2019 NBA Playoffs First Round - Blazers vs Thunder

[SurferGirl]

ROUND 1



Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers

UPDATED 4/23/19 FOLLOWING THE TRAIL BLAZERS 4-1 SERIES WIN. THE OTHER SERIES SCHEDULES BELOW WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE FIRST ROUND. WE AT SCtoC WILL PRESENT A SEPARATE THREAD FOR THE TRAIL BLAZERS' CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL AGAINST EITHER THE DENVER NUGGETS OR THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS.


OVERVIEW

There are plenty of stars to go around in this opening round playoff series. Forward Paul George has resurrected his career in Oklahoma City and was number two on the NBA's scoring average at 28.0 points per game during the regular season. Russell Westbrook can hurt opponents with scoring rebounding and dishing the ball. Damian Lillard has been the face of the Blazers franchise since being selected sixth overall by the team in the 2012 NBA Draft. Lillard scored 25.8 points per game, ninth in the NBA during the regular season. His backcourt mate, CJ McCollum is coming off a leg injury, but should be at near full strength for this series. McCollum scored at a 21.0 points per game clip during the regular season. George, nursing a shoulder injury, still played in this series. Oklahoma City was without guard Andre Roberson throughout the duration of this series. Portland center Jusuf Nurkic, its third leading scorer and leading rebounder, is out for the entire playoffs with a compound fracture in his lower leg.

The history of the Thunder goes back to Portland's northern neighbor, Seattle, who began play in the 1967-68 season. They relocated to Oklahoma City prior to the 2008-09 season after owner Clay Bennett and the city of Seattle reached a settlement paving the way for the team to relocate. Bennett, who is from OKC, saw success of the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans), who played several games there the prior seasons after the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina made playing in New Orleans unfeasible. Bennett bought the Sonics and moved them to the Dust Bowl. As the Thunder, they have advanced to the NBA Finals once, in 2012 when they were defeated by the Miami Heat, 4-1. They reached the NBA Finals three times as the Supersonics in 1978, 1979 and 1996. They won the championship in 1979, avenging their championship bid loss to the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) winning 4-1. There are 10 former Sonics players and coaches in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, including Lenny Wilkins, who played for the team from 1968 to 1972. He also served as head coach from 1969 to 72 and from 1977 to 1985. Wilkins was also a guard for the Blazers in the 1974-75 season, and coached the team from 1974 to 1976.

The Blazers were founded in 1970 and are the first of the 1970-71 expansion teams to win an NBA Championship, which they earned in 1977. They played in the NBA Finals again in 1990 and 1992, but were defeated by the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, respectively. The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first championship in 2015-16. The third expansion team from that year, the Buffalo Braves, relocated to San Diego and then to Los Angeles as the Clippers and have yet to win an NBA title. The Blazers have been located in Portland during their entire 49-year tenure in the NBA. Lillard is the fourth Blazer to have been awarded NBA Rookie of the Year honors, winning unanimously following the 2012-13 season. The other Blazers to have that honor are Geoff Petrie (1970-71), Sydney Wicks (1971-72) and Brandon Roy (2006-07). The Blazers have qualified for the playoffs in 34 of their 48 seasons, including a 21-year streak from 1977 to 1997. Portland is making its sixth consecutive playoff appearance and 35th as a franchise. Former Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks head coach Terry Stotts is in his seventh season at the helm of the Blazers. He has a 325-249 regular season record and is 15-25 in the playoffs with the team after the Blazers won this series.


Damian Lilliard hit this series winning three pointer at the buzzer to clinch game 5 and a trip to the next round.


SERIES RESULTS

The following are results for the series. Those results include the final score, a headline link to the nba.com boxscore, and stat summary.

