Butler's shooting touch picked up somewhat in the second quarter.
He went 3-for-3 from mid-range and 1-for-2 from three, keeping the firepower going for Wade and Westbrook.
Then, with five and a half minutes left in the second quarter, Chen Xi checked back in.
The momentum completely reversed.
Returning to an off-ball role, Chen used Grant's and Big Morris's solid screens to knock down three consecutive threes from beyond the arc.
He changed the score to 57-51, putting the Thunder up by six.
The tide had turned!
Once the Thunder regained the advantage, the outcome of the game was basically decided.
The Trail Blazers failed to stir up any more trouble in the second half.
In the end, the Thunder defeated the Trail Blazers again, 122-113.
Lillard poured in 39 points, 3 rebounds, and 10 assists, but still could not change the outcome.
Chen Xi had 27 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists; Butler had 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists; Wade had 17 points, 1 rebound, and 4 assists.
Only Westbrook looked a little off, finishing with just 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists.
Yeah, "a little off"~~
For Westbrook, who could average a triple-double, this near triple-double with 15-plus points really did count as a poor performance.
The Trail Blazers media even dragged out the claim that "the team lost, but Lillard didn't," trying to save face by saying Westbrook only succeeded because his teammates were stronger, while Lillard was the best active player to wear number zero.
Of course, in this era and under these circumstances, nobody outside Portland believed that.
It was just attention-seeking nonsense~~
The matchup with the Trail Blazers had come with a minor interruption, but in the end, it had only been an appetizer.
In the next game, the Thunder would