What to Watch For in OKC Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers

The Oklahoma City Thunder face the Portland Trail Blazers on the second night of a back-to-back. Oklahoma City enters the game with an impressive 8–0 start, marking the best opening run in franchise history.

Portland begins the matchup with a 4–3 record but has found success lately, winning three of its last four games. With head coach Chauncey Billups currently on leave, Tiago Splitter leads the team as acting head coach during the ongoing investigation.

Injury Updates

For Portland: Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle, Blake Wesley, and Damian Lillard are all ruled out.
Shaedon Sharpe is listed as probable due to a calf strain.
For Oklahoma City: Jalen Williams, Kenrich Williams, and rookie Nikola Topic will not play.
Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell, who suffered hard falls on Tuesday, will be monitored closely.
Defensive specialist Lu Dort exited that same game with a shoulder contusion.

The Thunder will not release an official NBA injury report until Wednesday afternoon.

Key Storyline

With both teams managing injuries and fatigue, the Thunder aim to extend their flawless run, while the Trail Blazers look to maintain momentum under Splitter’s interim leadership.

Author’s summary: A strong Oklahoma City squad seeks to continue its historic start as short-handed Portland, led by acting coach Tiago Splitter, looks to challenge them amidst key injuries.

Sports Illustrated — 2025-11-05