Trail Blazers Rally to Beat Thunder 121-119
Deni Avdija led the Portland Trail Blazers with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists as they overcame a 22-point deficit to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119 on Wednesday night.
Jrue Holiday contributed 22 points, including two crucial free throws with six seconds remaining that gave Portland a 121-118 lead. Jerami Grant added 20 points off the bench to help hand the defending NBA champions their first loss of the season.
Thrilling Final Moments
Trailing by three, the Thunder’s Isaiah Joe was fouled on a jumper with just 0.5 seconds left. After a replay review confirmed Joe’s toe was on the 3-point line, he made the first free throw and deliberately missed the second. Oklahoma City's last-second tip-in attempt failed.
“Isaiah Joe made his first free throw but missed the second on purpose. Oklahoma City came up empty on a last-second tip-in attempt.”
Key Performances and Team Updates
- Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points.
- Aaron Wiggins added 27 points.
- Oklahoma City was without Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, and Alex Caruso, who did not play after Tuesday’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Holiday gave Portland its first lead of the game at 97-96 with 6:44 remaining. After forcing a backcourt violation, he hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 100-96. Wiggins responded with a 5-0 run to put the Thunder back ahead 101-100, but the teams exchanged leads until Grant’s jumper gave the Blazers a 105-104 advantage.
“Holiday's jumper gave Portland its first lead at 97-96 with 6:44 left.”
The Trail Blazers improved to 5-3 this season, while the Thunder dropped to 8-1 after the hard-fought loss.
Author’s Summary: The Trail Blazers overcame a 22-point deficit with strong performances from Avdija and Holiday, handing the Thunder their first loss despite key absences and a late surge.
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