3% from deep, led by Gary Payton II shooting 53.3% from 3-point range.

The Thunder are 4-6 against division opponents. Oklahoma City has a 13-10 record in games decided by 10 or more points.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Thunder won the last meeting 101-98 on Dec. 22. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points to help lead the Thunder to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Lillard is averaging 30.1 points and seven assists for the Trail Blazers. Anfernee Simons is averaging 20.8 points over the last 10 games for Portland.

Isaiah Joe averages 2.1 made 3-pointers per game for the Thunder, scoring 8.1 points while shooting 44.8% from beyond the arc. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 28.1 points, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals over the last 10 games for Oklahoma City.

LAST 10 GAMES: Trail Blazers: 6-4, averaging 122.7 points, 36.1 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 5.2 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 50.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.6 points per game.

Thunder: 5-5, averaging 121.0 points, 42.1 rebounds, 27.0 assists, 8.9 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.2 points.

INJURIES: Trail Blazers: Jusuf Nurkic: out (calf), Justise Winslow: out (ankle), Keon Johnson: out (ankle), Ibou Badji: out (knee).

Thunder: Chet Holmgren: out for season (foot), Aleksej Pokusevski: out (leg), Luguentz Dort: out (hamstring).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.