Mamadi Diakite Emerges in Thunder's Win over Blazers

Oklahoma City did it again.

The Thunder won without star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) Friday night against Portland. The Thunder are now 3-0 without their star player.

For the second time this week, Oklahoma City was able to get the best of the Trail Blazers. On a night where OKC won 96-93, here are the top performers from the game.

Lu Dort

WIth OKC needing players to step up in the absence of Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort has answered the call.

On Friday, Dort scored 23, a game-high, on 7-of-15 shooting. Dort also shot 50% from 3-point range, making four of his eight attempts. He also made five free throws.

Dort’s points were paired with seven rebounds and two assists. He was also key to OKC’s defensive performance, which was solid throughout the matchup.

The rising star is averaging nearly 24 points and just over six rebounds per game in Gilgeous-Alexander’s absence.

Mamadi Diakite

The Thunder’s newest big man continues to impress in his new role with the organization. In an intriguing matchup for him against Portland, Mamadi Diakite made the most of the opportunity.

The 6-foot-9 forward scored 12 points in his 30 minutes of playing time. He shot 4-for-8 from the field. He also posted seven rebounds and three blocks on the defensive end.

Diakite did have five personal fouls on the night, but gave great effort on the defense.

Darius Bazley

Darius Bazley didn’t have a great night shooting, but did make a key impact for OKC in the win.

Bazley posted a poor 1-of-6 from the field while scoring only four points on Friday night. However, his impact came on the glass, where he grabbed 12 rebounds, nine on the defensive end and three offensively. Bazley led the Thunder in the category and trailed only Jusuf Nurkic for the game.

Bazley also had three assists, one steal and a block. He posted a plus-5 on the night.

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