PORTLAND, Ore. — In a display of dominant performance, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a convincing 137-114 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night, racking up 30 points in just 28 minutes on the court.
Jalen Williams contributed significantly to the Thunder’s success, finishing the game with 22 points, while teammates Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins added 13 points each off the bench. With this victory, Oklahoma City has improved their record to a flawless 5-0 this season.
The Trail Blazers’ efforts were spearheaded by Jerami Grant, who scored 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting. The team saw four of its five starters reach double figures, with Deandre Ayton adding 14 points, followed by Toumani Camara with 13 and Deni Avdija contributing 11.
Key observations from the game reveal that the Thunder continued to thrive even with Chet Holmgren struggling, as he was limited to just six points and four fouls in 18 minutes of action.
On the other hand, Rayan Rupert built on a strong performance from previous games, coming off the bench to score 14 points, marking a career-high with four successful three-pointers.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Portland clawed back from a 17-point deficit to even the score at 68 by halftime. However, Oklahoma City responded with a staggering 38-17 third quarter, effectively sealing the fate of the Blazers.
One noteworthy statistic from the night was the Thunder converting 19 points from the Blazers’ 12 turnovers, which occurred solely in the third quarter, helping to propel Oklahoma City to a sizable lead.
Looking ahead, the Thunder will make their way to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Saturday night, while the Trail Blazers are set to travel to Phoenix for their next matchup.
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