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Avdija and the Trail Blazers visit conference foe Oklahoma City

Portland Trail Blazers (13-19, 10th in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (28-5, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Portland Trail Blazers in Western Conference play Wednesday.

The Thunder have gone 5-2 against division opponents. Oklahoma City is the NBA leader with 35.2 defensive rebounds per game led by Isaiah Hartenstein averaging 7.0.

The Trail Blazers are 10-12 in conference matchups. Portland is 4-7 in games decided by at least 10 points.

The Thunder are shooting 49.4% from the field this season, 1.8 percentage points higher than the 47.6% the Trail Blazers allow to opponents. The Trail Blazers average 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.7 fewer makes per game than the Thunder allow.

The teams play for the fourth time this season. The Thunder won the last matchup 123-115 on Nov. 30. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points to help lead the Thunder to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.2 points, 6.4 assists and 1.5 steals for the Thunder. Chet Holmgren is averaging 24 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks over the last 10 games.

Deni Avdija is averaging 25.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.8 assists for the Trail Blazers. Shaedon Sharpe is averaging 5.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 6-4, averaging 120.7 points, 44.2 rebounds, 24.8 assists, 10.8 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.7 points per game.

Trail Blazers: 4-6, averaging 112.5 points, 43.6 rebounds, 24.1 assists, 7.6 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.8 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Nikola Topic: out (groin), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee), Ousmane Dieng: out (calf), Jaylin Williams: out (foot), Isaiah Hartenstein: out (heel).

Trail Blazers: Scoot Henderson: out (hamstring), Matisse Thybulle: out (thumb), Jrue Holiday: out (calf), Blake Wesley: out (foot), Jerami Grant: out (achilles), Kris Murray: out (quad), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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