The OKC Thunder start hot but get run out of the gym by the red-hot Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2. Postgame grades tell the tale of the tape.
After dropping a disappointing game on Sunday in Game 1, the OKC Thunder needed Game 2 to feel good about themselves in this series. Unfortunately for them, the Portland Trail Blazers came to play and sucker-punched them right in the mouth. The result was a 114-94 final score, that somehow felt generous given the Thunder’s play in the second half.
Things started off great, as OKC came out hungry and with bounds of energy. That lead to a well-played first quarter that saw the boys in blue up five. They built upon that to start the second period, playing well enough to gain a 10-point lead with five minutes remaining in the first half. Somehow, from that point onward, they got slapped in the face by Portland.
The Blazers out-scored the OKC Thunder by 30 (!) points from that point onward and ran away with this game with a barrage of 3-pointers. Something that this Thunder team has forgotten how to do, as they shot just 5-28 from downtown as a team. That is not going to cut it in any playoff series.
Game 3 in Oklahoma City on Friday will decide the fate of this season. OKC needs to rise up and bounce back, or they face a sweep (and world’s of criticism) straight in the eyes if they were to lose again.
On to player grades.