Player grades: Thunder celebrate NYE with 124-95 win over Trail Blazers

1 week ago 2

OKLAHOMA CITY — Enjoying a rare off-ball bucket, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander cut to the basket and received the bounce-pass from Branden Carlson for an easy layup. The stress-free score summed up how easy things went as the reigning NBA champion finished the 2025 calendar year with a classic one-sided contest.

The Oklahoma City Thunder went back to their dominant ways in a 124-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. It was a nice last-second gift for the fanbase ahead of New Year's.

The Thunder's offense continued to be a machine. Gilgeous-Alexander pulled up from deep to rattle the Trail Blazers. Ajay Mitchell bullied Caleb Love into a turnover as he pressed full-court. The Thunder had a 38-30 lead after the first quarter.

As Gilgeous-Alexander rested, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams helped OKC maintain its lead. It went beyond double-digit points. The Trail Blazers were able to get it back within single-digit points, but Gilgeous-Alexander returned on the floor to balloon their advantage once more. The Thunder put up 35 points in the second frame and entered halftime with a commanding 73-55 lead.

You saw much of the same story in the second half. Portland's offense is known to get ugly, but this was flat-out hideous. Deni Avdija couldn't dribble around OKC's high-end perimeter defenders. He tried to draw contact but instead flung up an ugly shot attempt or turned it over.

With the vibes going well, Lu Dort made two straight outside buckets. The Thunder poured it on. Their lead escalated to 80-57 in the opening moments of the second half. They tallied 26 points in the third frame as any drama of the final result was quickly resolved. Gilgeous-Alexander had his 30 points in three quarters. I was able to start writing this during garbage time. Win-win for all sides.

The Thunder prettied up their final score with a 25-point fourth quarter. In total, they led by as many as 31 points. With several of their top playmakers out, Portland stood zero chance against the league-best defense. Especially a group looking to sharpen their blade after a couple of dull defensive performances.

The Thunder shot 49% from the field and went 16-of-49 from 3 (32.7%). They shot 20-of-26 on free throws. They had 29 assists on 44 baskets. Seven Thunder players scored double-digit points.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 30 points and six assists. Holmgren tallied a 12-point and 10-rebound double-double. Williams finished with 13 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Dort had 12 points. Ajay Mitchell finished with 17 points and six rebounds. Carlson had 12 points and seven rebounds. Isaiah Joe scored 15 points.

Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers shot 39% from the field and went 14-of-35 from 3 (40%). They shot 13-of-17 on free throws. They had 20 assists on 34 baskets. Five Trail Blazers players scored double-digit points.

Avdija was quiet with 17 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Shaedon Sharpe had 14 points and four rebounds. Sidy Cissoko surprised with 19 points. Kris Murray had 10 points and three rebounds. Love finished with 10 points and five rebounds.

If you're the Thunder, it must feel good to return to this feeling. You take it for granted, but a tough couple of weeks have them fully embrace this lopsided win over the Trail Blazers. They were able to return to playing their historic brand of defense by forcing plenty of turnovers and making Portland uncomfortable trying to playmake.

Can't ask for much more if you're the Thunder. Both sides of the ball were at their top of powers. They continue to be an NBA win machine after a little bit of a blip in this recent slate of games. Back to business as usual ahead of the New Year's.

Let's look at Thunder player grades:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus

Receiving the ball in the fastbreak, Gilgeous-Alexander slowed things down. Instead of rushing on the man advantage, he went at Toumani Camara. Posting up at the baseline, a couple of dribble moves were enough before he went with a signature turnaround jumper that swished in.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting, six assists and two rebounds. He shot 1-of-2 from 3 and went 7-of-7 on free throws. He also had four steals.

Against one of the better defenses, Gilgeous-Alexander made them look elementary. He sliced through Portland on his way to the basket. Leading the league in drives for the last handful of years, he one-upped this season's league leader Avdija in that department. Portland couldn't contain the slippery scorer as he ballerina'd his way through traffic for finishes around the rim.

The jumper also fell for Gilgeous-Alexander. As it typically does. He got a couple of elbow jumpers in. He even pulled up from within the paint. He scored 18 points in the first half as the Thunder ran away on the scoreboard. 12 more points in the third quarter put this one away as he clocked out earlier than expected.

