3. 3-point shooting made the difference
The stakes are always high in the NBA playoffs. Matchups tend to be fairly even, and the margin for error is slim. A single advantage over the competition tends to be the determining factor in most games throughout a series. On Sunday afternoon, Portland’s biggest advantage was from beyond the arc.
Oklahoma City held the upper hand in stat categories such as rebounds, assists, steals, turnovers, free throw percentage, points in the paint, second chance points, fast break points and bench scoring. From 3-point range, however, Portland went 11-of-25 (44.0 percent) while OKC shot a historically dreadful 5-of-33 (15.2 percent).
The Thunder shot just 5-33 from three point range on Sunday, but the Blazers know they had a lot of good looks. Portland hopes to fix that ahead of Game 2.#RipCity #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/4pPKFIXoR7
— NBC Sports Northwest (@NBCSNorthwest) April 15, 2019
Damian Lillard conceded postgame that the Thunder’s perimeter woes had less to do with anything the Blazers did defensively. Still, it’s better to force Oklahoma City — a team that finished 22nd in 3-point percentage — to stay outside than to let them attack the paint. In Game 2, the focus will likely be to chase their best marksmen like George off the line while turning slashers like Westbrook into jump-shooters.