It was hard to decipher the most improbable feat Wednesday night at the Moda Center.
That the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the undefeated and seemingly invincible Oklahoma City Thunder.
Or that they did so after trailing by 22 points in the first quarter.
The Blazers earned their most impressive victory of the young season by unleashing their most gusty performance, dismissing that seismic deficit to stun the Thunder, 121-119, in an entertaining, down-to-the wire matchup before 16,822.
Deni Avdija overcame a dreadful shooting night to finish with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, Jrue Holiday added 22 points and six rebounds and Jerami Grant scored 20 points off the bench for the Blazers (5-3), who out-clutched the reigning-champion Thunder (8-1) down the stretch to end their season-opening eight-game winning streak.
After a horrible start, the Blazers started to dig out of their gigantic early hole in the second quarter, then slowly chipped away at the Thunder’s lead with guts and effort. It was about all they had on a night they were shooting 30% until the last seconds of the third quarter.
But the Blazers caught fire out of nowhere in the final quarter, making 13 of 16 shots, including 6 of 7 threes, to rattle the battle-tested Thunder. When Holiday worked into the paint and hit a 10-footer with 6:44 left, the Blazers stunningly led 97-96 and had all the momentum.
Holiday followed his big shot by forcing Ajay Mitchell into an over-and-back on the next play, then swished a three on the ensuing possession. Suddenly, a 22-point deficit had transformed into a 100-96 edge.
And Portland never trailed again, answering every Thunder charge with a big shot, big steal or big stop — including at the final horn, when Robert Williams III corralled a rebound on a missed free throw.
TOP PERFORMERS
Avdija missed his first 11 field goals, but delivered in crunch time, making 4 of 5 shots and scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter. He fell one assist shy of a triple-double.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 35 points, nine rebounds and four assists for the Thunder.
HIDEOUS START
The Blazers didn’t do themselves any favors with a hideous first quarter that saw them heave a bevy of bricks, cough up a host of turnovers and play matador-like defense.
The Blazers were a mess from the get-go. They missed five of their first six shots. They committed two turnovers before making their first field goal. And Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter was forced to call a timeout just one minute, 51-seconds into the game, with his team staring at a swift 9-1 deficit.
And it only got worse from there.
By the end of the opening quarter, the Thunder had built a stunning 41-21 lead. Aaron Wiggins torched the Blazers with 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting and Ajay Mitchell added eight points and two assists. But it was the Blazers’ frigid offense that proved to be most problematic.
Portland made just six field goals and shot 23%, including 25% from three-point range, as Avidja (0 for 3), Holiday (0 for 4) and Grant (1 for 6) couldn’t buy a bucket. All the while, the Blazers couldn’t hold onto the ball, committing seven turnovers that led to eight Thunder points.
But in the end, thanks to am impressive rally by the Blazers, it didn’t matter.
BLAKE WESLEY UNDERGOES SURGERY
Blake Wesley on Wednesday underwent successful surgery to repair a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, the Blazers announced before the game, and the backup guard is expected to be sidelined between eight-to-12 weeks for rehabilitation.
Wesley has been one of the most pleasant early-season surprises for the Blazers over the first two weeks of the season, using a mix of relentless pressure defense and all-out effort to carve out a role as the team’s backup point guard. Wesley averaged 6.0 points, 3.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals over the first six games, but his impact was felt beyond statistics, as teammates and coaches praised his endless motor and menacing defense for being inspirational.
But Wesley landed awkwardly after hitting a fadeaway jumper with 3:52 left in the first half of Friday’s win over the Denver Nuggets and did not return.
And five days later, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, Wesley underwent surgery in a procedure performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley.
NEXT UP
The Blazers open a five-game trip Saturday, when they play the Miami Heat at 5 p.m. at Kaseya Center. Portland also will visit the Orlando Magic, New Orleans Pelicans, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks.
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