Oklahoma City Fends off Portland 128-120 in Gritty Win on the Road:On Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder put an end to their season series against the Portland Trail Blazers by claiming their fourth consecutive victory against the Trail Blazers.
A week ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder experienced a tiny shift in their momentum, which occurred just as they were on the verge of achieving their longest victory streak of the season.
An extremely painful setback in San Antonio against the Spurs and a challenging matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers on the road had left a sour taste in Oklahoma City’s mouth. The team had lost two of its previous three games, and they did not allow it to linger through a hard-fought contest against the Portland Trail Blazers late on Wednesday night.
In Portland, Oklahoma City defeated its divisional rival by a score of 128-120, so sweeping the season with four consecutive victories. The victory was Oklahoma City’s fourth consecutive victory.
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Oklahoma City Fends off Portland 128-120 in Gritty Win on the Road
- When it came to scoring for the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way, just like he had done in his previous seven games, posting 35 points on 23 shots.
- Following in his footsteps, Jalen Williams scored 31 points on 9 of 17 shooting while also stealing two rebounds.
- Chet Holmgren and Josh Giddey both had good performances, which contributed to the fact that nearly all of the team’s starters had a successful playing night.
- Holmgren, who scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and Giddey, who scored 19 points while missing only one shot from the field.
With a flurry of three-pointers in the second half, Simons drove the Trail Blazers to victory for Portland. In the end, he scored 29 points and made five three-pointers.
The Thunder got off to a flying start, as they quickly secured a 13-point lead just before the halfway point of the first quarter. This was a speedy start for the Thunder.
As he continues to string together solid first quarters, Giddey was a significant contributor to this start. He scored six points in a short amount of time as he played seven minutes throughout the session.
The Trail Blazers would eventually climb their way out of that hole by taking advantage of forced turnovers and forcing Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault to call a timeout at the 3:04 mark of the game.
When Oklahoma City forward Bismack Biyombo lost consciousness while embracing his teammates, a fear ensued due to the fact that he slowly slumped backwards and struck the back of his head before the medical professionals hurried over to him. This occurred as the Thunder players filed through to the bench.
- Following his regaining consciousness, he made his way to the locker room just as the game was being played.
- According to the Thunder broadcast, Biyombo had been given the all-clear by the medical team of the Trail Blazers; but, Oklahoma City would not let him to participate in the game out of prudence.
- Oklahoma City never gave up its lead going into the second quarter, despite the fact that the rest of the first quarter remained a close contest.
- The ultra-consistent effort of Gilgeous-Alexander resulted in him scoring a team-high 10 points and achieving another quarter with a double-digit scoring total.
As the second quarter began, Holmgren and Williams started to work well together. They made several baskets together, and Williams added a long shot that quickly increased their lead to 12 points, 43-31.
Matisse Thybulle played great in both offense and defense. He made a few three-pointers, stole the ball, and suffocated the defense on the wings, but Holmgren’s activity on the boards and offensive efficiency helped Oklahoma City stay ahead.
The Thunder were ahead by eight points at the end of the first half, but Duop Reath made two free throws and Jerami Grant made a three-pointer.
It was a first half where almost all of Oklahoma City’s points came from its players. Six of their 65 points came from Lu Dort, but the other four came from the team’s core five. All of them scored in double figures.
- Like the first frame, the third started with a Thunder burst that was cut off by a Blazers effort.
- One of the best parts of the frame was when Simons and Gilgeous-Alexander went back and forth. After getting hot from three-point range, Simons scored eight points in the third quarter, while Gilgeous-Alexander abused him defensively by giving him three straight and-one chances.
- That stopped Portland before the Trail Blazers took a break. They were down seven points.
- They got as close as two points, 88–86, thanks to another trey from Simons and a basket by Grant. This was their closest score since the end of the first quarter.
But a three-pointer by Gordon Hayward, a score from Williams, and a buzzer-beating fadeaway jumper in the lane from Gilgeous-Alexander kept Portland just out of reach. They were ahead by 10 points going into the final frame.
The fourth went the same way the first three did.
- There were times when the Blazers played well, especially when Simons shot from far away and hit the Thunder in the chin. OKC would fight back, though.
- Soon after, Gilgeous-Alexander was taken out of the game because he was limping. Portland would get within two goals again with just over four minutes to play.
- He would soon come back, though, slowing down the play and connecting with Williams right away for a big three-pointer.
- In the end, Williams’ huge three-point shot off the catch and the Thunder’s ability to make the right shots at the right time would help them win in Portland and end their road trip.
On Friday, at seven o’clock Central Time, Oklahoma City will kick off a home stretch of four games against the Miami Heat. The game will take place inside Paycom Center.
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