In a rare NBA scenario, the Portland Trail Blazers will play the same opponent on the same floor less than 24 hours after facing off the night before.

In the nightcap game, Portland was able to withstand a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-led Thunder team and come out with a 20-point victory, 123-103.

Spearheaded by a nostalgic third-quarter performance from Damian Lillard—scoring 13 points and capping it off with a logo three to close the quarter—Portland was able to steer clear and enter the fourth quarter with a 17-point advantage.

In the modern NBA, it's just as important to move past your wins as it is to move past your losses. The Thunder will be looking for revenge in the rematch at Moda Center, and with such a quick turnaround, the odds seem to be in their favor.

Let's discuss how Portland can repeat the success of yesterday and how the Thunder can leave Portland with a 1-1 series split.

Tipoff is set for 7:00pm PT and will be abled to be watched through BlazerVision and KUNP.

How the Blazers Can Win

Portland got a very balanced offensive performance against one of the league’s best defenses. The Blazers connected on 19 three-pointers and only committed eight turnovers, which are two segments of the game where OKC excels.

The Blazers undoubtedly need to build off that performance and, if anything, need to surpass it.

OKC did not become a juggernaut in this league by accident. They have a DNA and culture built on learning from losses and mistakes, and then almost erasing them from their repertoire altogether.

Portland cannot expect the same Thunder team from the game before and will need to approach the game with zero complacency and maximum focus. Expect to see many adjustments defensively from Mark Daigneault's team.

On the defensive end, the Blazers will need to keep Gilgeous-Alexander's points to a minimum—he shot 8-for-22 from the field last game—but more importantly, they need to disrupt any type of secondary scoring option.

Portland did a good job slowing down guards Jared McCain and Ajay Mitchell in the second half—allowing just 13 points between them combined—and will look to do the same in the rematch tonight.

How the Thunder Can Win

Oklahoma City is as good as teams come in the association. Even with All-NBA and All-Defensive Team-caliber players out through injury, the next-man-up mentality is strong and evident in the Thunder locker room.

For OKC to see any type of turnaround in the second leg of this back-to-back, it will either be through becoming more disruptive on defense and/or getting Gilgeous-Alexander better looks.

It only took a 12-minute lapse in the third quarter for the Blazers to blow the doors open, outscoring the Thunder 38-21. A very un-Thunderlike performance in the frame that will likely not be repeated. Their trademark defense will undoubtedly have to step up to a level similar to that of the game before playing Portland, when they held the Washington Wizards to just 75 points.

Offensively, OKC will have to find a way to get Gilgeous-Alexander better looks. Whether it's just off-the-ball looks or spacing out his workload, the Thunder need to get their franchise superstar going after a poor shooting night by his standards.

With Toumani Camara likely his matchup, Portland was frequently sending multiple bodies at the guard to get him out of his rhythm and force him to settle for tough shots.

Getting Shai in the best positions to score will cause Portland to exert a lot more energy on the defensive end of the floor, which can hopefully translate into a slower offense for the Blazers.