Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked like an MVP.
The Oklahoma City Thunder played like the best team in the NBA.
And the Portland Trail Blazers offered little resistance to a laser-focused team chasing a second consecutive championship.
The Thunder bludgeoned the Blazers Sunday night at Paycom Center, building a 27-point first-half lead and cruising to a dominant 122-95 victory before 18,203 in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder avenged their only loss of the season, which came 121-119 against the Blazers on Nov. 5 at the Moda Center. After that memorable matchup, during which the Blazers fought back from a 22-point deficit to stun the Thunder, Deni Avdija proclaimed in the postgame locker room that the Blazers were building “something special in Portland.”
But the only special Sunday night was the play of the Thunder.
The Blazers held a lead for just one minute, 19 seconds in the beatdown — and that came early in the first quarter — as Oklahoma City flexed its NBA-best defense, Gilgeous-Alexander put on a show in just three quarters and the Thunder overwhelmed a shorthanded team playing without seven injured players, including its starting backcourt and three point guards.
The game was virtually over after the first quarter, when the Thunder built a commanding 39-18 lead. Gilgeous-Alexander was breathtaking in the opening frame, scoring 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting, but it was the collective dominance and precision of the Thunder (17-1) that overwhelmed the Blazers (7-10).
Oklahoma City shot 67% from the field, including 60% from three-point range, as six different scorers took turns punishing Portland after the opening tip. The Thunder shared the ball impressively, racking up eight assists on 14 made field goals, and scored all over the floor — 20 of their points came in the paint, nine came from the three-point line and three came on fast breaks.
All the while, Oklahoma City’s suffocating defense slowed the Blazers’ pace and neutralized everything they wanted to do. Portland shot just 33% in the first, including 17% from three-point range, and coughed up five turnovers.
“I think the first quarter set the tone a little bit,” Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter told reporters afterward. “We were not aggressive. They were the aggressor, they played better, they made shots. We didn’t. We tried to fight for a little bit, but didn’t have enough to compete against them.”
Things didn’t get any better for the Blazers after the forgettable first. Every time they made a push or found a little momentum, Oklahoma City silenced the hint of a threat with a timely three-pointer, a clutch drive to the basket or a few defensive stands. The Thunder did not lead by fewer than 17 points over the final three quarters, extending their edge to as many as 36 in the fourth.
Oklahoma City’s vaunted defense, which entered the game leading the NBA in defensive rating (103.0), was relentless, forcing 17 turnovers and limiting Portland to 37% shooting, including 26% from three-point range.
Jerami Grant, who scored 21 points on 6-for-8 shooting, was one of just three Blazers to reach double-figures in scoring. Avdija was another — he had 11 points and five rebounds — but he made just 4 of 16 shots, including 1 of 8 threes.
“Offensively, we couldn’t get anything,” Splitter told reporters after the game. “It was one of those nights that our shots weren’t falling.”
That was no such problem for Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 37 points, seven assists and five rebounds, using a deluge of driving finger rolls, midrange jumpers and three-pointers to blitz the Blazers all night. He made 13 of 18 shots, 9 of 9 free throws, and sat the entire fourth quarter because of his team’s lopsided lead. Gilgeous-Alexander ranks third in the NBA in scoring, averaging 31.9 points per game.
Ajay Mitchell scored 20 points and Isaiah Joe added 10 for the Thunder, who had 12 different players score.
“I think we play very slow tonight, (we were) afraid to drive it and kick it out,” Splitter told reporters afterward. “I think we were too careful. So that cannot happen (Monday). We’ve got to be more aggressive, that’s our game, that’s how we play. When we get too cute with the ball, that’s not us. We’ve got to get better there.”
Next up
The Blazers end a three-game trip Monday, when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks at 5 p.m.