Game 1: April 14 (at Portland) - Blazers 104, Thunder 99
Lillard goes for 30 as Blazers take game 1 at home
Thunder - Paul George 26 pts; Paul George/Russell Westbrook 10 reb; Russell Westbrook 10 ast
Blazers -  Damian Lillard 30 pts; Enes Kanter 18 reb; Damian Lillard 4 ast

Game 2: April 16 - (at Portland) Blazers 114, Thunder 94
Second half surge lifts Blazers to 2-0 series lead over Thunder
Thunder - Paul George 27 pts; Steven Adams/Russell Westbrook 9 reb; Russell Westbrook 11 ast
Blazers - CJ McCollum 33 pts; Al-Farouq Aminu 9 reb; Damian Lillard 6 ast

Game 3: April 19 - (at Oklahoma City) Thunder 120, Blazers 108
Thunder hold serve at home to grab game 3
Blazers - Damian Lillard 32 pts; Al-Farouq Aminu 9 reb; CJ McCollum 7 ast
Thunder - Russell Westbrook 33 pts; Steven Adams 7 reb; Russell Westbrook 11 ast

Game 4: April 21 - (at Oklahoma City) Blazers 111, Thunder 98
Frontcourt combines for 29 boards in Blazers win
Blazers - CJ McCollum 27 pts; Maurice Harkless/Enes Kanter 10 reb; Damian Lillard 8 ast
Thunder - Paul George 32 pts; Paul George 10 reb; Paul George 10 ast

Game 5: April 23 - (at Portland) Blazers 118, Thunder 115
Dame Dolla drills three at buzzer to advance Blazers to second round
Thunder - Paul George 36 pts; Russell Westbrook 11 reb; Russell Westbrook 14 ast
Blazers - Damian Lillard 50 pts; Enes Kanter 13 reb; Damian Lillard 6 ast


HOME ARENAS
Thunder - Chesapeake Energy Arena; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (capacity for basketball: 18,203)
Blazers - Moda Center at the Rose Quarter; Portland, Oregon (capacity for basketball: 19,393)

REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Thunder - 49-33 overall; 27-14 home and 22-19 road (6th in Western Conference 6th in Northwest Division).
Blazers - 53-29 overall; 32-9 home and 21-20 road (3rd in Western Conference; 2nd in Northwest Division).


HEAD-TO-HEAD REGULAR SEASON RESULTS

January 5 (at Portland) - Thunder 111, Blazers 109
George, Westbrook combine for 68 in Thunder win
Thunder - Paul George 37 pts; Steven Adams 12 reb; Russell Westbrook 7 ast
Blazers - Damian Lillard 23 pts; Al-Farouq Aminu 15 reb; Evan Turner 9 ast 

January 22 (at Oklahoma City) - Thunder 123, Blazers 114
Westbrook nets triple-double in nine point win for OKC
Blazers - Damian Lillard 34 pts; Jusuf Nurkic 15 reb; Damian Lillard 8 ast
Thunder - Paul George 36 pts; Russell Westbrook 10 reb; Russell Westbrook 14 ast

February 11 - (at Oklahoma City) - Thunder 120, Blazers 111
George explodes for 47 to lead Thunder to win
Blazers - Damian Lillard 31 pts; Jusuf Nurkic 12 reb; Damian Lillard 6 ast
Thunder - Paul George 47 pts; Russell Westbrook 14 reb; Russell Westbrook 11 ast

March 7 (at Portland) - Thunder 129; Blazers 121
Lillard's 51 not enough as Thunder complete sweep over Blazers
Thunder - Russell Westbrook - 37 pts; Paul George 14 reb; Paul George 6 ast
Blazers - Damian Lillard 51 pts; Jusuf Nurkic 17 reb; Damian Lillard 9


OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

ROSTER


HEAD COACH
Billy Donovan (Providence)



ASSISTANT COACHES
Maurice Cheeks (West Texas St.)
Mark Bryant (Seton Hall)
Darko Rajakovic (Serbia)
Vin Bhavnani (USC)
Bob Beyer (Alfred)
Billy Schmidt - Quality Control (Wake Forest)

TEAM STATISTICS REGULAR SEASON - PER GAME
Points - 114.5
Rebounds - 48.1
Assists - 23.4
Steals - 9.3
Blocks - 5.2
Turnovers - 14.0
FG - 45.4%
3pt - 34.8%
FT - 71.3%

TEAM STATISTICS VERSUS BLAZERS - PER GAME
Points - 120.8
Rebounds - 47.3
Assists - 20.3
Steals - 10.3
Blocks - 5.8
Turnovers 12.5
FG - 46.5%
3pt - 39.1%
FT - 80.0%

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATS



PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

ROSTER


HEAD COACH
Terry Stotts (Oklahoma)



ASSISTANT COACHES
David Vanterpool (St. Bonaventure)
Nate Tibbetts (South Dakota)
Dale Osbourne (South Alabama)
John  McCullough (Oklahoma)
Jim Moran (William & Mary)

ATHLETIC TRAINER
Geoff Clark (Oregon St.)

