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

1. Never fear when Lillard is here

The Trail Blazers’ Game 1 win was surely a team effort. However, the game was only ever fully in their control when Lillard was in rhythm. His 12 points in the first quarter were integral to their opening lead. His 14 points in the fourth quarter helped Rip City pull away.

In between those scoring bouts, there was an extended stretch of the game when Dame was shut out. Lillard hit a 3-pointer with 3:46 left in the first quarter to make it 33-19. He would not score again until he knocked down a pull-up jumper with 3:17 left in the third quarter.

Lillard went 0-of-9 with three turnovers in the 19:18 he played between buckets. OKC outscored Portland 43-35 over the intervening 24:29 of game time that passed. Outside of that sagging middle, the Blazers beat the Thunder 69-55 when Lillard had it going.

These numbers lend themselves to the adage that has been apparent since 2015: the team goes as Damian Lillard goes. If he is feeling it offensively and his teammates are fulfilling their roles, it’s hard to stop the Portland Trail Blazers.