Recap: Thunder Wins at the Buzzer

By Nick Gallo and Paris Lawson | okcthunder.com

The Thunder and the Blazers went back and forth in a game that featured 13 ties and 16 lead changes. After trailing by 10 points in the first quarter, the Thunder rallied back and the score never separated by more than two possessions for the rest of the contest. It came down to a buzzer-beating baseline jumper by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to put the Trail Blazers away and give the Thunder the 123-121 win. 

OKC carried over many of the core attributes from its win over Memphis just two days prior. Every player that touched the floor scored, seven players scored in double-figures and OKC’s second unit poured in 42 points. While Gilgeous-Alexander made the game-winning bucket, it was a total team effort to put the Thunder in the position to win the game down the stretch. 

Paris: Kenrich Williams was all over the floor for the Thunder in the first quarter. The veteran wing knocked down a corner 3-pointer with two minutes left in the frame. On the next possession, Williams stepped in front of Jerami Grant and sacrificed his body for a charge. The next two possessions consisted of an assist and a steal for Williams all before the buzzer ended. Kenny Hustle finished the frame with just three points but made his presence known on both ends of the floor. 

Nick: With a perfectly executed two-for-one by Shai to end the first period, the Thunder used a 12-2 closing burst over the final two minutes to turn a 10-point deficit into a tie ball game heading into the second quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander, making his return after missing one game with a back injury, milked the clock to just the right moment, then hit Mike Muscala for a 3 on the right wing with 29.6 seconds left. Shai then made a steal on the other end, then attacked and got fouled with 1.8 seconds left in the quarter, making both shots to tie this one up at 28 apiece. 

Paris: After a missed basket by Damian Lillard on one end, the Thunder got out quickly in transition. Lindy Waters III caught the ball behind the 3-point line, used a quick pump fake to move the defender and instead of letting the 3 fly, he snapped the ball inside to a wide-open Jalen Williams for a two-handed slam. The Thunder continued its trend of giving up a good shot for a great shot after putting up 29 assists in back to back games coming into Monday night’s game. 

Nick: Portland’s Justise Winslow attacked the rim and thought he had an open lane to the rim because the Thunder was playing without a traditional rim protector. But what the Thunder has in spades is positional size and length, so rookie Jalen Williams stepped into his help-side rotation and made a massive block at the rim. On Portland’s second chance try, Williams was right there for a physical box out and rebound, igniting a Thunder fast break that resulted in a Lu Dort attack. Dort got fouled and hit both free throws, two of the 16 the Thunder made in the first half alone.  

Nick: The Thunder ripped off an 8-0 run in the middle stages of the third quarter, with every point being generated in the soft part of the Portland defense - in the midrange right around the free throw line. Kenrich Williams attacked and made a runner in the lane, then after a defensive stop, Gilgeous-Alexander knocked in a jumper that pinballed around the rim. Williams then drew an offensive foul on Trendon Watford, then after a timeout, Shai hung in the lane and scored again. One stop later, it was Shai once again getting in the midrange and getting fouled, putting OKC ahead 86-82 with a couple minutes to go in the period. 

Paris: With just 1:33 left in the third frame, Damian Lillard made history with a free throw. Coming into the game, Lillard needed 21 points to pass Clyde Drexler and become the Trail Blazers All-Time leading scorer. Lillard received a congratulatory round of applause from the Paycom Center crowd as he took the record and by the end of the night, Lillard finished with 28 points. 

Paris: Justise Winslow attacked full speed for a layup at the rim. Standing in his way was 6-foot-4 Isaiah Joe. The guard held his ground as Winslow elevated toward the basket and took a charge. Joe, who is known for his 3-point shooting ability, has been a factor defensively thanks to his IQ and scrappiness. In the Thunder’s last game against Memphis, Joe stepped in to try to take a charge on 6-foot-11, 265-pound center Steven Adams. After the game, Joe told the media that he’d be willing to take 100 charges on Adams if it was the right play for the team. 

Nick: There were 13 ties and 16 lead changes in this back-and-forth battle. The entire second half was played within two possessions as both teams exchanged buckets and scores at every turn. The tug-of-war was highlighted at one point in the final frame where Aaron Wiggins hit two free throws to make it a 99-98 Portland lead. Justise Winslow answered with a layup on the other end to push the lead back up to three points. Wiggins responded again on the other end with a smooth euro step layup to close the gap down to one point. On the next two possessions, both teams sank a 3-pointer which continued the see-saw battle through the remainder of the ball game. 

“The competitive spirit tonight was high level. We changed the game plan a couple different times based on who was in there, we threw a lot at our own team tonight and they executed great.” - Mark Daigneault

“I shoot it every day before the game. I shoot every time I touch the court. For the most part, I work on the shots I know I always shoot in the game.” - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the game winning baseline jumper.

Game number 5 of this 7-game holiday homestand comes on Wednesday night, with the rematch between the Thunder and Blazers to conclude this home-home miniseries. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. CT.