Portland Path Blazers ahead Toumani Camara started Sunday evening’s sport with a highly effective dunk in opposition to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on the Moda Middle.
That may be the one time the Blazers would lead.
A couple of minutes later, the Thunder had been up 11-2. By halftime, they led 76-43. The ultimate: 134-91.
The Thunder’s dominance within the first half was thorough. However the important thing statistic, as is commonly the case within the NBA, was the three-point taking pictures for each groups.
Oklahoma Metropolis entered the evening main the NBA in three-point area objective share (39.5%) whereas Portland ranked final (30.8%). So, it wasn’t utterly stunning to see the Thunder shoot 11 of 15 on threes within the first half (completed the sport 22 of 36) whereas the Blazers made simply 2 of 15 (completed 9 of 34).
However the Thunder’s dominance within the first half didn’t cease there. Oklahoma Metropolis outpaced the Blazers in bench scoring (29-12), factors of turnovers (18-6), assists (17-8), factors within the paint (34-24) and area objective share (71.8% to 38.1%).
“It was powerful,” Blazers ahead Jerami Grant stated. “We had been very stagnant on offense. They hit a ton of powerful photographs. We may have been higher all through the sport on every part, to be trustworthy … It was a tricky one.”
The second half regarded just a little higher than the primary for the Blazers, however that’s simply math. This sport was over at halftime.
The Blazers bought 14 factors from Grant and 11 from Deandre Ayton. Skylar Mays additionally completed with 11 factors and added seven assists. Jabari Walker got here off the bench to attain 13.
Shaedon Sharpe was restricted to seven factors. He bought into early foul bother and by no means actually bought going from there. Plus, the Thunder’s inside protection did a very good job disrupting him on makes an attempt to assault the basket.
Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder ahead Chet Holmgren, proper, goes as much as attempt to block the shot of Portland Path Blazers guard Skylar Mays, left, through the first half of an NBA basketball sport in Portland, Ore., Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photograph/Steve Dykes) APAP
The Thunder had been led with 28 from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who went 10 of 13 from the sphere. Chet Holmgren scored 16, all within the first half, on 6-of-6 taking pictures. Isaiah Joe got here off the bench to attain 15 whereas hitting on 5 of 6 threes.
WHAT IT MEANS
The Blazers (3-10), losers now of seven consecutive video games, performed a workforce whose rebuild they hope to duplicate. The Thunder (10-4) had been vastly superior in each space and are loaded with younger gamers led by Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren. For the Blazers to remotely have an opportunity to someday be on the Thunder’s stage, they need to hit on the Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson choose and which means growing each. The endeavor to develop Henderson was placed on maintain on Nov. 1 when he injured his ankle, however he may return this week.
Discovering one thing to extract from dropping so badly to a workforce that received in additional time Saturday at Golden State received’t be simple, in response to Grant.
“It’s troublesome,” he stated. “You’ll be able to watch loads of movie. You would strive to determine what went flawed. You bought to play more durable in video games like these. Video games shouldn’t be, 40, 50 factors. We’ve bought to be loads higher. Simply give it extra effort. They performed final evening. Additional time sport. We’ve bought to be higher. It’s undoubtedly on us.”
NEXT UP
The Blazers exit on the highway for one sport scheduled for six p.m., Tuesday on the Phoenix Suns.
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