Trail Blazers Cruise Past Thunder 136-119.
Neil Olshey is your clubhouse leader for NBA executive of the year. The Portland Trail Blazers may only be 7-12, but the desperation signing of Carmelo Anthony is looking like the move of the season. Anthony used his first meeting with the Thunder to show that while he may not be the three point shooter he once was, he can still hit from mid-range. Anthony blistered the Thunder for 19 points helping Portland to a 136-119 win. Anthony only took one shot from beyond the arc all night and showed he can still finish at the rim including going baseline on Terrance Ferguson. Anthony proceded tonight's performance by scoring 25 on the Bulls. Anthony is averaging 16 points through five games.
Damian Lillard continues to torment Oklahoma City, Lillard has now scored at least 20 points in his last 12 games against the Thunder, he leads all scorers with 27.
The biggest takeaway from this debacle is that the Thunder are still not showing any urgency on a consistent basis. Usually, it's the third quarter where we see this team meltdown, on Wednesday the Thunder didn't wait, they were done by the end of the first quarter when they gave up 42 points. Billy Donovan's only course of action is to hope Oklahoma City can regroup before Friday when the Pelicans come to the Peake.
The Thunder would get as close as nine before the Trail Blazers blew things open. The 136 that Portland scored are the most points Oklahoma City has given up all season. The Thunder falls to 6-11. Up next it's New Orleans Friday at 7 on Fox Sports Oklahoma, 98.1 WWLS and 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa.
