Streak-Busters: How the Blazers Upset the Defending Champs

Of course, he wouldn’t have scored 26 points if he had not been aggressive. Avdija went to the line 16 times and made 15 of his shots. It was an excellent example of a player making the most out of a tough shooting night from the field. That performance is much needed for a team that struggles offensively.

This aggression was crucial to the team’s success because the rest of the Blazers benefited. His playmaking opened up plenty of opportunities for the others to score. The space was open for many players, including Jerami Grant, Jrue Holiday, and Shaedon Sharpe.

Duop It Like It’s Hot: Reath’s Night as the Unsung Hero

The starters will probably get the bulk of the praise, but backup center Duop Reath had a stellar night. He scored 14 points, all coming from beyond the three-point line. This was what the Blazers needed, as he provided an excellent spark off the bench for the Thunder’s first loss.

Portland has had an abundance of talent in the center rotation. Donovan Clingan is the starter, while Robert Williams III also gets some minutes. Reath is the third-string center, but he made the most out of his time on the court.

Interim head coach Tiago Splitter chose him to stretch the floor, and he did just that with four three-pointers made. Yang Hansen is also in the rotation, but he might need to develop more with the Rip City Remix.

Holiday Ends the OKC Thunder’s Unbeaten Run

Jrue Holiday continues to prove that his game is ageless. At 35, Holiday is playing at an All-Star level on both ends of the game. In this win, he scored 22 points, including six crucial three-pointers.

The veteran provides excellent leadership for a young team. Since Damian Lillard is out for the entire season, it is up to Jrue to step up. In the first eight games of the 2025-26 season, Holiday has done an awesome job.

Not only is Holiday a booming voice in the locker room and huddles, but he is also leading by example. Most people did not see Holiday producing like this after being a role player in Boston. However, he has been a rejuvenated star for the Trail Blazers.

A Statement Win for Acting Head Coach Tiago Splitter

Seven games into his head coaching career, Splitter has done well. He has won some big games, but this is probably the biggest one. Snapping the Thunder’s unbeaten run is superb, as he kept encouraging the team despite the big deficit.

Splitter was even visibly emotional during the game with his reactions during the comeback. This is a good sign for the Trail Blazers because Splitter is settling into his new role well.

The Trail Blazers organization wants to erase the recent controversies and replace them with big results. Since Splitter is doing well, this is a good start to the 2025-26 season.