Lu Dort Leads Way in Thunder's Third Straight Win

The Thunder relied on bench production and points from Lu Dort in a conference road win.

Oklahoma City notched its third straight win Friday night, as the Thunder knocked off the Trail Blazers 96-93 in Portland.

The Thunder relied on the three ball once again, as OKC nailed 15 triples compared to Portland’s six. Five different Thunder players had multiple 3-point makes.

OKC was led by Ty Jerome in the first quarter as he got hot from deep. Jerome also showcased his passing abilities as he ran the backup point guard all night.

hand down man down, even from out there!@tyjerome_ | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/LexNAeSIwz

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 5, 2022

OKC struggled to slow down Tony Snell in the first half as Portland held a 50-46 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, the Thunder got down 65-55 and had to claw back into the game. After threes from Josh Giddey and Mike Muscala, OKC was right back in it.

Oklahoma City was able to once again rely on the scoring of Lu Dort and strong bench play to get it done down the stretch. The Thunder finished the night with 32 points from the reserves.

This marks OKC’s first three game winning streak since December.

Who led the way in the OKC victory?

Lu Dort

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Dort was excellent once again for the Thunder Friday night. The defensive stopper scored over 15 points for the fifth consecutive night, as he netted 23 points and seven rebounds.

He continued to shoot the ball well from deep, as the Arizona State product drilled four triples on eight attempts. That marks the sixth consecutive game that Dort has had multiple 3-point makes.

Dort also played great defensively, spending time on both Anfernee Simons and CJ McCollum. The duo combined to shoot a combined 16-of-39 and part of that was due to the defensive effort from Dort. 

Josh Giddey

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Giddey had a high scoring night, pouring in 16 points for the Thunder. He also helped out on the glass with seven rebounds.

Even though Giddey struggled to take care of the ball with four turnovers, he had highlight passes like his inbounds pass late in the game. He continues to want the ball in his hands in big moments.

The Australian knocked down two triples on the night, where he’s been struggling to shoot recently. It was the first time he has hit multiple 3-pointers in eight games.

Giddey has been on a scoring tear recently, as he’s been in double digit four straight contests. His scoring outpour Friday night consisted mostly of floaters and attacking the rim, but he displayed flashes of jump shooting too.

Mamadi Diakite

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Diakite was huge for the Thunder Friday, as he had a tall task with Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic ended with 14 points, but he shot just 6-of-19 from the floor.

The Virginia product has been a shot blocking machine recently, and recorded three blocks once again Friday night. He’s a solid defensive presence for the the Thunder and has rebounded well.

Friday night, Diakite had his Thunder career high of 12 points to go along with his seven rebounds and three blocks.

While the 6-foot-9 forward is on a 10 day contract, his play tonight certainly helps his case to be signed for the season.

Oklahoma City is back in action Saturday, as the Thunder take on the Kings in Sacramento at 9:00 p.m.

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