Trail Blazers at Thunder
Oklahoma City will have the services of star guard Russell Westbrook on Monday when
it needs him most in a virtual must-win at home against Portland. In
the midst of a career-high 54-point effort in Sunday's 116-104 loss at
Indiana, Westbrook was given his 16th technical foul of the season,
which automatically kicked in a one-game suspension.
However, an appeal process rescinded the technical Monday afternoon and gave Westbrook the opportunity to play in the home finale for Oklahoma City. The decision loomed large for a Thunder squad that is tied with New Orleans for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but loses the tiebreaker between the two teams. Even if Westbrook was unable to go, the Thunder can hope for the Trail Blazers to sit some of their key players in advance of the postseason. Portland is already locked into the fourth seed in the West and lost its slim chance at home-court advantage in the first round with a 111-105 setback to Utah on Saturday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBA TV, KGW-8 (Portland), FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (51-29): Portland has lost three of four overall as it limps to the finish line and waits to find out its first-round opponent. While the squad was upset with its play at home against a lesser opponent on Saturday, it did have a mild excuse in the absence of star forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who sat with a left foot sprain. Like Aldridge, All-Star guard Damian Lillard is also a prime candidate to sit out at least one of the final two games; he entered Sunday tied for sixth in the league in minutes (35.9).
ABOUT THE THUNDER (43-37): Dion Waiters was a prime candidate to pick up more of the scoring load if Westbrook was in street clothes, as the former Cleveland Cavalier has been much more involved of late. He had 16 points in the loss to the Pacers and has averaged 15 shots a game over his last seven contests. Waiters has played 40 minutes in three of those seven games after he reached that mark just once in his previous 71 affairs.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Portland has won the first three meetings and is looking for its first season series sweep of the Oklahoma City organization since 2002-03, when it was the Seattle Supersonics.
2. Westbrook had 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in the previous meeting Feb. 27 in Portland.
3. Blazers SG C.J. McCollum scored 26 points in the loss to Utah and is averaging 17.3 while shooting 55.8 percent in April.