NBA
Thunder Defeat Trail Blazers, 120-111
Time and time again, the Thunder prove themselves to be a true contender. Last night, the Thunder were without Jerami Grant and Dennis Schroder — two vital pieces against the Portland Trail Blazers. Playing without both players could have hindered their chance at winning this game at home.
However, Paul George played beyond his usual MVP self and brought home the win for the Thunder — 120-111. There were MVP performances and unsung heroes throughout this game to help bring home their fifth-straight win.
MVP for PG13
What else is there to say about George these days? He is on a scary tear this season, and last night could be one of the best performances of his career. Another night where he couldn’t be stopped offensively, he hit what felt like everything on the floor. He ended the night with 47 points on 15/26 shooting, 8/13 from beyond the arc, and 9/11 from the line. That is just ridiculous.
Also, he dropped a triple-double tonight with 11 rebounds and 10 assists. George has Russell Westbrook to thank for that, as he hit the three to get him to 10 assists. Can you say best friends? There is no other way to say this. He has just been phenomenal and people are starting to realize it. He scores efficiently from all over the court. George can fly past you for a dunk, hit a jump shot, and drill a three-pointer. He can also make defenders dance — watch what he did to Al-Farouq Aminu in the first quarter.
Even Opponents Had Great Things To Say About PG13
You don’t believe George is the MVP? Ask the players who just went up against him. Lillard had some nice things to say about George after the game.
“He’s on a different level. After watching him over the last 10 games or so, I catch a lot of their games, and then seeing him tonight, that dude is MVP. If they keep this up, he’s MVP.”
Not just Lillard, Evan Turner also felt the same way about George.
“Everybody is going crazy for Giannis and James [Harden]. Everybody I probably went up against, and no disrespect to other teams, they’re unbelievable, Paul is the best that we probably went up against all year. He’s at a completely different level. It’s hard to even explain.”
Players and fans alike are starting to realize George is playing out of his mind.
Unsung Heroes
The points normally come from George, Wesbrook, Schroder, and Grant in every game. However, Schroder was out with personal issues, and Grant had a sprained right ankle. So that means other guys off the bench would have to step up for those missing points. Steven Adams would have to be more active in order to beat a Blazers team that is in the playoff race, right?
Well, not exactly. Adams only finished with nine points and a shocking one rebound. Offensively, he was not effective. Who were helping the Thunder get 120 points? Two people you wouldn’t have expected. One guy is Raymond Felton, who hasn’t seen minutes since December 30th against the Dallas Mavericks. He has been non-existent all this year, frankly because he is old and isn’t that good. However, with Schroder out, he had to get time on the court to relieve Westbrook. He killed in the second quarter, helping the Thunder grow their lead. He scored all of his 15 points in the second quarter.
There was another guy that helped the Thunder grab the win, Deonte Burton. Who is this guy? Well, he played the last three games prior to this one but only played 15 minutes all together. Before that, his last game was December 10th, where he played one minute. Tonight however, he filled a very needed gap. He finished the game with 18 points on 7/9 shooting, 3/5 from three, and also added three blocks. Without Burton and Felton, Thunder don’t win this game.
Thunder Holds Off Blazers Comeback
The Thunder found themselves stagnant in the third quarter, only scoring 19 points while the Blazers had 33 points and cut their deficit to single digits. Damian Lillard and Jake Layman started finding their shot and were making the game interesting. Rodney Hood was also finding himself a bit in the fourth, but none of that mattered.
George, Burton, and Westbrook started playing their game, and the Blazers couldn’t keep up. They missed a few threes in a row and that was all she wrote on this game. Blazers were probably still shell-shocked from blowing a 15-point lead to the Mavericks in their last game. It was as simple as they just didn’t have it, and the big lead the Thunder took in the second quarter was too much to overcome for the Blazers.
Triple-Double Brothers
It is obvious that George and Westbrook are close friends. It is also obvious Westbrook loves his triple-doubles. He got his in the fourth quarter when George hit a three to retake a double-digit lead. Westbrook finished the night with 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. But Westbrook didn’t want to be the only one, he wanted his friend George to have one himself.
Knowing that he was one assist away, he told George there will be a play run for him to get that tenth assist. Adams set the screen for Westbrook to nail an open three, and it was celebrating time. They were smiling and giddy as ever for each other, and George loved getting in on that triple-double action. That is what makes this team so great — the chemistry between the two is undeniable.
The Thunder get their fifth-straight win and go to 37-19 on the season. They will be back on the road to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.
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Photo Credit
@okcthunder via Twitter
Writer Brandan Verrastro
