PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* TOTAL MASSACRE >> INCREDIBLE 14-2-1 Last 3 Days!
(NBA) Portland vs. Oklahoma City,
Total: 216.00 | -105.00 Under
Result: Loss
Total: 216.00 | -105.00 Under
Result: Loss
The set-up: The Portland Trail Blazers won 13 straight games from Feb. 14 through Mar. 18 but head out on for a three-game road trip off back-to-back home losses to Houston and Boston. The 44-28 Blazers open the trip with a visit to OKC and the 44-30 Thunder are just one game back of the third-seeded Blazers, although they are two back in the loss column. With home-court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs a distinct possibility for both teams, this Sunday matchup is a critical one. Looming just behind these two teams are the 43-30 Spurs and the 43-31 Pelicans (four teams separated by two games!).
Portland: "I wouldn't say 'letdown,'" Portland guard Damian Lillard told reporters of the two consecutive defeats. "Any time you can have a streak of 13 games, that means you did a lot of good things, the team is focused." We'll see now, as Portland plays seven of its final 10 games on the road and still gets little production except from Lillard ( 26.6-4.4-6.5) & McCollum (21.6-3.3-3.9), plus center Nurkic (14.2 & 8.6). That said, a recent bright spot has been power forward Al-Farouq Aminu (9.6 & 7.5), who has scored in double figures in five consecutive games, including at least 16 in each of the last three.
Oklahoma City: The Thunder also recently lost to the Celtics on a buzzer-beater, before it rebounded to top Miami 105-99 on Friday, giving them seven wins in their last games. Center Steven Adams scored 20 of his 24 points in the first three quarters of Friday's win and Russell Westbrook took it from there, pouring in 17 of his 29 in the fourth. Outside of OKC's "Big 3" of Westbrook (25.4-9.7-10.2), George (21.7 & 5.7) and Anthony (16.5 & 5.9), Adams (14.1 & 9.0) is the team's only other regular contributor,
The set-up: The Blazers have taken each of the first three meetings this season with the Thunder, including a 117-106 triumph Jan. 9 in OKC. In fact, Portland owns five straight wins in the series, so I hesitate to step in front of them, here. Also, let me add that Portland has shot 49% as a team against OKC this season in three games, led by C.J. McCollum (52%) and Jusuf Nurkic (56%). OKC should go down fighting, and may even win, but my play is a 10* on the Over.
Portland: "I wouldn't say 'letdown,'" Portland guard Damian Lillard told reporters of the two consecutive defeats. "Any time you can have a streak of 13 games, that means you did a lot of good things, the team is focused." We'll see now, as Portland plays seven of its final 10 games on the road and still gets little production except from Lillard ( 26.6-4.4-6.5) & McCollum (21.6-3.3-3.9), plus center Nurkic (14.2 & 8.6). That said, a recent bright spot has been power forward Al-Farouq Aminu (9.6 & 7.5), who has scored in double figures in five consecutive games, including at least 16 in each of the last three.
Oklahoma City: The Thunder also recently lost to the Celtics on a buzzer-beater, before it rebounded to top Miami 105-99 on Friday, giving them seven wins in their last games. Center Steven Adams scored 20 of his 24 points in the first three quarters of Friday's win and Russell Westbrook took it from there, pouring in 17 of his 29 in the fourth. Outside of OKC's "Big 3" of Westbrook (25.4-9.7-10.2), George (21.7 & 5.7) and Anthony (16.5 & 5.9), Adams (14.1 & 9.0) is the team's only other regular contributor,
The set-up: The Blazers have taken each of the first three meetings this season with the Thunder, including a 117-106 triumph Jan. 9 in OKC. In fact, Portland owns five straight wins in the series, so I hesitate to step in front of them, here. Also, let me add that Portland has shot 49% as a team against OKC this season in three games, led by C.J. McCollum (52%) and Jusuf Nurkic (56%). OKC should go down fighting, and may even win, but my play is a 10* on the Over.
