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PORTLAND, Ore. — Damian Lillard hit a 3-pointer from the logo with 1.1 seconds left in the third quarter Tuesday night, then sat out the fourth. Lillard finished with 25 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 123-103 at Moda Center.
Lillard shot 8-of-15 from the field, 4-of-10 from 3-point range, and 5-of-5 at the line in 24 minutes, adding 3 rebounds and 3 assists. He entered the night averaging 19.4 points. He scored 13 of his points in the third quarter, according to Field Level Media, when Portland outscored Oklahoma City 38-21.
Deni Avdija had 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists on 8-of-15 shooting. Field Level Media reported it was Portland’s second win over the Thunder in the past 21 meetings.
Portland snapped a two-game losing streak, according to The Associated Press, and improved to 7-3. The Trail Blazers had lost at the Lakers on Nov. 6 and at home to San Antonio on Nov. 7. Oklahoma City had won four straight and fell to 8-3.
Portland Trail Blazers Break Open A Tied Game In The Third Quarter
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points early as the Thunder took a 27-26 lead after the first quarter, and the first half ended tied at 59. He had 20 points before halftime, and Lillard had 12, according to Field Level Media.
Ajay Mitchell’s basket gave Oklahoma City a 71-70 lead with 7:09 left in the third quarter. Lillard hit back-to-back 3-pointers during a 9-0 Portland run that made it 79-71, AP reported. Avdija converted a layup and a 3-pointer in the final minute of the quarter before Lillard’s 3-pointer from the logo made it 97-80.
Jrue Holiday hit a 3-pointer and added a floater to push the lead to 108-89 with 7:33 left. Sidy Cissoko made two 3-pointers in 55 seconds, and the second gave Portland a 20-point lead with 4:53 to play. The Trail Blazers led by as many as 22.
Cissoko finished with 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-10 from 3-point range, in his first start of the season. He started in place of Scoot Henderson, who scored 11 off the bench on 3-of-12 shooting. Holiday added 11 points, Toumani Camara scored 12, and Donovan Clingan had 7 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Portland shot 40-of-91 from the field and 19-of-50 from 3-point range, with 26 assists. The Trail Blazers made 24 of their 26 free throws. Oklahoma City entered the night allowing a league-low 104.2 points per game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scores 26 For Short-Handed Oklahoma City Thunder
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points on 8-of-22 shooting and 8 rebounds in 29 minutes. He missed all 4 of his 3-point attempts, went 10-of-11 at the free-throw line, and did not play in the fourth quarter. He entered the night averaging 29.9 points.
Jared McCain scored 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. Mitchell added 14 points, Bennett Stirtz scored 13 off the bench, and Aday Mara had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Oklahoma City played without Jalen Williams (ankle), Chet Holmgren (knee), and Cason Wallace (shoulder), according to AP. Jaylin Williams missed his fourth game with back spasms.
The Thunder acquired Nique Clifford from Sacramento on Sunday. Clifford made his Oklahoma City debut to start the second quarter and scored 4 points in 20 minutes, including a reverse layup early in the fourth. Oklahoma City arrived off a 114-75 win over Washington on Saturday, and the teams meet again Wednesday at Moda Center, with tip-off set for 10 p.m. ET.
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