Post by DiamondThief on Oct 25, 2014 5:11:36 GMT -8
Oklahoma City Thunder
at
Portland Trail Blazers
What: Oklahoma City visits Portland in both teams' season opener.
When: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m.
Media: KGW, ESPN (TV), Rip City Radio 620 AM (radio)
This game is projected to serve as a preview of the Northwest Division title race. The Thunder finished at 59-23 last season as the second seed in the Western Conference. They made it to the conference finals before being defeated by the San Antonio Spurs. The Blazers finished 54-28 as the fifth seed in the conference. They advanced to the conference semifinals where they were defeated by the Spurs.
Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook
Oklahoma City Thunder
PROJECTED STARTERS
SF - 3 Perry Jones
PF - 9 Serge Ibaka
C - 12 Steven Adams
SG - 21 Andre Roberson
PG - 0 Russell Westbrook
RESERVES
G - 31 Sebastian Telfair
F - 4 Nick Collison; 42 Lance Thomas
C - 5 Kendrick Perkins
OUT
G - 15 Reggie Jackson; 11 Jeremy Lamb; 2 Anthony Morrow
F - 35 Kevin Durant; 7 Grant Jarrett; 33 Mitch McGary
Portland Trail Blazers
PROJECTED STARTERS
SF - 88 Nicolas Batum
PF - 12 LaMarcus Aldridge
C - 42 Robin Lopez
SG - 2 Wesley Matthews
PG - 0 Damian Lillard
RESERVES
G - 5 Will Barton; 25 Steve Blake; 3 CJ McCollum
F - 41 Thomas Robinson; 1 Dorell Wright
C - 19 Joel Freeland; 35 Chris Kaman; 11 Meyers Leonard
INACTIVE
G - 23 Allen Crabbe
F - 18 Victor Claver
Angi's Take
The Blazers are at full strength and return 13 players from last year's team which advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The additions of veterans Blake and Kaman will only add to the strong chemistry they had last season. The opener at home should feature a rowdy crowd inside the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Thunder will be without Kevin Durant and five others for at least the first two games of their season due to various injuries. This turns Westbrook into the number one option (a position he relishes). Thunder coach Scott Brown has awarded Adams the starting job over Perkins at center (for now). It's odd to call the first game of the season a trap game, but without Durant and the others, the Blazers will have to be cognizant of overlooking them. Matchup to watch: Aldridge vs. Ibaka.
OFFICIALS
Ron Garretson, Tony Brown, Kevin Scott