TEAM STATISTICS REGULAR SEASON - PER GAME
Points - 114.7
Rebounds - 48.0
Assists - 23.0
Steals - 6.7
Blocks - 5.0
Turnovers - 13.8
FG - 46.7%
3pt - 35.9%
FT - 80.0%

TEAM STATISTICS VERSUS THUNDER - PER GAME
Points - 113.8
Rebounds - 49.8
Assists - 20.8
Steals - 7.0
Blocks - 5.8
Turnovers - 14.8
FG - 42.3%
3pt - 28.5%
FT - 79.7%

INDIVIDUAL REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS



FRANCHISES' HEAD-TO-HEAD PLAYOFF HISTORY

1977-78 - Sonics defeated Blazers in the Western Conference Semifinals, 4-2
1979-80 - Sonics defeated Blazers in the First Round, 2-1
1982-83 - Blazers defeated Sonics in the First Round, 2-0
1990-91 - Blazers defeated Sonics in the First Round, 3-2
2018-19 - Blazers defeated Thunder in the First Round, 4-1


2019 NBA PLAYOFF SERIES SCHEDULES

Western Conference

Golden St. Warriors (1) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (8) - Warriors win series 4-2
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Warriors (H) 121, Clippers 104
Game 1: Mon, April 15 - Clippers 135, Warriors (H) 131
Game 3: Thu, April 18 - Warriors 132 Clippers (H) 105
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Warriors 113, Clippers (H) 105
Game 5: Wed, April 24 - Clippers 129, Warriors (H) 121
Game 6: Fri, April 26 - Warriors 129, Clippers (H) 110

Denver Nuggets (2) vs. San Antonio Spurs (7) - Nuggets win series 4-3
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Spurs 101, Nuggets (H) 96
Game 2: Tue, April 16 - Nuggets (H) 114, Spurs 105
Game 3: Thu, April 18 - Spurs (H) 118, Nuggets 108
Game 4: Sat, April 20 - Nuggets 117, Spurs (H) 103
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - Nuggets (H) 108, Spurs 90
Game 6: Thu, April 25 - Spurs (H) 120, Nuggets 103
Game 7: Sat, April 27 - Nuggets (H) 90, Spurs 86

Portland Trail Blazers (3) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (6) - Blazers win series 4-1
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Blazers (H) 104, Thunder 99
Game 2: Tue, April 16 - Blazers (H) 114, Thunder 94
Game 3: Fri, April 19 - Thunder (H) 120, Blazers 108
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Blazers 111, Thunder (H) 98
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - Blazers (H) 118, Thunder 115

Houston Rockets (4) vs. Utah Jazz (5) - Rockets win series 4-1
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Rockets (H) 122, Jazz 90
Game 2: Wed, April 17 - Rockets (H) 118, Jazz 98
Game 3: Sat, April 20 - Rockets 104, Jazz (H) 101
Game 4: Mon, April 22 - Jazz (H) 107, Rockets 91
Game 5: Wed, April 24 - Rockets (H) 100, Jazz 93

Eastern Conference

Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Detroit Pistons (8) - Bucks win series 4-0
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Bucks (H) 121, Pistons 86
Game 2: Wed, April 17 - Bucks (H) 120, Pistons 99
Game 3: Sat, April 20 - Bucks 119, Pistons (H) 103
Game 4: Mon, April 22 - Bucks 127, Pistons (H) 104

Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Orlando Magic (7) - Raptors win series 4-1
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Magic 104, Raptors (H) 101
Game 2: Tue, April 16 - Raptors (H) 111, Magic 82
Game 3: Fri, April 19 - Raptors 98, Magic (H) 93
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Raptors 107, Magic (H) 85
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - Raptors (H) 115, Magic 96

Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6) - 76ers win series 4-1
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Nets 111, 76ers (H) 102
Game 2: Mon, April 15 -76ers (H) 145,  Nets 123
Game 3: Thu, April 18 - 76ers 131, Nets (H) 115
Game 4: Sat, April 20 - 76ers 112, Nets (H) 108
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - 76ers (H) 122, Nets 100

Boston Celtics (4) vs. Indiana Pacers (5) - Celtics win series 4-0
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Celtics (H) 84, Pacers 74
Game 2: Wed, April 17 - Celtics (H) 99, Pacers 91
Game 3: Fri, April 19 - Celtics 104, Pacers (H) 96
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Celtics 110, Pacers (H) 106

*If necessary

All times Pacific. Home team in series is first one listed in the series header. Teams' conference rankings listed in the header in parenthesis. Some times and dates are subject to change. This will be updated as games become final.

