The Portland Trail Blazers have rebounded from a first-round sweep last season, winning their first two playoff games at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After surviving with a five-point win over the weekend, the Blazers made a statement on Tuesday with a 20-point victory, led by Terry Stotts' heavy dose of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum down the stretch.
The Blazers coach was not shy about playing to his players' strengths and admitted he milked their production en route to a Game 2 win.
“When you have two guys who can create their shots, who can create problems for the defense, it makes teammates around them better,” said Stotts, according to Dwight Jaynes of NBC Sports Northwest. “We kind of milked both of them there in the fourth quarter as far as pick and rolls. They complement each other. They have different styles of game even though they both can score. They’re both unique in what they can do.”
The backcourt barrage of Lillard and McCollum proved effective enough to outmatch Russell Westbrook and Paul George, who combined for 41 points while the Blazers tandem surged for 62 points.
Lillard and McCollum also combined for 7-of-15 from deep, while the Thunder's dynamic duo could only muster a 3-of-16 punch from beyond the arc, which has been the tale of the tape in this series.
The Thunder have shot a total of 10-of-61 from three, a mark unlikely to carry them much further at home, as the series shifts to Chesapeake Energy Arena for the next two games.
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