The Portland Trail Blazers didn’t just beat the Oklahoma City Thunder twice in as many nights. They made it look deliberate.
After rolling to a 123-103 win Tuesday, Portland came back Wednesday at Moda Center and handled the shorthanded Thunder again, 118-108. Back-to-back victories over a conference heavyweight will get people talking. Doing it on consecutive nights gets the whole league’s attention.
Damian Lillard was at the center of both nights, but he delivered the finishing blow Wednesday. The 36-year-old guard ended with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists, and nine of those points came in the fourth quarter. He buried a key triple late, then drew “MVP” chants at the foul line in the final minute.
Tuesday’s opener belonged to Lillard too, when he scored 25 points and hit a deep logo 3-pointer during Portland’s 38-21 third-quarter burst that snapped Oklahoma City’s four-game winning streak.
Portland’s supporting cast did plenty of damage Wednesday. Deni Avdija led the way with 28 points, six assists, four steals and three rebounds.
Jrue Holiday and Sidy Cissoko added 19 points apiece, and each helped fuel a night that saw the Blazers knock down 19 3-pointers at a 38.8% clip. Toumani Camara finished with 14 points, Donovan Clingan grabbed 12 rebounds, and Robert Williams III supplied 10 points and seven boards off the bench.
As a team, Portland shot 45.7% from the field and missed only one of 26 free throws.
Oklahoma City was missing Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still carried the load. He scored a game-high 31 points and added four rebounds, though Portland kept him in check from deep, where he went 0-for-7. Isaiah Hartenstein posted 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and Alex Caruso chipped in 14 points.
The result pushed Portland to 8-3 and dropped Oklahoma City to 8-4. With Lillard steering the offense and the rest of the roster producing around him, the Trail Blazers have made a loud early-season statement.
In Other News...
Blazers Lose Another Depth Piece As Injury Concerns Keep Growing
Another depth piece is suddenly off the board for Portland, with forward Vit Krejci undergoing surgery on a fracture in his left ankle after getting hurt in a game against the Suns. The recovery process begins immediately, and the Blazers now have another rotation question to manage as they try to keep their season moving without one more capable body on the wing.
Krejcis absence matters because Portland has already been leaning on depth to survive the grind, and his contract situation only adds another layer to the decision-making around the roster. Hell be re-evaluated in eight weeks, leaving the Blazers to navigate the coming stretch without knowing exactly when they can count on him again. [Read more 🡒]
Scoot Hendersons New Role Puts His Blazers Future In Doubt
Scoot Hendersons season has taken a sharp turn in Portland, and the latest move only deepened the uncertainty around his place in the rotation. After the Trail Blazers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team turned to Sidy Cissoko ahead of Henderson, a notable shift for a player who entered the year expected to keep building within the clubs young core. Instead, Henderson has seen his starting spot slip away while his numbers have sagged to career lows in shooting efficiency.
For a franchise still sorting out its long-term backcourt, the timing matters. Henderson is on an expiring deal and will be a restricted free agent, which gives Portland a decision to make soon about whether to keep investing in his development or explore a different path. If the Blazers continue to view him as a player without a settled role, a trade to a rebuilding team could make more sense for both sides, even if it would mark a significant pivot from the plan that once seemed set in Portland. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Need Shai And A Short-Handed Frontcourt To Answer Back
The Thunder head into the second night of a back-to-back against the Trail Blazers already carrying the weight of a rough loss in Portland, and the matchup comes with some real roster strain in the frontcourt. With limited healthy centers available, Oklahoma City is trying to piece together a plan that can hold up on the glass and inside while also getting cleaner offense than it managed the night before.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the obvious engine for a reset, especially if the Thunder are going to avoid another game where the scoring dries up and Portland controls the tempo. The defensive adjustments matter too, because the first meeting exposed enough issues to make this rematch feel less like a routine regular-season stop and more like a test of how well Oklahoma City can respond when the margins get thin. [Read more 🡒]