PRINTABLE TV SCHEDULE



Note: Times in this schedule are eastern standard time.

PLAYOFF BRACKET


(via CBS Sports/updated by SCtoC staff)

PRINTABLE BRACKET



For best results, right click and open in a new tab or window.

- JBH

To share this post on social media, please go to the right side of the page (the top of the page on the mobile site) to the social media icons and choose which social media site(s) to share the thread. To comment on this thread and others on this forum, please login or register.

     

[SurferGirl]

Pretty cool tweet from Enes Kanter after the Blazers beat the Lakers Tuesday night to secure home court advantage.

[Yeseeka]

I feel like I know my hometown team pretty well. I have two parents, four brothers and a few sisters who are huge into sports. Julie, you do a terrific job of showing us a few things I did not know. What a great preview of the series. After losing the season series to the Thunder, the Blazers are going to have their hands full in the playoffs. I think this is really going to be an interesting series.

[Yeseeka]

I hope this is not a trend from day one to day two. Opposing teams won three of four game 1's on Saturday. Let's get some home wins on Sunday, including the Blazers!

[spiderfan]

I gotta tell ya y'all's Trailblazers are playing well against my Thunder. The next 2 games at Chesapeake Arena (home of the Thunder) will show what kind of series this will end up being. If the Trailblazers win one on the road? Five game series. If the Thunder win their home games? 6 or 7 game series. We'll see what happens.

[spiderfan]

Apr 17, 2019 19:53:11 GMT -8 spiderfan said:

I gotta tell ya y'all's Trailblazers are playing well against my Thunder. The next 2 games at Chesapeake Arena (home of the Thunder) will show what kind of series this will end up being. If the Trailblazers win one on the road? Five game series. If the Thunder win their home games? 6 or 7 game series. We'll see what happens.

Well, the Thunder just won Game 3. They made over half of their three-pointers so that was a huge factor in the game. Although, the Blazers hung in there for a LONG time and luckily for me the Thunder were able to come up big when they had to. Game 4 is going to determine the series IMO. If the Thunder win? They have a decent shot to win the series? If the Thunder lose? The Trailblazers are going to be preparing for the Spurs or Nuggets. 

[SurferGirl]

Apr 19, 2019 20:20:30 GMT -8 spiderfan said:

Apr 17, 2019 19:53:11 GMT -8 spiderfan said:

I gotta tell ya y'all's Trailblazers are playing well against my Thunder. The next 2 games at Chesapeake Arena (home of the Thunder) will show what kind of series this will end up being. If the Trailblazers win one on the road? Five game series. If the Thunder win their home games? 6 or 7 game series. We'll see what happens.

Well, the Thunder just won Game 3. They made over half of their three-pointers so that was a huge factor in the game. Although, the Blazers hung in there for a LONG time and luckily for me the Thunder were able to come up big when they had to. Game 4 is going to determine the series IMO. If the Thunder win? They have a decent shot to win the series? If the Thunder lose? The Trailblazers are going to be preparing for the Spurs or Nuggets. 

Shots were not falling for the Blazers and the officials bought every single flop by the Thunder. 33 fouls against the Blazers and 22 against the Thunder. Home court advantage means everything to the NBA and its superstars. It would surprise me if the NBA, through it officials, make sure the Thunder advance.

[Yeseeka]

Apr 19, 2019 20:20:30 GMT -8 spiderfan said:

Apr 17, 2019 19:53:11 GMT -8 spiderfan said:

I gotta tell ya y'all's Trailblazers are playing well against my Thunder. The next 2 games at Chesapeake Arena (home of the Thunder) will show what kind of series this will end up being. If the Trailblazers win one on the road? Five game series. If the Thunder win their home games? 6 or 7 game series. We'll see what happens.

