Blazers hand Thunder first loss with huge fourth quarter

It says something about the dominance of the Oklahoma City Thunder that even in their first loss of the season, the game came down to the final 0.6 seconds in a two-point loss. It says even more about the Portland Trail Blazers that they won.

Portland scored 40 points in the final quarter to down the Thunder, 121-119, surviving a furious OKC rally where they scored 14 points in the final two minutes. But the Blazers made their free throws (30-for-32 for the game) and held on for their most significant win in years.

The Blazers won with defense and three-point shooting

Portland effectively announced they were ready to compete this season when they traded for veteran Jrue Holiday. Wednesday, Holiday went 6-for-10 from three-point range and helped the Blazers hold the Thunder to just 45 points in the second and third quarters, and only 19 points in the first 10 minutes of the fourth.

Adding Holiday gives the Blazers two All-Defense caliber starters, along with Toumani Camara. Portland got great contributions from second-year center Donovan Clingan, who had two steals and two block to go with eight rebounds, and 22-year-old Shaedon Sharpe, who has emerged as a disruptive defender with six steals in his last two games.

But the surprise hero was center Duop Reath, who shot 4-for-5 from three-point land for 12 points.