Trail Blazers vs. Thunder Preview: Can the Trail Blazers end their 16-game losing streak?

The Trail Blazers have had a good start to the season. With a record of 4 wins and 3 losses, they are currently ranked 8th in the Western Conference. They just lost to the remnant Lakers in their last game, but this season they have defeated many strong teams such as the Warriors, Nuggets, and Lakers. The Trail Blazers averaged 120.3 points per game, ranking fourth in the Western Conference, and conceded 117.6 points per game, ranking 10th in the Western Conference. Their offense is very good. The Trail Blazers are the league's No. 1 steal team, leading the league with an average of 12.1 steals per game.

Avdija is in excellent form this season, averaging 24.1 points, 6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He just scored a season-high 33 points in the last game and has gradually grown into the core of the team. Grant maintained his strong firepower after switching to the bench, averaging 20.3 points and 3 rebounds per game. Sharp averaged 18.1 points per game, Holiday also averaged 16.7 points and 8.3 assists per game. Together with Kamara, who is good at both offense and defense, five players on the team averaged more than 10 points per game.

After Yang Hansen played 5 consecutive games, he suffered DNP in the next two games. Before this game, Yang Hansen had just been sent to the Development League to train with the team, but he was quickly recalled. So far this season, Yang Hansen has only played 5.8 minutes per game, scoring 1.8 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.4 blocks. After Lowe returned, Yang Hansen has become the team's fourth center. In addition, the Trail Blazers like small lineups, and Yang Hansen's chance of playing in this game is not very great.

The Thunder are the defending champions. They have had an extremely strong start to this season. They have won 8 games without a defeat and are currently the only undefeated team. The Thunder are excellent offensively and defensively, averaging 122.6 points per game, ranking third in the Western Conference. They only concede 109.4 points per game, ranking second in the Western Conference. They outscore their opponents by an average of 13.2 points per game, leading the league.

The core Alexander performed stably and efficiently. He averaged only 35.1 minutes per game and scored 33.1 points, 6.6 assists, 5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1 steal. He integrated offense and defense, and his shooting rate was as high as 53.5%. Holmgren averaged 20.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. The inside twin towers he and Harten formed were very powerful. Isaiah Joe, AJ Mitchell and Wiggins also averaged double figures in points per game, with sophomore AJ Mitchell being a highlight. Coupled with Carson Wallace, Caruso, Dort and others, the Thunder's lineup depth is enviable.

In the last 20 games between the two teams, the Thunder have an absolute advantage with 18 wins and 2 losses. They have previously won 16 consecutive games against the Trail Blazers. The last time the Trail Blazers defeated the Thunder was back on April 4, 2021. The Thunder can be called the biggest sufferer of the Trail Blazers. In this game, the Thunder played back-to-back games with less than 24 hours of rest in between, which was an opportunity for the Trail Blazers.

In terms of injuries, the Thunder's Jaylen Williams, Topic, Sauber, and Kenrich Williams continue to be absent. Dort was injured in the game against the Clippers and is doubtful. For the Trail Blazers, Lillard, Thybulle, Henderson and Wesley are absent, and Sharp is likely to play.