The Portland Trail Blazers return home after a 1-1 tie in a short game against Sacramento (loss) and the LA Clippers (win) to host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night at the Moda Center.

This duel begins a difficult phase of five games, including four away, which begins on Saturday at the Phoenix Suns.

That's right. The Blazers played on the road twice, then returned and started a consecutive home game against Western Conference rivals.

Brutal scheduling.

The Thunder will pose all sorts of problems for the Blazers, starting with the fact that the best two players on the court will be on the visiting team.

Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP candidate last season, is averaging 26 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

What perhaps makes the Thunder, who had the best record in the Western Conference last season, even scarier this season is the rapid rise of 7-foot-1 power forward Chet Holmgren.

Compared to last season, he is averaging 22.5 points and 11.0 rebounds, which translates to 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds.

The Blazers will have their hands full keeping Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren under control.

The Thunder have won the last 12 meetings with the Blazers. Portland last defeated Oklahoma City at home on April 3, 2021.

Forecast: Thunder all the way. The Blazers can pull off an upset if the Thunder have a bad night, but that is highly unlikely. The Thunder lead the NBA in defensive rating (91.3), while the Blazers are 23rd in offensive rating (107.2).

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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

What: Trail Blazers (2-3) vs. Thunder (4-0), 7 p.m., Friday.

Where: Moda Center

Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).

TV channels: KATU Charge (Antenna: 2.2 in Portland. Comcast: 302 and 1170. DirecTV and Dish: Available January 1).

How to watch: Rip City TV Network. If you don't have cable, you can still watch this game live for FREE using an HDTV antenna at your local ABC affiliate (2.2 fee in Portland). These antennas are very easy to install and cost around $20. You can purchase one at your local Bi-Mart or Fred Meyer, or buy one online at Walmart or Amazon and have it shipped quickly to your home. Here are some instructions for setting up an HDTV antenna on your TV or other display. You can find out more about which channel Rip City TV Network is on near you using the channel finder here.

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OPPORTUNITIES (Oregon Lottery/DraftKings)

Money line: POR +425 | OKC-575

Spread: POR +11 | Over/Under: 224

INJURIES

Blazer: Robert Williams III (strain of the left thigh muscles), Shaedon Sharpe (posterior labrum tear of the left shoulder) and Matisse Thybulle (inflammation of the right knee) are out.

Thunder: Isaiah Hartenstein (fracture of the left hand), Nikola theme (surgery on left knee), Jaylin Williams (strain on the right thigh muscles) and Kenrich Williams (surgery on the right knee) were canceled.

Next

The Blazers begin a four-game road trip at the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at 7 p.m.