Takeaways from the Portland Trail Blazers Game 1 Victory Over the Oklahoma City Thunder

The Portland Trail Blazers were able to win game one against the Oklahoma City Thunder and gain an early lead in the series. Let’s look at some key takeaways.

The Portland Trail Blazers took the lead early and never looked back. The Blazers led 39-25 after the first quarter and were able to close out the rest of the game in entertaining fashion.

The win snaps a 10 game playoff losing streak for the franchise and finally gives CJ McCollum the playoff victory for Jennifer.

https://twitter.com/CJMcCollum/status/1117571162580504576

Damian Lillard was absolutely incredible scoring 30 points and hitting five three-pointers from far behind the three-point line.

Here are some key takeaways from the victory.

Enes Kanter Makes a Statement

Enes Kanter had a fantastic regular season for the Blazers after they signed him in February following his buyout with the New York Knicks.

Kanter provided quality minutes off the bench and raised his game to another level filling in for Jusuf Nurkic in the starting lineup. Across 8 starts, Kanter averaged 18.1 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.

Despite his strong play, many skeptics still doubted Kanter’s ability to play in the playoffs. His defensive deficiencies were pointed out and some analysts even labeled him as “unplayable”.

Well, Kanter disproved that notion in game one. Not only did Kanter provide quality minutes, but he was also one of the best players on the floor.

Kanter finished with 20 points, 18 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He also recorded a game-high plus/minus of +15.

Kanter competed on every defensive possession. Thunder star Steven Adams only posted 17 points and 9 rebounds. He failed to record a block, as well.

After the game, Lillard called Kanter “the MVP of the Game”.

Kanter was definitely key to Portland’s game one victory, and he could very well be a huge part of their playoff run moving forward.