At halftime of the TNT broadcast Thursday night, Kenny Smith went out on a limb. He picked the TrailBlazers to reach the Western Conference Finals.
Then Charles Barkley doubled down. He picked Portland to win the West.
And then the Thunder beat the Blazers 129-121 in overtime to complete a four-game season sweep of Portland.
I have no idea who will reach the West finals, but I know who will win the West, and it’s not Portland or Oklahoma City. Golden State’s the name; superior talent is the game.
But the Thunder’s victory certainly stopped the bleeding of an OKC slump and gave the Thunder a psychological advantage should it meet the Blazers in a playoff series.