Well, the Thunder just won Game 3. They made over half of their three-pointers so that was a huge factor in the game. Although, the Blazers hung in there for a LONG time and luckily for me the Thunder were able to come up big when they had to. Game 4 is going to determine the series IMO. If the Thunder win? They have a decent shot to win the series? If the Thunder lose? The Trailblazers are going to be preparing for the Spurs or Nuggets. 

Well, one more game to win and it looks like we'll have some preparations to make! I know the Spurs-Nuggets series is tied 2-2. I hope they go to seven games and we win game 5 so we get a few extra days of rest and preparation.

[Yeseeka]

A tweet from Joe Freeman quoting Moe Harkless on the Thunder's trash talking. I love this!

[Yeseeka]

I'd note in the NBA schedules above, Milwaukee and Boston will match up in the next round. The Bucks, being the top seed in the East, will have home court advantage.

[spiderfan]

Apr 21, 2019 21:31:43 GMT -8 Yeseeka said:

A tweet from Joe Freeman quoting Moe Harkless on the Thunder's trash talking. I love this!

That they did. Before halftime I remember thinking "Hey, the Thunder are actually going to win this game! Yay!" and then I ended up disappointed as I have been in years past. Luckily, my Stars are winning so this part of the sports calendar is not a total loss for me. 

[spiderfan]

Apr 22, 2019 21:55:54 GMT -8 Yeseeka said:

I'd note in the NBA schedules above, Milwaukee and Boston will match up in the next round. The Bucks, being the top seed in the East, will have home court advantage.

That is going to be some great basketball. 

[Yeseeka]

Apr 22, 2019 22:55:08 GMT -8 spiderfan said:

Apr 21, 2019 21:31:43 GMT -8 Yeseeka said:

A tweet from Joe Freeman quoting Moe Harkless on the Thunder's trash talking. I love this!

That they did. Before halftime I remember thinking "Hey, the Thunder are actually going to win this game! Yay!" and then I ended up disappointed as I have been in years past. Luckily, my Stars are winning so this part of the sports calendar is not a total loss for me. 

Believe me, I think I can speak for the entire Blazer Nation when I say how disappointed we have been in years past. This year things feel a little different. Most of us felt like the season would be a bust when we lost Nurkic, but we've actually played pretty well. We're playing together, as a team. This season, Damian Lillard has really come into his own as a leader. I don't know how far we will go, but this season has turned into something special.

[spiderfan]

Apr 22, 2019 23:40:18 GMT -8 Yeseeka said:

Apr 22, 2019 22:55:08 GMT -8 spiderfan said:

That they did. Before halftime I remember thinking "Hey, the Thunder are actually going to win this game! Yay!" and then I ended up disappointed as I have been in years past. Luckily, my Stars are winning so this part of the sports calendar is not a total loss for me. 

Believe me, I think I can speak for the entire Blazer Nation when I say how disappointed we have been in years past. This year things feel a little different. Most of us felt like the season would be a bust when we lost Nurkic, but we've actually played pretty well. We're playing together, as a team. This season, Damian Lillard has really come into his own as a leader. I don't know how far we will go, but this season has turned into something special.

Well the Trailblazers are gonna end up playing either the Nuggets or Spurs. Gonna be interesting to see how that series turns out. 

[spiderfan]

Welp, congrats on y'all's Blazers pulling it off. I thought the Thunder were going to get destroyed and when it looked like the Thunder were not only going to win, but win convincingly I started thinking "hey Game 6 is in OKC. If the Thunder win in OKC then there is a Game 7. If there is a Game 7, the Thunder could come back from a 3-1 deficit and ultimately make the Blazers the punchline of the NBA postseason!". Nope. Instead Russell Westbrook made terrible shot after dumb foul after bad turnover thus causing a Blazers run thus causing a Thunder loss.

The Thunder need to trade Westbrook. I am well aware that he stayed and KD left. Guess what? Sam Presti should have done EVERYTHING in his power to keep KD and move Westbrook because if it weren't for Westbrook being the biggest ball hog in the history of the sport of basketball (which caused the infamous collapse to the Warriors in the 2016 WCF which gave me wounds as a sports fan that will never heal) KD would not have left. 

