The Portland Trail Blazers finished the first quarter down 20 points against the shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder. Duop Reath deserves recognition as the X-Factor in overcoming this early deficit, as Portland defeated the defending champions with a final score of 121-119.
The Blazers' center finished the contest with 12 points and two assists in 20 minutes of play, connecting on four of his five field goal attempts, all of which came from beyond the arc. His floor spacing ability was on full display, contributing to a game-high +21.
The turning point in the game came towards the end of the second quarter when interim head coach Tiago Splitter elected to play a big lineup with Reath at the four along with Donovan Clingan, Jerami Grant, Deni Avdija, and Jrue Holiday.