Blazers' Aldridge out Monday vs. Thunder with foot sprain
The Oklahoma City Thunder will catch a much-needed break in their pursuit of the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot, as LaMarcus Aldridge will be sidelined for the Portland Trail Blazers when the two teams meet on Monday.
The All-Star big man will sit a second consecutive game due to a left foot sprain, as the Blazers have nothing left to play for in the final week of the regular season.
As Northwest Division champions who can't catch any of the other top-six teams in the West, the Blazers are locked into the No. 4 seed and will open the postseason on the road. Nothing they do between now and Wednesday can change that.
As for the Thunder, they need a combination of two wins plus New Orleans Pelicans losses over the final two games to secure a sixth straight playoff berth.
Facing a Blazers team without Aldridge is a good start, as Portland performs more than five points per 100 possessions better with him on the court.