[Yeseeka]

Apr 23, 2019 22:11:26 GMT -8 spiderfan said:

Welp, congrats on y'all's Blazers pulling it off. I thought the Thunder were going to get destroyed and when it looked like the Thunder were not only going to win, but win convincingly I started thinking "hey Game 6 is in OKC. If the Thunder win in OKC then there is a Game 7. If there is a Game 7, the Thunder could come back from a 3-1 deficit and ultimately make the Blazers the punchline of the NBA postseason!". Nope. Instead Russell Westbrook made terrible shot after dumb foul after bad turnover thus causing a Blazers run thus causing a Thunder loss.

The Thunder need to trade Westbrook. I am well aware that he stayed and KD left. Guess what? Sam Presti should have done EVERYTHING in his power to keep KD and move Westbrook because if it weren't for Westbrook being the biggest ball hog in the history of the sport of basketball (which caused the infamous collapse to the Warriors in the 2016 WCF which gave me wounds as a sports fan that will never heal) KD would not have left. 

Angi, myself and our parents were at the game tonight. It looked bleak. My dad and I were sitting next to each other on that last play. He leaned over to me and said, "You know, he's just going to launch the ball and win it." I said "Uh-hum." A few seconds later and boom! 

[Yeseeka]

I thought I would share the recap from Associated Press Sportswriter Anne M. Peterson on the Blazers deciding Game 5 series win. This article appears on nba.com.


Lillard has 50 and Blazers oust Thunder in 5 games

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Damian Lillard hit a 37-footer at the buzzer and finished with career playoff-high 50 points to help the Portland Trail Blazers eliminate the Oklahoma City Thunder from the playoffs in five games with a 118-115 victory on Tuesday night.

With the game tied, Lillard dribbled just inside of halfcourt near the Blazers logo and then pulled up and hit the game-winner.

Lillard waved goodbye to the Thunder bench after nailing the shot, then was promptly mobbed by his teammates. As the Thunder left the floor, Lillard circled the court, high-fiving fans.

The crowd chanted ''MVP! MVP!''

Lillard had 10 3-pointers, breaking the franchise record.

Portland advances to the Western Conference semifinals to face the winner of the series between the Nuggets and San Antonio. Denver won 108-90 earlier in the night to take a 3-2 lead in that series.

It was the 12th straight road playoff loss for the Thunder, who have been eliminated in the opening round for three straight seasons.

Russell Westbrook had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists for his 10th career playoff triple-double and his second of the series. Paul George added 36 points.

Lillard had 34 points in the first half alone - more than Westbrook and George had combined (32) for the Thunder - but the Blazers had just a 61-60 edge going into the second half.

The Thunder led 90-88 going into the final quarter. Westbrook hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead while Lillard took a break on the bench.

Oklahoma City went up 105-90 with 7:45 left on Dennis Schroder's pullup jumper as Portland struggled.

Lillard's 3-pointer pulled the Blazers within 108-103, but Westbrook answered with his own 3-pointer. CJ McCollum's bank shot cut Oklahoma City's lead to 113-109 with 1:39 left. Maurice Harkless added free throws to get the Blazers within two.

McCollum tied it with a jumper with just under a minute left, but George scored on the other end. Lillard's layup re-tied it before he hit his epic 3-pointer.

McCollum finished with 17 for the Blazers and Enes Kanter had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

The Blazers stole one in Oklahoma City, winning 111-98 on Sunday. Westbrook went cold, finishing was 5 of 21 from the field for 14 points. He missed his final 10 shots. Lillard finished with 24, including 15 in the third quarter.

Portland was swept in the first round of the playoffs for the past two seasons, last year by New Orleans and the previous year by Golden State.

The Blazers last trip to the Western Conference semifinals came in 2016, when they beat the Clippers in the opening round before falling to the Warriors in five games.

The Thunder also got knocked out in the opening round for the past two seasons. In 2016, a year after missing the playoffs entirely, they went to the conference finals but lost to Golden State.

The Thunder went up 22-12 early, and George made his first six shots from the floor. Oklahoma City held a 37-29 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Lillard led all players with 19 points. McCollum got into foul trouble and headed for the bench.

Lillard's long 30-foot 3-pointer pulled Portland within 43-39. George collected his third foul midway through the quarter after scoring 17 points.

