The Portland Trail Blazers couldn’t take care of business on the road tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder’s C Team. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and the rest of OKC’s first-stringers out, the remaining roster still did away with Portland, 107-89.
The Thunder jumped on a Portland team dragging on the final night of a seven-game road trip, building up a lead as large as 21 early in the third quarter. Scoot Henderson and the Blazers mounted a comeback charge, pulling as close as two in the fourth quarter. But one final surge from the Thunder forced Portland head coach Chauncey Billups to wave the white flag, emptying the bench with about a minute remaining.
The loss dropped Portland to 4-3 on the road trip.
Blazer of the Game: Scoot Henderson. The rookie guard overcame a choppy start to post a nice stat line of 22 points on 8-15 shooting, three assists and four rebounds. With the Blazers reeling in the third, Henderson jumpstarted the comeback with a jolt of aggression and 11 third-quarter points. The effort helped Portland win the quarter, 28-17, while not posting a single turnover. Unfortunately, Henderson couldn’t keep the mojo going in the fourth, as he went scoreless in four minutes. Honorable menton goes to Shaedon Sharpe, who was Portland’s second-leading scorer with 19 points on 7-14 shooting.
Stat of the Night: 18.6% vs. 36.6%. Those numbers represent the difference in 3-point shooting between Portland and OKC tonight, who went 8-43 and 14-38, respectively, from beyond the arc. The Blazers just could never find much of a shooting rhythm on the road, while OKC started hot and then finished with a late flurry to send Portland packing. In his first game back from injury, Portland forward Jerami Grant led the tough-shooting brigade with a 2-10 performance from the field, including 0-2 from deep. Honorable mention goes to Portland’s 12 first-half turnovers. The Blazers ultimately finished with 17 TOs, but those 12 in the first half — combined with the shooting woes — put the Blazers in a real tough spot.
What We’ll Remember: Missing a golden opportunity. For a team gunning for a Play-In spot and facing an uphill climb, the Blazers let a golden opportunity slip through their fingers tonight. OKC’s extensive injury list made this a very winnable game, even on the final stop of a long road trip, and Portland couldn’t take advantage. For those stoutly rooting against a playoff appearance, maybe this loss will be remembered as a sigh of relief.
Box Score
What’s Next: The esteemed Dave Deckard will be in the director’s chair for tonight’s extended recap, and the Blazers come home for a one-game stop against the Detroit Pistons Sunday evening at 6 p.m. Pacific. The matchup doubles as Bill Walton Tribute Night at the Moda Center, so be sure to wear your tie-dye.