Trail Blazers at Thunder
Two of the elites in the Western Conference square off Tuesday night when the streaking Oklahoma City Thunder host the Portland Trail Blazers. The Thunder have shown no ill effects from the absence of star point guard Russell Westbrook - who is out until after the All-Star break due to knee surgery - winning their second straight game without Westbrook and their 20th in 22 overall with a 117-86 demolition of Houston on Sunday. The 31-point margin of victory represents a season high for Oklahoma City, which is 14-1 at home.
One of those two losses in the Thunder's 20-2 surge came in the first meeting with Portland on Dec. 4. The Blazers had a five-game winning streak soon thereafter but have hit their first mini-slump of the season, dropping three of their last five and two straight for the first time after a 110-108 setback at New Orleans on Monday. Portland, which is 6-2 in the second half of back-to-back sets, has allowed at least 100 points in nine straight games.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, KGW (Portland), FSN Oklahoma (Oklahoma City)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (24-7): Portland has achieved plenty of success this season simply outscoring opponents, but its inability to get enough stops is finally catching up with head coach Terry Stotts' squad. New Orleans shot 53.9 percent while being forced into just nine turnovers in defeating the Blazers on Monday, keeping with season-long trends; Portland entered the night ranked 26th in opponents scoring (102.6) and is last in forced turnovers at fewer than 12 per game. Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge continue to fill it up, however, combining for 57 points in the setback to the Pelicans.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (25-5): Reggie Jackson is tasked with picking up the slack for Westbrook, making starts in each of the first two games since the Thunder's floor general went under the knife. Jackson struggled from the floor Friday at Charlotte but rebounded to go 7-for-12 and finish with 16 points and eight assists in just 26 minutes versus Houston. More importantly, Jackson has yet to commit a turnover in the two starts, a stark contrast to Westbrook, who ranks second among qualified players with four turnovers per game.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Portland leads the NBA with an 81.9 percent mark from the line, while Oklahoma City is second at 81.7.
2. Aldridge scored a season-high 38 points in the win over the Thunder earlier this month.
3. Thunder SG Thabo Sefolosha has scored in double figures in both games without Westbrook in the lineup after doing so just once in his previous 23 contests.