Another Lillard 3 closed the gap to 52-50 and the Blazers pulled in front 56-55 with 1:42 to go in the half on Seth Curry's 3-pointer. The Blazers led 61-60 at the break, led by Lillard with 34 points.

Kanter, who became Portland's starter when Jusuf Nurkic broke his leg late in the season, was clearly having trouble with his left shoulder. He came down hard on it late in the half and cried out in pain but he started the second half.

George and Steven Adams each collected a fourth foul in the third quarter but remained in the game. Westbrook's layup put the Thunder up 73-70. The lead was short-lived, and Portland went up 84-75 on Lillard's fadeaway 3-pointer. Afterward he shot a look at Oklahoma City's bench.

But the Thunder weren't done. Westbrook hit a 3-pointer to put Oklahoma City in front 88-86 and added a basket to extend the lead.

TIP-INS

Thunder: OKC coach Billy Donovan knew before the game what the Thunder were up against: ''You throw everything you have into this game. It's a matter of a collectively going out there to play to the best of their ability.''

Trail Blazers: McCollum had scored at least 20 points in each of his last seven playoff games. ... Lillard has had 30-plus points 12 times in the postseason. His effort on Tuesday night surpasses his previous playoff high of 40 set against the Warriors in 2016. ... Portland has won 10 straight at home in the regular season and playoffs. ... Nurkic was at the game, his first appearance of the playoffs.
   

[spiderfan]

Apr 23, 2019 22:20:35 GMT -8 Yeseeka said:

Apr 23, 2019 22:11:26 GMT -8 spiderfan said:

Welp, congrats on y'all's Blazers pulling it off. I thought the Thunder were going to get destroyed and when it looked like the Thunder were not only going to win, but win convincingly I started thinking "hey Game 6 is in OKC. If the Thunder win in OKC then there is a Game 7. If there is a Game 7, the Thunder could come back from a 3-1 deficit and ultimately make the Blazers the punchline of the NBA postseason!". Nope. Instead Russell Westbrook made terrible shot after dumb foul after bad turnover thus causing a Blazers run thus causing a Thunder loss.

The Thunder need to trade Westbrook. I am well aware that he stayed and KD left. Guess what? Sam Presti should have done EVERYTHING in his power to keep KD and move Westbrook because if it weren't for Westbrook being the biggest ball hog in the history of the sport of basketball (which caused the infamous collapse to the Warriors in the 2016 WCF which gave me wounds as a sports fan that will never heal) KD would not have left. 

Angi, myself and our parents were at the game tonight. It looked bleak. My dad and I were sitting next to each other on that last play. He leaned over to me and said, "You know, he's just going to launch the ball and win it." I said "Uh-hum." A few seconds later and boom! 

Congrats on being part of that experience. I know the Blazers have struggled in recent years, so winning a game like that at home had to be a spectacular feeling. 

[Yeseeka]

Apr 24, 2019 18:48:47 GMT -8 spiderfan said:

Apr 23, 2019 22:20:35 GMT -8 Yeseeka said:

Angi, myself and our parents were at the game tonight. It looked bleak. My dad and I were sitting next to each other on that last play. He leaned over to me and said, "You know, he's just going to launch the ball and win it." I said "Uh-hum." A few seconds later and boom! 

Congrats on being part of that experience. I know the Blazers have struggled in recent years, so winning a game like that at home had to be a spectacular feeling. 

It was incredible. Things were not going well for a while, but we turned it around in the last few minutes. Nurkic driving himself to the arena in the second half and appearing on the big screen got everyone elevated. That was absolutely amazing.

[spiderfan]

Apr 26, 2019 22:48:58 GMT -8 Yeseeka said:

Apr 24, 2019 18:48:47 GMT -8 spiderfan said:

Congrats on being part of that experience. I know the Blazers have struggled in recent years, so winning a game like that at home had to be a spectacular feeling. 

It was incredible. Things were not going well for a while, but we turned it around in the last few minutes. Nurkic driving himself to the arena in the second half and appearing on the big screen got everyone elevated. That was absolutely amazing.

The Nuggets-Spurs will have a big effect on the Blazers. If the Nuggets win, they'll have homecourt advantage. If the Spurs win, the Blazers would have homecourt.