Portland Trail Blazers: 3 takeaways from Game 1 vs. Thunder

The Portland Trail Blazers struck first in their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. What are three things we can takeaway from their Game 1 victory?

The Portland Trail Blazers are off to a good start in their first round playoff series after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 104-99 at the Moda Center on Sunday afternoon. The Blazers now hold a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. It was their first playoff win since May 7, 2016.

Portland jumped out to a 39-25 lead after one quarter and led by as many as 19 points early in the second. However, the Thunder clawed their way back, getting as close as 93-92 with 2:44 left in the fourth quarter. A 30-foot 3-pointer by Damian Lillard re-extended the lead and ultimately led to the win.

Lillard finished with a game-high 30 points, along with four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Enes Kanter came up huge with 20 points and 18 rebounds. CJ McCollum chipped in with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Al-Farouq Aminu added 10 points.

Paul George paced the Thunder with 26 points, 10 rebounds and four steals. Russell Westbrook picked up another triple-double, notching 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Steven Adams had 17 points and nine rebounds while Dennis Schroder added 11 points from off the bench.

Sunday’s win puts Portland in control of the series, with the next game on Tuesday night. What can Blazer fans take away from this tone-setting victory?