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Since they lost Mike Conley to an Achilles injury in mid-November, the Memphis Grizzlies have gone 5-21, falling from seventh to 14th place in the Western Conference. They’ve fired coach David Fizdale and have put themselves in position to end the league’s third longest active playoff streak (seven straight seasons).

This seems like the year they don’t fight through injuries to make it to the postseason, especially with Conley not ready to return. He spoke to the media on Friday, and the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Ronald Tillery has the update…

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley said there is no timeline for his return from an Achilles injury.

But the veteran insisted that he will play again this season.

“I can’t see how I wouldn’t,” Conley said. “I’m very confident that I’ll be suiting up at some point.”

Conley spoke with media Friday night before the Grizzlies hosted the Washington Wizards in FedExForum. He’s missed 26 games while rehabbing the injury.

“There’s still no timeline. We’re just going through the process,” Conley said. “The process is slow unfortunately. I’m making progress, though. I’m doing a lot more on the court. The last few weeks I’ve been able to get into different non-contact drills. I’ve increased my load to see how much the Achilles can take.”

Conley also spoke with Marc Spears of The Undefeated about other topics, including the firing of Fizdale…

Was the firing of Fizdale hard for you to accept?

It’s hard. But we understood, at the time, what was going on with the state of the team and the state of the franchise. It’s a business at the end of the day, and we understand that part of it. I played long enough to understand that part. It’s never easy.

Did you and Gasol ever have a conversation about Fizdale’s firing?

We talked. I think Marc’s intentions are solely about the team. He didn’t want any of this to happen. I didn’t think so. It was also frustrating for all of us. It was tough for Marc, myself and probably the older guys on the team who have built this foundation to see the state that we are in.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Portland Trail Blazers kick off a critical four-game road trip Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

For the Thunder, it’s a brief return home in the middle of a stretch of five road games in six.

The Thunder and Trail Blazers are part of a tight bunch at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture.

Oklahoma City (22-18) is a half-game ahead of Portland (21-18) and Denver with New Orleans 1 1/2 back of that duo.

Both teams figure to be without critical pieces.

Blazers’ point guard Damian Lillard has missed six of the last eight games and is listed as out for the game with a right calf strain.

Lillard first was out with a strained right hamstring, returned for a loss at Cleveland on Jan. 2 and suffered the calf injury.

Lillard was a late scratch from Sunday’s win over San Antonio after suffering pain in the leg following his pregame warmup.

“We’ve got a big stretch of games coming up and having a little bit of a situation with my hamstring, it takes time,” Lillard said. “And then, aggravating my calf, and having (them) both be on the same side. They told me that it would probably be smarter to take it easy.”

With Lillard averaging 24.9 points, 6.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds, his absence is a big one.

But Portland has been able to overcome that to go 4-2 without Lillard during this recent stretch.

Shabazz Napier figures to start in Lillard’s place. During his recent five starts, Lillard is averaging 18.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

On the other side, the Thunder are expected to be without defensive stopper Andre Roberson for the fourth consecutive game with left patellar tendinitis. He figures to miss at least two more games before his return.

Oklahoma City’s defense has been among the league’s best this season, in large part because of Roberson’s work on the perimeter and against pick-and-rolls.

“We 100 percent need the guy because of that reason,” Thunder center Steven Adams said. “And it’s just the small things that just start snowballing. He makes that extra step that’ll stop that player and that possession. He’ll just cut off that whole play.

“Stuff like that that really kind of pays off and makes everyone else’s job easier.”

With Roberson on the floor, the Thunder have averaged 12 fewer points per 100 possessions than when he’s not playing.

Like the Blazers, Oklahoma City has handled the loss well, going 2-1 on the recent road trip without Roberson.

They won those games with their improving offense, though, averaging 130 points per game in those two wins. Since Dec. 15, the Thunder have the league’s best offensive rating, scoring 115.7 points per 100 possessions.

Portland is one of only four Western Conference teams with a winning record on the road at 11-8. The Thunder are 14-6 at home, having dropped their past two games at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

* Tonight on ESPN: Clippers vs. Warriors (10:30 ET)

Kevin Durant’s 25-point effort a week ago against the Dallas Mavericks was no ordinary scoring effort for him. Instead, it put him 25 points away from 20,000 in his career — a total that Hall of Famers Bernard King, Scottie Pippen, Bob Lanier, John Stockton and other legends never tallied in their storied careers.

Durant has missed the Golden State Warriors’ last three games with a right calf strain, but the team says he is probable for tonight’s showdown with the LA Clippers. His likely return to the lineup has him thinking about his already stellar career, which includes a Kia MVP award, seven All-NBA selections, four scoring titles and, most recently, an NBA Finals MVP award.

Once Durant crosses that 20,000-point mark, he’ll join LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as one of five players to do so before turning 30. He’ll also be the second-youngest player in league history — behind James — to reach 20,000 points. It’s all a lot for Durant to take in right now, writes Chris Haynes of ESPN.com:

“Man, that’s some great company, and there’s so many names I never thought I’d be in the same conversation with,” Durant said. “But to know — to have it in numbers, in black and white — to know that you belong in that group is pretty special to me. I’m telling you, man, it’s never been a goal of mine to count how many points I have. That’s not why I play the game. To be under 30 and do it, that’s special to me too. You play in this league for so long, and having an opportunity to do something like this at this age, you just can’t take it for granted, because there’s not too many players on that list.”

…

“I had one goal when I came into the league, and that was for me to win Rookie of the Year, and I just kept building after that,” he said. “My second year, I wanted to average 25. Every year I had a goal, but I never envisioned me with 20,000 points, 30,000 points. I was just taking it a day at a time, just trying to lock in, stay in the moment, and here I am.”

…

He said he hasn’t been in a hurry to rush past this moment. He has enjoyed reminiscing about all those battles on the court, all those one-on-one scoring duels and all the ups and downs that ultimately ushered him closer to his latest achievement.

“I reflect a lot to see where I’ve came from and see how much I’ve grown,” he said. “The players I’ve came across as teammates and as opponents that pushed me to be who I am, I think about that all the time. It’s good to reflect. I’ve had some amazing times as a player and so many great moments that equal to these 19,975 points. I just try to remember the special times that brought me to this place, and it’s going to give me more motivation to keep pushing.”

…

When he reaches that 20,000-point mark, he said he is not sure how he will react but acknowledged that it will be an occasion he cherishes forever.

“It’s always been about just playing for the love, playing because I just enjoy it and it makes me happy,” Durant said. “Anything in between, it’s just extra to be honest. I’m just thankful for it all.”

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