OKC Thunder Annihilate Trail Blazers in West Coast Finale

The Thunder handedly beat the Trail Blazers to cap off a strong week of basketball.

Oklahoma City put the trap game rumors to rest on Sunday night, annihilating the Trail Blazers in Portland, 134-91. The closest the game got was 0-0 for the initial tip, and it didn’t take long for the Thunder to run away with it.

With the win, the Thunder move to 10-4 overall and have the most wins in the Western Conference. It has been a special start to the season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren led the way for the Thunder once again after the duo’s inspiring performance over Steph Curry and company the night before. Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 28 points on an efficient 10-of-13 shooting. Holmgren finished with 16 points and six rebounds on a flawless 6-of-6 shooting.

In the first half, both Holmgren and Isaiah Joe were perfect, combining to shoot 10-of-10 from the floor and 6-of-6 from 3-point range.

As a team, the Thunder shot 60.5% from the floor, 61.1% from the 3-point line and 100% from the free-throw line. It was an unbelievable offensive performance.

After two emotional road wins against the Golden State Warriors, the Thunder had to turn its attention to the Portland Trailblazers, who have been struggling mightily in the Western Conference. For a young team, staying focused and avoiding trap games is always key, and the Thunder did so with ease on Sunday. Portland was simply outmatched, and the Thunder played an unbelievable game in both ends of the floor.

Oklahoma City got to work early and had no trouble switching to cruise control in the first half. A multitude of bench guys who haven’t received regular minutes stepped in and played, including Tre Mann and Davis Bertans.

By halftime, the game was completely over with no shot of becoming close again. The Thunder led 76-43 heading into the break. Oklahoma City shot over 70% from the floor and from the 3-point line in the first half, torching Portland in whatever way it chose.

With the game out of reach in the third quarter, the team opted to give reserves mop-up minutes. Lindy Waters, Olivier Sarr and Aleksej Pokusevski all found playing time in the second half, helping the Thunder complete the blowout.

After taking care of business in Portland, Oklahoma City has now won five games in a row, including a win over Phoenix and back-to-back victories over Golden State.

The team will return home to face the Chicago Bulls at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. From there, the Thunder will have two big tests against Minnesota and Philadelphia.

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