In an unexpectedly strong game on Wednesday night, the Portland Trail Blazers came very close to defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Before a late-game surge pushed OK ahead 109-99, Portland’s defense and three-point shooting held them in the game against a better team on the road. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 points, while Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 30. Despite shooting 6–16, Shaedon Sharpe led the Blazers with 21 points. These are a few of the crucial elements that supported the Blazers and affected the result.
Active Protection Tonight, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe, and Scoot Henderson left Portland. Portland was thus more than capable of using their preferred defensive strategy, which is to switch everything and act like the headmaster of a school in the 1400s. Although the Thunder occasionally hunted for Henderson against taller dribblers, Portland’s screen swaps kept them active and in front of their opponents most of the time. Without a doubt, the Blazers’ ability to stay in this game was a result of their defense. For the majority of the game, they maintained the score low, keeping it at or around 100 points. Their offensive is capable of handling such rate. Hell, it should be within the reach of any NBA team.
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