Trail Blazers fall behind, claw back to top Thunder 115-112

The Portland Trail Blazers needed a win against division rivals, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had won seven straight and 9 of 10 before losing in overtime to the Phoenix Suns yesterday. After falling behind by as many as 15 and having every run answered in the third quarter, the Trail Blazers got busy in the fourth, riding Arron Afflalo and the starters to storm back, trim the lead, pull even, and finally break ahead for the 115-112 win.

The Trail Blazers have now won two in a row, both against Western Conference playoff teams, and are 38-19; fourth place in the West and 3.5 games from either second or seventh.

Recap

The Trail Blazers  built a modest lead early. Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook were both on point after both went for 40 the last time these two teams met. Portland played focused, smart basketball, and lead 28-25 after one.

Chris Kaman opened the second quarter by blowing by the defense and laying it in, as fans everywhere checked their phones to make sure it was still 2015. With the Trail Blazers up four, Meyers Leonard had an unfortunate sequence in which he missed an inside shot and committed a dumb foul on a three. The Thunder hit another three, then a two, and in the blink of an eye the lead was four to Oklahoma City. As the Trail Blazers tried making a run, the Thunder cut them short and pushed back, and Portland looked a bit dispirited heading into halftime down 59-47. Confidence is a hell of a drug.

Feb 22, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts looks at the stat board against the Memphis Grizzlies at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

After being outscored by the Thunder 34-19 in the second quarter, the Trail Blazers tried to gain some ground, but the game oscillated like a summer fan. The Trail Blazers cut it to five, then the Thunder went back up double-digits and then some, then the Trail Blazers cut it to five again. With 2:30 to go, Terry Stotts got hot after a no-call on both a Lillard drive and on a LaMarcus Aldridge jumpshot and received a technical foul for his displeasure. Nicolas Batum hit a three to at least somewhat bail the Trail Blazers out of a truly horrible quarter, and it was 89-78 Thunder heading into the fourth.

The Trail Blazers found themselves down double-digits 95-82 before Afflalo hit a three, then a free throw to make it 95-86. Portland then forced a shot clock violation, 97-89 before Lillard drove to make it 97-91 with 7:19 left. Both he and Westbrook had 27, and finally it felt like the Trail Blazers had a path forward.

Batum had a crafty three attempt and earned free throws, then Afflalo was fouled on a three, too! At 101-98 OKC, it was the closest Portland had been in the second half. The crowd (rightfully) started going nuts. Both teams were playing like legit playoff teams. Westbrook was unstoppable, and after a Lillard drive and missed floater, the Trail Blazers needed a stop, up 111-110. They got it, and held on for the 115-112 win.

Players

Damian Lillard, along with Aldridge, were the steadying forces that allowed the Trail Blazers to stop the bleeding and stay in the game. Lillard had 29-3-5 with a steal and just a single turnover as he and Westbrook battled shot-for-shot midway through the game before Dame pulled back.

LaMarcus Aldridge had quite a few empty possessions, but the Trail Blazers kept feeding him and he never shied away. He worked for his 29 points, 16 boards, five dimes, and a block. He was only 10-23 from the field, but was 9-10 from the stripe as he proved once again to be the steadying presence the team need to make the rest of the offense click.

Arron Afflalo gets third billing not because he’s new, but because he earned it. His 31 minutes alone should give Trail Blazers fan something to feel pretty good about: a bench player that can reliably play 30+ minutes? Yes, please. Afflalo went 5-6 and had a bucketfull of free throws for 18 points. Being able to take the pressure off the starters is going to be a real benefit for Portland as Afflalo continues to refine his fit in the system. So far, so good.

Chris Kaman has been playing better since the All-Star break. He had eight and seven in just 14 minutes. With Afflalo, the minutes shift might benefit Kaman in that he doesn’t have to play as many, and this season has shown he’s far more effective when he’s not overworked.

Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum were both scoreless and field goal-less at the half. That explained part of the double-digit deficit the Trail Blazers faced early on, but not all of it. Matthews finished with 8-6-3 with three steals and a block, Batum with 9-4-3 with two steals and a block. Not great, but salvageable, and pretty good considering it was mostly 2nd half work.

Notes

• The Trail Blazers really, really needed this win. Kevin Durant or no Kevin Durant, it was a quality win. And they did it after being behind big, and having their runs turned away again and again and again before breaking through. Combined with Afflalo’s emergence, this game could be a nice turning point for a team finding its new identity and looking to make a playoff push.

• Westbrook earned his third consecutive triple-double, with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. It is the first time any player has accomplished this feat since LeBron James did it in 2009.

EARLY GAME ALERT: The good guys travel to Sacramento to face the George Karl-led Kings on Sunday, March 1st at 3:00 p.m. PST.

Next: Russell Westbrook suffers bizarre facial injury in Portland