This is how Gilgeous-Alexander has turned into one of the NBA's best players. He's the reigning MVP. And considering recent circumstances, he could be on his way to his second prestigious award. Putting up an efficient 30 points in three quarters in a blowout has been OKC's signature.

That remains the case as the Thunder sit atop the NBA standings. Gilgeous-Alexander proclaimed that they needed to go back to being a defensive monster. He led by example with his four steals and tough one-on-one defense. Eventually, Portland was demoralized on both sides as he buried shot after shot.

Chet Holmgren: A-plus

Keeping his eye on Camara as he eventually drove to the basket, Holmgren waited in anticipation. His weakside defense resulted in a loud block that he had timed a couple of seconds before it even materialized on the floor. That's how much of a flow he was on that side of the floor.

Holmgren finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, 10 rebounds and one assist. He shot 1-of-3 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. He also had six blocks and two steals

Well, don't think it takes a genius to figure out which position Holmgren thrives in the most. When asked to be a traditional shot-blocker, it's tough to argue that there are more than a handful of better players. The Trail Blazers had zero good things on offense because of it.

Portland's offense had no flow. And that started at the top with Avdija. Usually, he'd finesse some point at the free-throw lines with brutal drives to the basket. The Thunder shut that off pretty quickly. When he put the ball down, he either turned it over or had a bad attempt at a clogged paint.

On the other end, Holmgren did enough to keep the offense flowing. He had several finishes around the basket. Because of how quickly things escalated, nobody was asked to play Robin next to Gilgeous-Alexander. Instead, it was a group effort.

How Holmgren handled his matchup with Donovan Clingan was always going to be an interesting test. No long-term answers were going to come out of it, but it was another unique body type that the seven-footer hasn't really undergone enough reps for. Safe to say he did awesome as these last three games served as a confidence boost.

Ajay Mitchell: A-plus

Attacking the teeth of Portland's defense, Mitchell went for the change of pace with the fancy reverse layup. The drive-heavy scorer usually uses his brute force to get a quality look. Time to time, though, he's shown that he has enough finesse around the rim for some circus layups.

Mitchell finished with 17 points on 4-of-4 shooting, six rebounds and three assists. He shot 1-of-1 from 3 and went 8-of-8 on free throws. He also had a steal and a block.

Maybe I was wrong and Mitchell is super-duper important to OKC's offense — regardless of his textbook role. Since he returned, the Thunder's bench lineup has stayed above water. On a team desperate for more ball-handlers, the 23-year-old has been an oasis in the desert.

Only in his second season, Mitchell has developed into an important piece that keeps the machine rolling. The Trail Blazers couldn't slow him down despite several capable wing defenders littered throughout the roster. Avdija has a taste of his own medicine as he drew plenty of trips to the free-throw line.

Branden Carlson: A

Left open at the paint, Carlson received the easy zip pass from Gilgeous-Alexander. When the entire Portland defense had turned its head over to what the reigning MVP did, the seven-footer took advantage and sneakily got one of his easier looks of the night.

Carlson finished with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, seven rebounds and one assist. He shot 2-of-6 from 3 and went 0-of-2 on free throws. He also had a block.

As the Thunder juggle through frontcourt injuries, Carlson has proven to be a reliable bullpen arm. The outside shot has been iffy, but the opposition still respects his ability to spread the floor. He's shown to soar up for some loud jams. Considering he's a two-way player, not much to really complain about.

Not the headliner as the rest of the roster, but Carlson has been a great find for the Thunder. The 26-year-old has carved out a nice NBA career thanks to his size and shooting. In fact, he's become so valuable for OKC that he's seldom played for the G League's OKC Blue this season.

Isaiah Joe: A

Roaming around the perimeter, Joe helped bury the Trail Blazers on the scoreboard with his outside shooting. In a small slump, he badly needed this performance to get back into a rhythm. Several of his teammates banked on easy assists as the movement shooter swished in his looks.

Joe finished with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, one rebound and one assist. He shot 5-of-10 from 3.

When Joe has it going like this, the Thunder upgrade from a frustrating halfcourt offense to a fast-paced squad that can go bucket for bucket. The floor opens up for the rest of his teammates as the opponent has to account for him anytime he moves around.

Usually, Joe is paired with Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams as his basketball partner. Those two centers have fed him the ball in DHO actions for decent outside looks. But with those two dealing with injuries, that's led to some dwindling results. But this was the perfect get-right game for him.