The last time the Thunder and Blazers met, Portland put up 42 first quarter points. With that in mind, OKC brought it’s A-Game defensively from the very start and frustrated the Blazers for nearly all 48 minutes in a hard-earned road win. The victory was punctuated by a fourth quarter scoring flurry by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Even two feet beyond the three-point line, Thunder guards were lined up ready to receive Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. There was no way either player was going to get a clear look at the rim to start a possession. Time and again, the Thunder harried Portland’s two elite scorers as they tried to twist around screens.