OKC Thunder's historic start to season ends with loss to Portland Trail Blazers

OKC Thunder's Historic Start Ends with Loss to Trail Blazers

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s perfect opening to the season ended on Wednesday with a narrow 121–119 road loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite leading by 22 points in the first half, OKC couldn’t maintain control as Portland stormed back with a strong final quarter.

The defeat snapped Oklahoma City’s 8–0 start, marking its first loss of the season. The team was shorthanded, missing several key players: Chet Holmgren (lower back sprain), Lu Dort (right upper trap strain), and Alex Caruso (rest), all sidelined for the second night of a back-to-back series.

“I thought we had a chance to control the game, and we had some stretches that were pretty costly,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “The guys really tried to grit it out and gave ourselves a chance down the stretch, but we didn’t execute enough to win.”

Game Highlights

Player Note

Jaylin Williams played through visible injuries, sporting a bandage over his swollen left eye after taking an elbow the night before against the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite the stitches, he fearlessly faced off against Donovan Clingan late in the first quarter.

Author’s Summary

Oklahoma City’s first loss of the season revealed both its resilience and the strain of missing core players, as Portland capitalized on late-game opportunities to snatch victory.

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The Oklahoman The Oklahoman — 2025-11-06

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