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OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors go for a franchise-record sellout streak against the kings of NBA attendance when the Portland Trail Blazers visit in the opener of a home-and-home series Thursday night. The clubs also will meet Saturday night in Portland.
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The Warriors have sold out 310 consecutive home games, a streak that began on Dec. 18, 2012. The 310th straight came Christmas Day in their 127-101 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, tying the franchise mark set from 1989-1996.
In the Trail Blazers, the Warriors will be facing a team that once sold out an NBA-record 814 consecutive games from 1977-1995.
The matchup will be the second of the season for the clubs in Oakland, with the Warriors having routed the Trail Blazers 125-97 in November despite missing injured Stephen Curry.
Kevin Durant (32 points) and Klay Thompson (31) led the way.
Thompson's 31-point night began a stretch of six straight in which he scored 21 or more. But he has since slumped, held to 16 or fewer in seven of his last 10 games, including his most recent five.
His season hit rock bottom in Tuesday's loss to the Lakers when he was held to five points on 2-for-7 shooting. It equalled his lowest output since a four-pointer against Sacramento in March 2013.
Thompson has shot 30.6 percent from the field and 3-for-18 on 3-pointers in his last four games.
"I know it will turn around," Warriors coach Steve Kerr proclaimed to reporters after Tuesday's loss. "This game is funny; life's funny. Things go on; things happen. And you just have to find your way out of the woods."
The Trail Blazers had a collective shooting slump of their own in a 117-96 drubbing at Utah on Christmas Day.
Star guard Damian Lillard shot 9-for-21 from the field, but the other four Portland starters combined for 12 field goals in the one-sided loss.
"It's difficult on the road," Portland coach Terry Stotts assured the assembled media after the game. "We have to sustain, whether it's the mental intensity, effort, or just weathering the storm on the road."
A visit to Golden State means a homecoming for Lillard, who played his high school ball in Oakland before attending Weber State.
He's thrilled his hometown fans with 37 or more points on three occasions, but his team has gone just 1-9 in his 10 career visits.
Coincidentally, Portland's standout shooting guard will enter Thursday's game in as much of a slump as Golden State's.
The Trail Blazers' C.J. McCollum was held to 11 points -- equalling his second-lowest of the season -- in the loss at Utah, missing two of his three 3-point attempts.
He's gone just 2-for-17 on 3s in his last four games.
The Trail Blazers have alternated wins and losses in their last four games. Their 121-118 overtime win at home over Dallas on Saturday night allowed Stotts to tie Rick Adelman for second place on the Portland franchise list for wins at 291.
Only Jack Ramsay (453) has won more.
