The Portland Trail Blazers have their sights set on the second round of the playoffs and beyond. But to get there, they have to beat a tough opponent in the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder are a controversial team, and they've been playing the Blazers hard. However, head coach Terry Stotts isn't fazed by anything Oklahoma City will do.
“What antics?” Stotts told Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. “We’ve just got to focus on us. We’ve got to be us and do what we do. And all the peripheral stuff doesn’t have much to do with us.”
So far, the Blazers have done exactly that. Up two games to one in the series, they have a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead on Thursday. Center Enes Kanter credited their success to the poise of star point guard Damian Lillard, who also isn't letting the Thunder into his head.
“I think we understand that pretty well,” Lillard said on the Thunder trying to get under their skin.
“That’s more them than it is us. That’s more their style, to do all those antics is more them than it is us. If it comes our way, we’ll engage. It won’t be out of control, because that’s just not who we are. We’ll control ourselves how we need to. But it’s not something that I’m concerned about.”
Throughout their Game 3 win, the Thunder were accused of taunting the Blazers and trash talking on and off the court. Nonetheless, they still trail in the series, and as the sixth seed in the Western Conference, are far from favored.
Portland's ability to stay cool and collected may be crucial to a series win. Game 4 will be held in Oklahoma City on Sunday, April 21.
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