3 takeaways after OKC Thunder break five-year hoodoo against Portland 111-109
By Noah Schulte
Can anyone score on OKC?
I could go on and on about how incredible OKC’s defense was last night, despite the final score, but I think it’d be better to compile the tweets that found their way onto my timeline last night on OKC’s incredible defense.
OKC’s length is overwhelming POR.
— Alex Mugo (@AM93_GSG) January 5, 2019
Lillard, McCollum, and Nurkic were 6-of-25 in the 2nd half.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) January 5, 2019
Fear OKC’s defense.
Portland playing that well and only being up five is very OKC
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) January 5, 2019
Thunder picking Damian Lillard's pocket last eight minutes or so. Noel twice, Westbrook the latest. Thunder with nine steals.
— Erik Horne (@ErikkHorne) January 5, 2019
Paul George's ability to just not get screened is remarkable. Watching him defend individually on a nightly basis is just about as amazing as it was watching Kevin Durant score.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) January 5, 2019
Why did nobody else deploy Nerlens Noel in this chaotic ball of energy defender and rim runner role
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) January 5, 2019
The Thunder comfortably has the best defense in the NBA because of both their glut of individual stoppers and the incredible cohesion with which they play. They might not win a title this season but man it’s going to be fun watching them shut down teams like they did against Portland.