Entering the Tuesday night match versus the Portland Trail Blazers the OKC Thunder were in a virtual lock for third place. The problem at hand was Portland arrived boasting a three game win streak and having won seven of their last nine games. Conversely, the once vaunted OKC defense wasn’t exactly sizzling since the New Year. Worse, OKC was in somewhat of a slump having lost five of their last eight games.
Both teams played Monday so the rest advantage leaned in favor of the OKC Thunder who tipped off the Martin Luther King Jr. NBA slate of games while the Blazers played late in Utah.