Disastrous Blow as 7-Foot Center and 3 Players Listed vs. Blazers (Nov. 30)

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Disastrous Blow as 7 Foot Center and 3 Players Listed vs.jpeg

The OKC Thunder will look to extend their 11-game winning streak on Sunday when they take on the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. However, they suffered a major blow heading into the game, as 7-foot center fielder Isaiah Hartenstein was ruled out with an injury.

Top NBA insider Michael Scotto reported the news on Saturday, claiming that Hartenstein could miss between 10 and 14 days due to a soleus strain.

“Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein has suffered a right soleus strain and will be re-evaluated in 10 to 14 days,” Scotto reported via X (formerly Twitter).

The center was already sidelined during the Thunder’s 123-119 win over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Cup on Friday, and is expected to miss more games in early December, becoming the third player on OKC’s injury report.

He joins Thomas Sorber and Nikola Topic in the list, with the pair out indefinitely. Sorber tore his ACL in the offseason and has yet to make his season debut, while Tobik was diagnosed with testicular cancer and remains sidelined with no schedule.

Hartenstein’s calf injury will set him back a few weeks and will be a big loss for the Thunder. The center averaged 12.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game and allowed Chet Holmgren to play in a more offensive role.

However, in his absence, Holmgren will likely start as a midfielder with Jaylen Williams and Kenrich Williams seeing more playing time in the starting lineup. Although they were able to pull out a win over the Suns on Friday, the Trail Blazers will present a completely different challenge.

The Thunder’s only loss of the season came to Portland earlier this month, a narrow 121-119 defeat. They avenged that result last Sunday, but Hartenstein played a key role in both matches, and his absence will be felt.

Where to watch the OKC Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers game?

The Western Conference matchup between the OKC Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers is scheduled for 6:00 PM ET (3:00 PM PT). Fans in Portland can watch on BlazerVision, while viewers in Oklahoma can catch the broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network Oklahoma.

Online viewers can stream the game live on the FUBO TV app or by purchasing NBA League Pass at NBA.com. Although the Trail Blazers have home-field advantage, the Thunder are -13.5 favorites on the spread.