Trail Blazers beat Thunder 108-100, move to 3rd in West

The Portland Trail Blazers win game No. 6 in a row, defeating the OKC Thunder, 108-100.

As will be the case for most games throughout the rest of the season, tonight’s matchup had massive playoff implications. The Blazers and Thunder were tied for third place, 12.5 games back on the Houston Rockets for first.

As in the last two meetings, Portland bested OKC to clinch the season series advantage. They now sit as the outright third place team in the West.

The Blazers travel south to Los Angeles to face the streaking Lakers in hopes of winning game No. 7 in a row.

Game Summary

Like on Friday, the Blazers came out of the gate slow. Damian Lillard failed to connect on his first couple shots, but CJ McCollum kept Portland in the game. The backcourt, along with Jusuf Nurkic and Evan Turner, carried much of the load and had the Blazers down three points after one.

Hustle plays by the second unit energized Portland out of the break. The reserves put together a 17-2 run for a nine point Blazers lead midway through the quarter. By half, OKC had closed the deficit to three after a brief scuffle and Nurk foul trouble.

The Thunder kept momentum in the second half, taking the lead back with eight minutes remaining. But CJ wasn’t having it – he fueled a 7-0 run putting Portland ahead once again. They maintained the lead through the quarter and entered the final 12 minutes in front by eight.

Portland held on to the lead through most of the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City came crawling back on a 7-0 run to get within two, but they simply couldn’t regain control of the game. Great defense by the Blazers and enough offense willed them to their sixth straight win.

Player of the Game

The Bench

Portland’s reserves started the game strong. After keeping the game close to finish the first quarter, they outscored OKC by 15 and stole a nine point lead.

Again, in the third the bench unit outdid the Thunder and expanded Portland’s shrunken lead. The starters returned in the fourth quarter with a sizable lead and momentum.

In the end, it was Pat Connaughton, Ed Davis and Zach Collins who really showed out. Connaughton played stellar defense against Paul George, while Davis and Collins manned the middle against an offensive-rebound hunting Steven Adams.

Combined, the three key reserves recorded 24 points, 19 rebounds, 2 steals and 4 blocks.

Play of the Game

The Blazers had to hold a single-digit lead from OKC the final four minutes. Just as the Thunder started reclaiming momentum and knocking down shots, Zach Collins hit this clutch three-pointer.

The three put Portland back ahead by nine with two minutes remaining. The Thunder couldn’t crawl back from the deficit and the Blazers won their sixth game in a row.

5 Stats from the Game

• Portland’s bench outscored OKC’s 31-22.
• Evan Turner scored 17 points on 6/10 shooting in his first start since injury.
• The Blazers are now alone in 3rd place in the Western Conference.
• CJ McCollum posted 28 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists on 10/20 shooting.
• Collins, Davis and Connaughton combined for 24 points, 19 rebounds, 2 steals and 4 blocks.

Next: Should the Blazers be active on the waivers?

The Portland Trail Blazers are now alone for third place in the brutally competitive Western Conference. They continue to build upon a season-high six game win streak and now head Los Angeles in search of No. 7.