Portland Trail Blazers Take Down The Oklahoma City Thunder Due To A Strong Fourth Quarter

Although the final score suggests a lopsided match between the Blazers and Thunder, they were neck and neck throughout. The story of the night, however, was Russell Westbrook during the first three quarters and the Blazers’ depth for the remainder.

Westbrook's performance outdid everyone else in the game, including All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, who racked up 27 points but only pulled down three boards. Lillard, on the other hand, had a rough first night, making only three of his 10 shots and going 2-for-7 from beyond the arc. He finished with 10 points and five assists.

Another positive the Blazers can take away from tonight’s game was the superior play from their new additions, Steve Blake and Chris Kaman. Coming off the bench, Kaman filled in for Robin Lopez quite well. Last year, the Blazers had struggled finding a bench player to have down low and guard the paint. Now, with Kaman, Portland’s second team looks much stronger, especially with an experienced veteran like Steve Blake running the floor.

The Thunder are certainly not satisfied with the outcome of their first regular season game. Although they may be without Durant and the Blazers are definitely a hard opponent to face while missing their star player, they proved to be very one-dimensional. Russell Westbrook took a total of 26 shots plus 16 costless throws. The next highest shot taker on the team was Serge Ibaka with 11.

The only people who want Westbrook taking this many shots are his fantasy owners. He needs to fill in for Durant, but taking more shots isn’t going to solve the problem. As soon as he came out, the offense became flat as the fourth quarter illustrated. Westbrook only played six minutes of it, and they scored a total of 12 points compared to the Blazers’ 31.

Adding to their first game woes, OKC was missing Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb, two crucial pieces in their high powered offense. These guys will have to play an even bigger role this season with the exit of Caron Butler, Derek Fisher, and Thabo Sefolosha.

All in all, Portland played a solid game through all four quarters, but they seemed a bit rusty, which is something a few more games can fix. The Thunder need a new game plan - Westbrook taking half of the team’s shots isn’t going to work against playoff teams. Until Durant comes back, something needs to be done.

Top Performers: