Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 takeaways from crushing Game 4 vs. Blazers

Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 takeaways from crushing Game 4 loss vs. Blazers

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 21: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers and Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on during Game Four of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. This series is over

This series seems like it’s over. The Thunder have not been able to stop Lillard and McCollum and they have not been able to generate enough offense to match Rip City.

The Blazers are not an offensive juggernaut and the Thunder have not been able to stop them. That probably won’t change in Game 5 on the road.

Paul George has been dealing with his shoulder injury and Westbrook has not shot well in this series (or all season, for that matter). The Thunder will go as far as those two will take them, and they have not taken them far in this series. It looks like they’re already done in these playoffs.

It will take a lot of mental fortitude for the Thunder to overcome this deficit. They will need help from the role players, and Westbrook and George will have to score a bunch of points each game for OKC to have a chance.

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All those things won’t happen. The Oklahoma City Thunder have won four playoff games ever since Durant left. This season started out with promise, but it fizzled out after the All-Star break, and they will need to make some big changes in the offseason.

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