FILE–Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Patrick Smith/Getty Images/AFP
Luguentz Dort scored a team-high 18 points as the host Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Portland Trail Blazers 98-81 on Monday to snap a seven-game losing streak.
The Thunder came back from an 18-point, second-quarter deficit to win at home for the first time since Dec. 31. It was the seventh time this season Oklahoma City won after trailing by 15 of more points, the most in the NBA.
The Thunder won in their first game since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sustained a right ankle sprain that will keep him out until at least the All-Star break.
Without Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City used a balanced offense to pull out the victory, the team’s first in six games this season without its leading scorer.
Keeping Up With The Canadians 🇨🇦
Luguentz Dort | vs. Indiana
27 POINTS
3 THREE POINTERS
8 REBOUNDS
4 ASSISTS
2 STEALS#ThunderUp | @okcthunder pic.twitter.com/DoiWqJhpK0— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) January 29, 2022
Josh Giddey, who moved over to point guard in Gilgeous-Alexander’s absence, had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Darius Bazley scored 15 off the bench for the Thunder, whose reserves outscored Portland’s 40-19.
CJ McCollum scored a game-high 21 points on 10-of-17 shooting to lead the Trail Blazers, who have dropped two consecutive games and four of their past five. Norman Powell added 17 points, and Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and nine rebounds.
The game was tied early in the fourth quarter before Oklahoma City reeled off a 15-0 run to take control. The Thunder hit their first six shots of the period, including a pair of 3-pointers from Ty Jerome and a trey by Mike Muscala, to build the big lead.
❝I feel like today was a team effort. We came out strong, moving the ball and getting the easy shots.❞@NickAGallo 🎤 @luthebeast pic.twitter.com/l6cMHKJXxl
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 1, 2022
After the game was tied early, Portland went on a 21-7 run to lead 29-15 late in the first quarter.
The Blazers scored 31 in the first, and they extended their lead to 40-22 with a 9-0 run early in the second quarter.
But then Portland’s offense went cold, shooting just 3 of 14 over the last seven minutes of the second quarter as the Thunder cut the deficit to 47-39 at halftime.
The Blazers were just 1 of 11 from behind the 3-point arc in the second quarter. After hitting four 3-pointers in the first quarter, Portland was just 3 of 28 from beyond the arc the rest of the way.
Oklahoma City’s comeback continued early in the second half, as a 14-4 run tied the game for the first time since the opening minutes, with five points coming from Dort.
The Thunder took the lead for the first time with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter on a Jerome 3-pointer.