Game Recap: OKC 98, POR 81
By Paris Lawson | Broadcast and Digital Reporter | okcthunder.com
Collective Problem-Solving
THE BIG PICTURE
After dropping its previous two matchups by just three points or less, the Thunder came out on top against the Trail Blazers on Monday night by way of a gritty 18-point comeback. OKC’s stingy defense held the Blazers’ potent 3-point shooting to just an 18 percent clip and just 81 points for the night. With its 98-81 victory, the Thunder logged its seventh comeback of the season after trailing by 15 or more points and its second-largest margin of victory in Thunder history after trailing by 18 or more points.
MOMENTS FROM THE 48
An 18-Point Turnaround
Coming into the night, Portland held the best 3-point shooting percentage of any team in the league through the month of January. In the opening five minutes of the game against OKC, it looked as though that trend would continue.
Portland cashed in four of its first six looks from behind the arc while its offense went on a hefty 21-9 run to build up a double-digit lead. With 7:09 left on the clock in the second stanza, the Thunder had fallen behind by its largest margin of the night – 18 points.
From that moment, the Thunder began to turn the game on its head.
The Thunder dug in its heels defensively and held Portland to just 16 points in the second quarter and 14 in the third. Offensively, the Thunder kept its foot on the gas increasing its scoring quarter by quarter. After scoring just 19 points in the opening frame, the Thunder scored 20 in the second, 26 in the third and 33 in the fourth.
The ball zipped around the floor with pace as OKC’s ball movement got everyone involved offensively. Nine players finished the night with five or more points as a result of the 22 assists on 35 made shots by the Thunder.
By the final buzzer, OKC outscored Portland 74-39 from the 7:09 mark in the second frame and recorded its second-largest margin of victory in OKC history after trailing by 18 or more points.
“Just keeping our foot on the gas. Guys were encouraging each other to keep doing that,” said Thunder forward Darius Bazley. “Once we got back in the game, once we took the lead and we got ourselves going, we just wanted to keep that momentum.”
“It's a 48-minute game and we just had to keep fighting,” said Thunder guard Lu Dort. “We took every possession by possession. We did a good job of moving the ball and getting stops.”
Stingy Defense
Defense was the catalyst for the Thunder’s comeback effort. Portland poured in 31 points in the opening frame while shooting 40 percent from the 3-point line as advertised. However, the Thunder wouldn’t allow more than 20 points in each of the following three quarters and Portland’s shooting hit a wall making just three of its next 38 attempts from deep.
It started with the point of attack. OKC’s perimeter defenders in Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams and Darius Bazley applied increasing pressure on Portland’s scorers, not allowing them to get set in their offense.
Additionally, the Thunder applied occasional full court pressure throughout the game that not only sped up the Blazers’ offense but also added fuel to the Thunder’s competitive fire.
“It was extremely fun,” said Thunder forward Darius Bazley on the defensive effort. “From the second to the fourth, I believe we got in our game plan, and we just tried to get them to play on our terms. I think we did that. It was fun getting stops and then have momentum on our side going down and scoring.”
Baze off the Bench
For the second consecutive night, Thunder forward Darius Bazley provided efficient and potent minutes off the bench. The Ohio native scored 15 points on 5-of-7 from the field while also skying high for five rebounds and dishing out three assists.
The third year forward made his presence known on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he made quick shoot-pass decisions, one of which resulted in an open 3-pointer for Ty Jerome and another for a backdoor dunk to Kenrich Williams. Defensively, he hustled on the floor for loose balls and brought the controlled intensity to the point of attack against Portland’s ball handlers.
“The coaches and my teammates they make the game as simple as possible for us, not only the stuff we run but what they try to instill in us – to make quick decisions,” said Bazley. “If I don't have anything, moving it quickly, driving it quickly, making quick decisions overall.”
Giddey’s Double-Double Record
With a hard-earned layup at the 9:32 mark of the fourth quarter, Thunder rookie Josh Giddey recorded his 11th double-double of the season marking a new Thunder rookie record and the most by a rookie in the league this season. The Australia native logged 14 points and 12 rebounds in his 33 minutes of action against the Blazers.
THE LAST WORD
WHAT'S NEXT
The Thunder sets out on a three game road trip through the Western Conference that begins in Dallas on Wednesday. From there, the Thunder will head to the Pacific Northwest to face the Blazers again on Friday before concluding the road trip on the second night of a back-to-back in Sacramento.