Oklahoma City’s Tuesday night loss to the Portland Trail Blazers didn’t do much to brighten the box score, but Bennett Stirtz kept showing the same thing he has all season: he can give the Thunder efficient minutes when called upon.
The Thunder fell 123-103 in a game that was tied 59-59 at halftime before Portland took over with a 38-point third quarter. Oklahoma City had a hard time slowing the Blazers from deep, with Portland launching 50 shots from three-point range and knocking down 19 of them.
Even in a rough team performance, Stirtz stood out in his own lane. The rookie guard scored 13 points in 18 minutes, shooting 62.5% from the field. He also added one rebound, one assist and a steal, doing a little bit of everything while he was on the floor.
That kind of efficiency has been the story of Stirtz’s start to the season. Entering Tuesday, the Iowa product was shooting 47.2% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc. He has not piled up huge scoring totals, but when Oklahoma City has needed a reliable shot, he has delivered.
The Thunder have leaned on Stirtz as a supporting piece while filling in for the injured Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams. He still has work to do as a playmaker and on the defensive end, but his shooting has given Oklahoma City a steady option and taken some pressure off Thunder guard Jared McCain, who has come out of an earlier three-point slump.
If Stirtz keeps this up, his role could grow. Oklahoma City is still sorting through lineups and looking for players who can answer the bell, and Stirtz has already shown he can be efficient. The next step is turning that efficiency into something that helps the Thunder win.
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