Oklahoma City Uses Stout Defense to Defeat Portland Once Again

The Thunder's defense led the way Wednesday, and Lu Dort secured the win.

In the Thunder’s Wednesday night encore matchup with the Blazers, it was the home team once again coming out on top. Oklahoma City knocked off Portland 101-98 in an exciting down to the wire finish.

After a pair of free throws from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Portland had one last shot, down by one, and everyone in the Paycom Center knew who was taking it. SGA’s buzzer beater from the night before couldn’t be replicated for the Blazers, though. Damian Lillard was off on his off-balanced jumper, and Lu Dort’s smothering defense forced a very difficult attempt.

The Thunder shot just 8-of-24 from behind the 3-point line, but made up for it in drives to the rim, going 21-of-25 at the charity stripe. When OKC converted from downtown, it seemed to always be someone off the bench. Mike Muscala, Lindy Waters and Isaiah Joe all knocked down triples that the Thunder desperately needed. The reserve unit as a whole recorded 26 total points, highlighted by Kenrich Williams’ nine points, seven rebounds and two steals. The impressive bench play has added a new element to this Thunder team.

Here’s who led the way in the Thunder’s second win in a row over the Blazers:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander powered the Thunder down the stretch by both hitting big time shots and finding his way to the free throw line. The Thunder star finished with 27 points on 8-of-19 shooting, adding six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

It wasn’t a particularly efficient night from the floor, but Gilgeous-Alexander delivered when it mattered. He’s also becoming one of the best free throw shooters in the league and proved it again Wednesday night, knocking down 11-of-13 attempts.

Jalen Williams

In just his first NBA season, Williams has become a very efficient player for the Thunder. Good things tend to happen when he’s on the floor.

In 30 minutes Wednesday night, Williams netted 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting and four rebounds. Not only has he had an impact as a rookie, but he’s been one of the key factors in many of Oklahoma City’s wins this season.

Lu Dort

Dort earned himself the play of the night, as the lockdown defender forced a Damian Lillard airball with less than a second left to secure a win for the Thunder. He hounded Lillard on defense for the entire game, holding the Portland star to just 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting with four turnovers.

On the flip side, Dort had a fairly productive offensive output and didn’t try to do too much. He finished with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting with three rebounds and three assists. It was a very promising performance from the defensive stopper, and one that is a good reminder of why the Thunder signed him to a big extension.

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