Blazers Defeat Thunder 123-103 as Deni Avdija Scores 24 Points

As reported by Blazers Edge, the Portland Trail Blazers kept their matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder uncertain for exactly one half on Tuesday evening before cruising to a 123-103 victory to capture their seventh win of the young season.

Battling fiercely, two of the top-performing teams in the NBA’s Western Conference fought to a 59-59 tie at the half. Damian Lillard and the Blazers had enough after the break, coming out in the third period running quick and shooting deep to turn a tie into a 17-point edge by the time the quarter buzzer sounded.

Deni Avdija Highlights (24 Points, 8 Assists) | Trail Blazers 123, Thunder 103 — Portland Trail Blazers

Having suffered a tough defeat on Saturday night when the San Antonio Spurs bogged them down with a sluggish offensive rhythm filled with hesitant dribbles and unproductive perimeter passing, Portland made sure there was no repeat on Tuesday as the team looked to run the ball down the court like a cobra rather than a boa constrictor.

Deni Avdija set the tempo by getting the ball down the floor quickly, scoring 24 points even though the Thunder did a reasonably good job of getting back. While defenders watched Avdija in the middle, guards and forwards leaked through from the diagonals and sidelines for conscience-free three-pointers.

Damian Lillard Highlights (25 Points) | Portland Trail Blazers 123, OKC Thunder 103 — Portland Trail Blazers

Portland shot 38% from distance while Oklahoma City shot 36%, but the Blazers attempted 50 threes to OKC’s 22. The resulting 33-point gap kept the Blazers in the game alongside a clean performance that featured just 9 turnovers and 24-26 shooting from the foul line.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up 26 points in 29 minutes for the Thunder, hitting 8-22 from the field while facilitating the lane for his teammates. Damian Lillard matched the intensity for Portland with 25 points in 24 minutes, shooting 8-15 from the field and hitting 4 three-pointers.

Blazers Defeat Thunder 123-103 as Deni Avdija Scores 24 Points

Sidy Cissoko replaced Scoot Henderson in the starting lineup and finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal in 33 minutes. Henderson added 11 points off the bench in 22 minutes, while reserve guard Chris Youngblood contributed 8 points before leaving the game in the second half with a foot injury.

Portland and Oklahoma City go at it again tomorrow night with a 7:00 PM Pacific start.