Portland Trail Blazers: 3 takeaways from unforgettable Game 5 vs. Thunder

3. The team with the fewest mistakes wins

In elimination games, the energy is high and the margin for error is slim. To prevail, you have to be more on-point than your opponent. Portland beat out Oklahoma City in that aspect Tuesday night.

The Blazers shot 7.8 percent worse from the field and only shot 65.2 percent from the free throw line. However, they had a higher volume of attempts (15-of-23) than OKC (9-of-15). They also won the turnover battle, forcing 15 while only conceding nine.

The offensive glass was their biggest advantage. Portland pulled down 13 offensive boards, converting them into 19 points. Oklahoma City pulled down just six for 12 points. By extension, Rip City won the paint battle, 54-48.

Portland’s aggression in the trenches led to second chance opportunities and extra trips to the foul line. They were also tireless enough on the defensive end to force turnovers while being collected enough to not give up as many of their own. The Blazers didn’t play a perfect game, but they made fewer mistakes and pulled off the close win.