Game 54: Oklahoma City Thunder 89, Portland Trail Blazers 77

That was not fun.

That was the main thing I kept thinking about last night as I drove home from the game and even when I woke up this morning. Now that much of the season is in the books, I can reflect on how tough it has been this season for the players, and how frustrating it has been for the fans. It doesn't seem like anyone is having fun.

This game was another example, in a string of games, that showed why Brandon Roy and our two big men are so important to this team. With no closer/go to guy and no interior defense, the Blazers look like a bunch of guys with no purpose on either end of the floor.

The Thunder made extra passes, including passing out of the double team for easy buckets, while Portland stood stagnant shooting jumpers time after time. Andre Miller tried to break the bad behavior by driving to the hoop but guys were off, not cutting, not moving and basically Oklahoma City handled Portland for most of the game.

Getting back to reflecting on this season and last, one difficult thing to get over is how well Portland always played, and finished, at home last year in the regular season. 19 of the 21 games I attended last year were wins. It was fun, they played more free with less to lose. A lot like the Thunder are playing this year. But once expectations, extensions and injuries crept in, the happy Rose Garden has been different.

Individually, Kevin Durant is a freak of nature and a scoring machine. He's a guard in a lanky, sometimes awkward, forwards body and he can shoot over anyone he wants. He's already getting the benefit of calls and going to the line. I'm amazed by his output but still not completely impressed overall.

I think a lot of NBA players could be plugged into the position of shooting 25+ times a game and put up big scoring numbers. The NBA and it's fans seem to obsess over guys who can score the ball. The NBA also changed every rule so scoring is easier. Durant will probably continue to progress, and be an amazing player, but we should be able to beat them even when he scores 30+.

For Portland, the focal point of the offense was LaMarcus Aldridge. Most of the time the offense went through him and he didn't always make the most of his opportunities. For him to only attempt 10 shots is a travesty. He should be moving towards the hoop looking for the ball at all times.

There were a few times where he literally faded away from the hoop while his teammate went into the paint looking for a bail out. LA could bail guys out and get easy buckets, but he won't. The 15 rebounds is great, but against a somewhat undersized team like OKC, LaMarcus should be licking his chops and looking to put up 25 himself.

Portland has a game tonight against Phoenix, a chance to pick up a win before the All-Star break. I'm not going to hold my breath, but I'm also not going to feel too terrible if we lose.

The Blazers need Brandon Roy and hopefully he'll return next week. This team is an awkward shell of themselves without Roy, and without any offensive creatiivity or defensive committment, the losing will just continue. Let's hope not.

Box Score