The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder for the second night in a row Wednesday, winning 118-108 at Moda Center one night after a 123-103 blowout, as first reported by ClutchPoints. Portland is now 8-3. OKC drops to 8-4.
Damian Lillard scored 18 on Wednesday, nine of them in the fourth quarter, including a dagger three. The home crowd hit him with “MVP” chants at the line in the final minute. The night before, he dropped 25 and buried a logo three.
The IAHHM Take
Lillard is 36 and back in Rip City, and Portland is playing like they believe in him again. This wasn’t a one-man show either. Deni Avdija led the way with 28 points and four steals. Jrue Holiday and Sidy Cissoko had 19 apiece and combined for nine threes. Donovan Clingan grabbed 12 boards. That’s real depth.
Yes, OKC was shorthanded. Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace were all out, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still put up a game-high 31. But Portland held SGA to 0-for-7 from deep. Beating a West powerhouse on back-to-back nights, even a banged-up version, says something.
The West is crowded. The Lakers are rolling, sitting at 10-2 after Luka’s revenge night in Atlanta, and the Warriors are dealing with a Curry scare. The Blazers just put their name in the conversation.
Your call: Is Portland a real playoff team, or are these two wins mostly about OKC’s injuries?
Source: ClutchPoints
