Paul George, Thunder Survive Trail Blazers in OT Despite Damian Lillard's 51
The Oklahoma City Thunder moved ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference standings with a thrilling 129-121 overtime victory in a potential playoff preview Thursday at Moda Center.
The final 13 seconds of regulation were some of the most dramatic of the NBA season. Terrance Ferguson's putback put OKC ahead by two before Jusuf Nurkic drew a foul on the other end. However, he was ejected after he head-butted Paul George, so the Blazers chose Skal Labissiere to shoot the free throws.
He missed them both, but Al-Farouq Aminu drew a foul on the rebound and forced OT with his free throws.
The Thunder prevailed in the extra period behind another stat-sheet-stuffing performance from George. The MVP candidate finished with 32 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three steals, while Russell Westbrook added 37 points and seven rebounds despite eight turnovers.
Damian Lillard was dominant for the Trail Blazers with 51 points, nine assists and five rebounds, but his showing and the support from CJ McCollum (25 points) and Nurkic (13 points and 17 rebounds) was not enough to end the home team's slump.
The squads were tied with the Houston Rockets for the Nos. 3 through 5 seeds entering play, but Portland has taken a hit with its third loss in four games. OKC snapped a stretch that saw it go 1-5 in its previous six contests.
Thunder vs. Blazers Is 1st-Round Matchup the West Needs
The first round of the Western Conference playoffs could be short on intriguing storylines with no LeBron James and the juggernaut Golden State Warriors as the heavy title favorites.
A heated showdown between the Thunder and Trail Blazers would provide exactly what NBA fans would need to fight off early-round boredom.
The tension in the final seconds of Thursday's regular-season game with a head-butt, scuffles and plenty of trash talk underscored how intense a seven-game series could get between these division rivals. There's also already some history in place between Westbrook and Portland, as Cody Taylor of USA Today's Thunder Wire summarized.
Westbrook said Evan Turner can "rock right back to Portland" after the latter busted out his "Rockabye Baby" move in a game. The point guard also criticized Nurkic and told Lillard he's "been busting that ass for years."
The individual battle between Westbrook and Lillard, who have contrasting styles, would be the series backdrop.
OKC's point guard is always attacking the basket with relentless energy and is a major reason the Thunder are third in the league in pace, per NBA.com. Lillard has a silky smooth stroke from deep and is seemingly always in control and level until he enters takeover mode in the fourth quarter.
In addition, George is anything but a supporting actor as a legitimate MVP candidate and arguably the league's top two-way player this season.
If Lillard is in takeover mode in the fourth, the Thunder can turn to George on either side of the floor in an effort to either slow him down or match him basket for basket.
McCollum can also serve as an X-factor and do his best Splash Brothers impersonation with Lillard and drill open threes when defenders collapse on the point guard, a la Klay Thompson when Stephen Curry faces doubles.
The bad blood and NBA Jam-like featuring of two impact players on each side makes the series intriguing enough, but the Thunder and Trail Blazers also feature two of the best crowds in the league. There is no NFL, MLB or NHL team in either city, and the main shows in town bring out passionate fans who would create raucous environments in every game.
Home-court advantage could decide it with the two teams a combined 46-18 at home this season.
Westbrook has already helped lead the Thunder to an NBA Finals and Western Conference Finals, while Lillard is looking to make it past the second round for first time. A showdown with each other would be the most entertaining first-round option in the West.
What’s Next?
The Thunder are at the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, while the Trail Blazers host the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.
