Thunder Still Given +210 Odds to Win Series Over Blazers Following Game 2 Meltdown

• The Thunder are now facing a 0-2 deficit in their first-round series with Portland following a lopsided 114-94 loss on Tuesday night
• The slow start extends OKC’s stretch of shaky play on the road that started in early February
• The Trail Blazers are now poised to shake their reputation as playoff chokers

The Oklahoma City Thunder return home in desperation mode following a dismal second-half performance in their 114-94 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2 of their first-round NBA playoff series.

Unable to build on a strong start that left them tied 54-54 with Portland at the half, the Thunder were thoroughly outplayed in the second half of Tuesday’s night’s contest. But despite now facing an 0-2 deficit in the series, Oklahoma City has maintained some resilience in NBA betting, sporting +210 odds in the NBA series prices.

Thunder vs Trail Blazers NBA Playoff Series Prices

*Odds taken on 04/17/19

Thunder’s Road Woes Carry Over into Playoffs

The Thunder’s struggles early in the series extend the road woes that dogged them throughout the second half of the regular season. Oklahoma City has been regularly dominated on the road since early February, tallying consecutive wins just once while going 6-10 in 16 contests since February 1st.

The Thunder are 7-13 since the All-Star break, 6th-worst record in the NBA. OKC has fallen from the 3rd seed to the 8th seed in the West since the break. pic.twitter.com/tjdCQBxvm5

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 31, 2019

And when they’ve lost, the Thunder have tended to lose big, falling to defeat by an average margin of 9.5 points per game during their current road swoon, including five losses by double-digit margins, capped by Tuesday’s defeat as narrow 1-point underdogs.

The Trail Blazers outgunned the Thunder by a 37-21 margin in the third quarter.

With the Thunder now backed into a situation where they must pick up at least one win in Portland if they are to have any chance in the series, the situation looks bleak. OKC was clearly outclassed after recess in Game 2, with Damian Lillard leading the charge as the Trail Blazers outgunned the Thunder by a 37-21 margin in the third quarter.

Lillard Powering Trail Blazers’ Second-Half Resurgence

Lillard has been a driving force behind the Trail Blazers’ strong play this spring, and led the attack in Game 2, particularly in the second half, draining 29 points to spark Portland’s victory.

Damian Lillard (47.3%) is shooting better than the ENTIRE Oklahoma City Thunder team (16.3%) from three-point range over the first two games of the series.#DameTime⌚️ pic.twitter.com/LWxiw7t1jx

— Soundtrack Sportz (@SportzTrackz) April 17, 2019

The 29-year-old has now scored 29 or more points in eight of 15 contests, powering the Blazers’ current 18-3 straight-up run, which lifted them to the no. 3 seed in the Western Conference and into the drivers’ seat in their current playoff tilt with the Thunder.

How can you not love Damian Lillard? Good lord pic.twitter.com/LiThUDXTIW

— Hoops Digest™️ (@TheHoopsDigest) April 17, 2019

Veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum has also risen to the occasion. The 27-year-old racked up a game-high 33 points in Tuesday’s win, and has averaged 28.5 points per game in the early going of the postseason.

Rip City Poised to Shake Reputation as Playoff Pushovers

But perhaps more important for Rip City has been the change in playoff narrative that goes along with their impressive start to the NBA Playoffs. With just seven total wins over their past seven playoff series since the start of the 2014 NBA Playoffs, Portland has been saddled with a well-earned reputation as a team that chokes in the playoffs.

Portland has been saddled with a well-earned reputation as a team that chokes in the playoffs.

Indeed, the Trail Blazers’ playoff woes date back two decades, with the club claiming just two playoff series wins in 12 trips to the postseason since last advancing to the Western Conference Finals in 2000.

The front page of Sunday's Times-Picayune. 'Put a bird on it.' Pelicans sweep the Trail Blazers @JeffDuncan_ @portlandia Photo: @MichaelDeMocker #portlandia #Pelicans pic.twitter.com/xz57Pp7M7p

— Tim Givens (@TGGivens) April 22, 2018

The Trail Blazers’ reputation has clearly preceded them this time around. Despite closing out the campaign on a 31-12 run, just one game off the pace of the top-seeded Golden State Warriors over the same stretch, Portland has failed to gain much traction in the NBA playoff odds, where they lag as a +1900 bet to win the Western Conference, and a lengthy +4000 wager to claim their first NBA title since 1977.

With Portland's win over Detroit, the Trail Blazers are now 1️⃣1️⃣-4️⃣ following All-Star Break. 

Here's your Rip City Rewind 🏀—–> https://t.co/N6kLMEeDvW pic.twitter.com/3FufeNrv86

— NBC Sports Northwest (@NBCSNorthwest) March 25, 2019

Portland’s soft position at the sportsbooks extended to the opening odds on the NBA series prices. After topping the Blazers in all four meetings during the regular season, Oklahoma City kicked off the series as -141 favorites to hand Portland yet another bitter playoff disappointment. Indeed, Portland wasn’t favored to win the series until after they won Game 1.

History, Trends Not in Thunder’s Favor

But at this point, it is tough to see the Thunder rebounding from their current 0-2 deficit. While Russell Westbrook continues to carry the Thunder, racking up triple-doubles in 11 of his past 16 appearances, concerns linger about the health of Paul George, who battled a shoulder injury down the stretch.

More from Paul George on his shoulder … #Thunder pic.twitter.com/amUc4fOwbd

— Nate Feken (@TheGreat_Nate) April 15, 2019

And with the Thunder now cultivating a dubious playoff reputation of their own following first-round exits in each of the past two years, and just 20 teams rebounding from an 0-2 series deficit since 1969, it looks like the time has finally arrived to give the Blazers the respect they have earned, both on the court and at the sportsbooks.

Pick: Trail Blazers (-250)