The Portland Trail Blazers came so close to upsetting the Oklahoma City Thunder in a surprisingly good game on Wednesday night. Portland’s defense and three-point shooting kept them in it against a superior team on the road until a late-game rally put OK over the top 109-99. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 30, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 28. Shaedon Sharpe led the Blazers with 21, albeit on 6-16 shooting.

Here are some of the critical factors that supported the Blazers and influenced the outcome.

Active defense

Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson left Portland tonight with Toumani Camara. That left Portland more than capable of executing their favorite defensive approach: pretend you’re a 14th century school principal and turn everything around. The Thunder would chase Henderson at times against bigger dribblers, but for the most part Portland stayed active and ahead of their opponents with their swaps against screens.

And make no mistake, defense was the reason the Blazers were able to hang in this game. They kept the score low, at or below 100 points for most of the match. That’s a speed their offense can handle. Heck, every NBA team should be able to score that.

The Thunder shot just 44% from the field tonight, 29% from the three-point arc. Granted, they didn’t have Chet Holmgren, who is a one-man nightmare for all of Portland’s centers. But they still had the firepower to sink the Blazers’ ship. They didn’t because Portland kept it contained.

Three Ballin’

The Blazers are perfecting one of the weapons in their arsenal, an approach that was missing earlier this season. They have started using the kickout three as an effective weapon. Toumani Camara and Jerami Grant are the main targets whenever a dribbler drags the defense into the lane, but Shaedon Sharpe also hit one. Shooters are now clearly looking for that third spot. They take the photo quickly and with confidence.

Portland shot 15-38 in this one, 39.5% from distance. It is the only time this season that a superlative three points has not led to victory.

Turnover

The Blazers couldn’t turn their 3-and-D prowess into a win due to turnovers. Granted, Oklahoma City is super adept at forcing it, but Portland didn’t help, coughing up the rock like a feline hairball.

To be honest, they were less individual mistakes than natural limitations. Scoot Henderson is unlikely to shoot off the dribble, allowing defenders to play his dominant hand. When Donovan Clingan catches the ball outside, he will never shoot, filling the Thunder on the next pass. OKC didn’t have to guess the play that developed. They pretty much knew where Portland needed to go in many sets. An active, opportunistic ball-playing opponent was a disaster for the Blazers. They committed 22 turnovers but were once on pace for 40 or more. It was pretty ugly.

Clingan expands reach

Donovan Clingan continues to look good in defense and is recovering quite well. However, he definitely needs to work on his hand and arm strength. Several times tonight, as has happened all year, Clingan grabbed a rebound cleanly, only to have it stripped from his hands by stronger opponents. This also applies if he brings the ball past his waist to try to pass or shoot.

However, Clingan’s effectiveness in mid-range defense is steadily improving. He challenged shots away from the hoop and had an interception from the passing lane tonight. He even – oh blessed day – had a block at the three-point arc. It’s fun to watch the 7-footer operate in space. Not only does it allow him to stay on the floor longer, it also makes him a defensive monster instead of “just” a shot-blocking rim protector.

Donovan had 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 21 minutes.

Toumani Camariffic

It’s impossible to overstate how smooth and skilled Toumani Camara looks right now. His defense is on edge. Or on the wing. Or whatever you need, anywhere on the floor. He moves his feet and positions his body so well that it almost looks like a clinic. And his three-point shot looks buttery smooth. He only shot 2-7 from distance in this game, but he’s progressed enough that I want him to make all those attempts. When it’s open, it seems like the ball goes in almost every time.

Banking problems

The Blazers were short on the bench, partly due to lingering injuries to starters Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons. The Thunder were without Holmgren, but they welcomed new signee Isaiah Hartenstein tonight. He shot 6-12 off the bench, guard Alex Caruso 8-11. That was much more accurate and ultimately more productive than Portland’s bench showed. The Blazers played just three backups in the rotation (Robert Williams III, Deni Avdija and Dalano Banton, plus 4 minutes for Kris Murray), but even the top tier of Portland’s bench staff seemed outmatched most of the night against their OKC counterparts. . Depth was one weakness too many for the Blazers to overcome.

Better than the alternative

Earlier in the season, there were two types of losses in Portland: energetic but chaotic or unenergetic and overwhelming. Tonight they demonstrated a new archetype: energetic and professional, yet slightly outclassed. That’s a fairer form of losing than the other two, which boil down to different flavors of “young and clueless.” Maybe this team will prove that they belong in the league after all.

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Box score

The Blazers travel to Houston on Friday night at 5 p.m. to take on the Rockets, Pacific, in their second NBA Cup game of the fall.