The Portland Trail Blazers’ early surge has cooled off, and now the next test arrives with a heavy dose of star power.
Portland opened the 2026-27 NBA regular season 6-1, a mark reached only eight times in franchise history. Since then, the Blazers have dropped back-to-back games to the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, and the road ahead only gets tougher with the Oklahoma City Thunder coming to town.
At the center of that challenge is former NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is pacing the Thunder with 29.9 points per game to go with 3.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.1 blocks. Oklahoma City also gets steady production from Ajay Mitchell, who is averaging 18.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals, and Jared McCain, who is contributing 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals.
Isaiah Hartenstein has been the Thunder’s top presence on the glass and in the passing lanes, leading the team with 10.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while adding 6.9 points and 3.3 assists.
Even with that talent, Oklahoma City’s offense has not fully found its rhythm. The Thunder rank 15th in offensive rating at 113.8 and 22nd in effective field goal percentage at 51.9 percentage. But they’ve been sharp in the areas that usually decide games: they are first in turnover percentage at 10.7 percent, fifth in defensive rating at 106.9, eighth in net rating at +6.9, and first in opponent effective field goal percentage at 48.4 percent, per HoopsJunkie.
Portland has already seen how difficult this matchup can be. The Blazers lost last season’s series 3-1, with their lone win coming in a 121-119 home victory. They stayed within eight points in the second game in Portland, but the other two meetings in Oklahoma City turned lopsided, ending 122-95 and 124-95.
Deni Avdija had Portland’s best night against the Thunder a year ago. On November 30, 2025, he put up a triple double with 31 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in a loss, giving him the team’s top individual marks in points, rebounds and assists against Oklahoma City.
The Blazers are 27-44 all-time against the Thunder and are currently on a three-game losing streak in the matchup.
Injuries are also shaping this one on both sides, though Oklahoma City is dealing with a long list of absences. Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace are out for likely the rest of the season, with Williams sidelined by a dislocated ankle and Wallace by a broken fibula. Chet Holmgren is expected to miss at least another two months because of a patella tendon tear.
Three more Thunder players are listed as day-to-day: Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber and Jaylin Williams.
With both teams short-handed, this game could come down to which unexpected player is ready to step into the spotlight.
In Other News...
Blazers May Need A Guard Shakeup Before Facing OKC
Portlands strong start has hit a small bump with a two-game losing streak, and the conversation around the backcourt is already getting louder. Scoot Henderson has had a rough time finding his shooting rhythm, while Jrue Holiday has been the steadier offensive option and has looked like the kind of guard who can help settle things down when the Blazers need cleaner possessions.
With Oklahoma City next on the schedule, the Blazers may not have much time to wait on the answer. A lineup tweak that pushes Holiday into the starting group is one possible way to tighten things up and give Portland a better chance to snap the skid, but the bigger question is whether the team wants to make that kind of change now or keep letting the current mix sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Get A Big Test In A Tight Spot Against OKC
The Thunder are coming to Portland over two nights with a lot of the attention still on how they manage life without three key injured players, but they also arrive carrying an 8-2 record and the leagues best defense. For the Trail Blazers, this is the kind of early-season measuring-stick game that can tell you a lot, especially after a few recent losses and with several of their own players sidelined.
Even with both teams dealing with absences, the matchup has been priced and projected as a tight one, with advanced models and betting markets leaning slightly toward Oklahoma City. For Portland, that creates a familiar kind of challenge: a chance to prove it can hang with one of the NBAs most complete teams, even if the margin for error is thin and the roster is not at full strength. [Read more 🡒]