PORTLAND, OR – A sea of Trail Blazers fans rose to their feet Wednesday night and showered their team with a round of applause.
The final buzzer had just sounded, sealing Portland’s 121-119 home win over the OKC Thunder. And celebratory cheers echoed throughout Moda Center while red-and-silver confetti rained from the rafters.
It marked an epic comeback victory after trailing by as many as 22 points. It marked Portland’s first win over OKC since April 3, 2021, dispelling a 16-game curse. And it marked the first time anyone had taken down the Thunder (8-1) since it won an NBA championship last June.
Those were all good reasons for the Trail Blazers to celebrate. But as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court, he could also be seen clapping his hands for a different reason.
The slow-moving superstar, still gassed from playing a game-high 38 minutes, was encouraging his team after a gutsy performance. A narrow loss on the second night of a back-to-back with numerous rotational players sidelined due to injuries.
“I was proud of the effort,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, who also recognized his team’s resiliency. “I thought the guys really tried to grit it out. We gave ourselves a chance down the stretch but didn’t execute well enough to win.”
Best start in OKC Thunder history ends on second night of back-to-back
It would’ve been easy for the Thunder to rattle off excuses for the loss, which ended its best start to a season in franchise history.
But it didn’t bring up the fact that it played an 8 p.m. PST road game against the Los Angeles Clippers the night before. It didn’t bring up the fact that the final buzzer for that win sounded at around 10:30 p.m. either. And it didn’t bring up the fact that OKC arrived at its Portland hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, at around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Instead of pointing fingers at the tough turnaround, the Thunder pointed at itself.
It pointed to not playing clean basketball, which allowed Portland to go 30 for 32 (93.8%) at the free-throw line. It pointed to its poor perimeter defense, which helped Portland to go 19 for 43 from deep (44.2%). And it pointed to its handful of missed opportunities around the rim, going 23 for 53 (43.4%) from inside the arc.
“I think most of it was just that we didn’t execute as well as we should’ve,” Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein said. “I think there were some plays that we could’ve controlled. Some missed layups here and there. But I don’t think it was that crazy of a game, to be honest.”
Those were all legitimate factors. But after sprinting out of the gates with a 41-point first quarter, fatigue also seemed to play a role in OKC’s loss.
The Thunder’s straitjacket defense became loose in the fourth quarter, as the Trail Blazers erupted for 40 points. The last time it let a team do that was in the second quarter of its Game 3 loss to Indiana during the NBA Finals.
OKC’s closeouts on the 3-point line weren’t as quick as they usually are. Its transition defense provided less resistance. And its interior defense, which is the best in the NBA at punishing those who penetrate the paint, wasn’t as protective.
Deni Avdija led the way with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Jrue Holiday chipped in 22 points, and former Thunder forward Jerami Grant scored 20 points off the bench.
“Maybe a little bit,” Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell said when asked if he felt any extra fatigue. “But that’s definitely not an excuse. We came out, and we were fresh. Obviously, it was a back-to-back. But that’s never going to be an excuse for us. Every game is going to be tough, and we know it. We’re never going to look for excuses for that.”
Ajay Mitchell shines in rare start with injuries to Jalen Williams, Lu Dort
Mitchell stepped up for the short-handed Thunder on Wednesday, just like he has done all season.
The sophomore guard racked up 21 points and three assists in his second career start and showed an ability to thrive alongside a lead ball handler such as Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 35 points and nine boards.
The same can be said for Aaron Wiggins, who also got the starting nod. In addition to scoring 27 points on 7-for-10 shooting from deep (70%), the versatile guard flashed his playmaking skills and contributed on defense with three steals.
Those are the bright spots that could be seen, even on a cloudy day in Portland.
“I thought (Wiggins) did a lot of good things, especially early,” Daigneault said. “He made some big plays. Isaiah Joe played really well at times. I thought Hartenstein controlled the glass. He did a nice job for us there. I thought it was a good experience for Ajay. He got a lot of the points and creation opportunities down the stretch.
“All of the guys who logged a lot of minutes, that was a good experience for us.”
Next up for OKC is a road game against the Sacramento Kings at 9 p.m. Friday. It’ll mark the team’s start of NBA Cup group play.
The Thunder should also see the return of some key contributors. Prime candidates include Chet Holmgren (lower back sprain), Lu Dort (right upper trap strain) and Alex Caruso (rest), who all missed Wednesday’s contest after playing Tuesday against the Clippers.
That’d be a good break for OKC, which will also benefit from a literal break Thursday after a challenging back-to-back stretch.
“This team always does a good job of learning through these things,” Daigneault said. “We’ll learn from it and be a better team tomorrow when we wake up.”
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.