The Portland Trail Blazers faced the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight short approximately half a roster, courtesy of season-long injuries and an afternoon trade that sent Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver to the Sacramento Kings. Damian Lillard did everything he could to keep Portland in the game. Gary Trent Jr. scored a career high. It wasn’t near enough as Oklahoma City downed the Blazers handily, 119-109.
The two teams started out in a contest of wills. The Blazers wanted to work the halfcourt, setting up iso posts or jump shots deliberately.