OKC Thunder's Historic Start Ends with Loss to Trail Blazers
The Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Portland Trail Blazers 121–119 on Wednesday night in Portland, ending their perfect start to the season. Despite leading by 22 points in the first half, the Thunder couldn’t withstand Portland’s furious fourth-quarter rally.
With the defeat, Oklahoma City now holds an 8–1 record, halting its historic start. The team was short-handed, missing Chet Holmgren (lower back sprain), Lu Dort (right upper trap strain), and Alex Caruso (rest) during the second night of a back-to-back.
"I thought we had a chance to control the game, and we had some stretches that were pretty costly," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. "The guys really tried to grit it out and gave ourselves a chance down the stretch, but we didn't execute enough to win."
Three Takeaways from the Game
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Oklahoma City built a commanding early lead but struggled to close out the game amid Portland’s late push, losing composure in critical moments.
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Despite missing several key players, the Thunder fought hard, keeping the contest close until the final minute.
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Jaylin Williams, still wearing a bandage from three stitches above his swollen left eye after an elbow to the face versus the Clippers, showed toughness. He denied a chip shot attempt by Portland’s 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan with an impressive block in the first quarter.
Author’s Summary
The Thunder’s thrilling start to the season hit its first stumble as Portland erased a massive lead, exposing OKC’s inexperience and resilience under pressure.
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