----- Damian Lillard scores 27 points and Carmelo Anthony added 19 in his home debut as the Portland Trail Blazers top the Oklahoma City Thunder 136-119 Wednesday night at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
After playing 13 of their first 18 games on the road, the Portland Trail Blazers returned home to Moda Center on Wednesday night and handed the Oklahoma City Thunder a 136-119 loss for their second-straight win.
With the crowd chanting his name in his home debut, Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting giving the Blazers' offense a much needed boost. With each game, Anthony appears to be getting more comfortable with his new team.
“I think guys are just starting to feel a little bit more relaxed and at ease,” Anthony said. “When I first got here last week, and met those guys in New Orleans, I think it was the hype of the excitement of me coming to the team, guys not really knowing how this was going play out, how this was going to fit in, how I was going to fit in.”
This was the second-straight game for the Blazers with all five starters scoring in double-figures. Damian Lillard led the team with 27 points, Hassan Whiteside was dominant with 21 points and 16 rebounds, and CJ McCollum added 22 points and four assists.
The Blazers made their first 10 shots of the game and led by as many as 23 points in the first quarter. They led by as much as 35 points and cruised to their second consecutive blowout victory.
The Blazers player movement and ball movement on offense allowed for good shots. Portland connected on 52.1% of their shots including 14-of-30 from three-point range. The Blazers finished with 23 assists.
Portland (7-12) controlled the paint outscoring the Thunder 52-42 and dominating the glass with a 54-38 edge in rebounding.
Up Next- The Trail Blazers host the Chicago Bulls Friday night at Moda Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 PM.
Chad's Take- Carmelo Anthony gives Portland something they desperately needed, someone who can play with their back to the basket.