Tre goes behind-the-back to JWill 🤝
In a show of pure authority, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a sweeping victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, closing with a resounding 139-77 win on Thursday night. The 62-point difference ranks as the fifth-largest thrashing in the NBA's rich history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dazzled with 31 points, while Josh Giddey had an impressive triple-double: 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. At 21, Giddey becomes the youngest player in NBA history to reach a triple-double with 100% shooting in a single game.
Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups described the evening as a "perfect storm" and acknowledged that "nothing really worked for us." The Thunder's victory not only set a new record for the team's margin of victory, but also catapulted them into the Western Conference lead with an impressive 26-11 record, matching the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This stunning win served as redemption for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who on December 2, 2021, suffered the worst loss in NBA history when they fell to the Memphis Grizzlies by 73 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recalled the impact of that loss and how he became the driving force for the team.
"After that game, we dealt with it and made a promise to ourselves to never feel that feeling again," Gilgeous-Alexander expressed. "I think it's been a source of motivation to get us to where we are tonight."
On the other hand, the Trail Blazers experienced their second-largest loss in team history, the first coming in 1998 when they lost to the Indiana Pacers by 65 points. They also became the first franchise in NBA history to lose by 60 or more points on multiple occasions. The 77 points scored by Portland represent the fewest points scored by any team in a game in the last two seasons.
The Thunder's collective performance was astounding, with 41 assists on 53 successful shots from the field. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault stressed the importance of overcoming two crucial obstacles in the game: starting the game with energy and playing with a lead.
"We overcame a couple of obstacles today," Daigneault noted. "The first was the start of the game, how ready we were to play and the energy we were able to generate, obviously, with a tough schedule, which is a step forward. It's mind over matter. And then the other hurdle was playing with a lead...I think we played pretty well with a lead, on both sides of the court."
The Trail Blazers' frustration was palpable, with Coach Billups admitting that "there's not a lot of good to say about this game." Ineffective shooting and an inability to slow the Thunder's momentum led to a discouraging night for Portland.
With this historic victory, the Thunder have demonstrated their resilience and ability to overcome adversity, consolidating themselves as a serious contender in the NBA's Western Conference.
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