LOS ANGELES — There's no place like home, especially after a long road trip.
So many of the problems that plagued the Portland Trail Blazers through four straight losses outside the Moda Center seemed to melt away during their 114-95 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.
The Blazers' Charmin-soft defense? It held the Thunder to 37.9 percent shooting.
The unproductive bench? It outscored OKC's without much fuss, 44-38.
The late-game struggles? Not even Portland, after blowing three consecutive fourth-quarter leads, could give away a 26-point edge in the final frame.
But one good game—even one that gave the Blazers their first win this season on the second half of a back-to-back—can't soothe all the concerns that cropped up during a 1-4 road trip, especially with the paper-thin Thunder missing their second-leading scorer, Victor Oladipo.
Portland's defense sits toward the bottom of the NBA's barrel. Its bench has been one of the least productive in the league. And the team has still underwhelmed in clutch situations, despite sporting one of basketball's best ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Josh Martin
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