So impressive! The Trail Blazers shocked the Thunder! Yang Hansen missed all 3 shots

Klingen was sick and did not participate in the Trail Blazers' home game versus the Thunder, leading Sprewell to start with a small-ball lineup consisting of Sisoko, Avdija, Grant, Kamara, and Murray.

But because of the shortage inside, Yang Hansen was given minutes at the start of the second quarter, shooting 0 for 3 in roughly 4 and a half minutes, including a cringe-worthy airball on a three-point shot...

Not just praise for the sake of it, Yang Hansen’s screens were actually quite solid, consistently creating open shot opportunities for teammates and playing effective defense in one or two possessions.

In the entire first half, the Trail Blazers used 11 players, edging the Thunder 55-54 and limiting Alexander to 4 of 10 shooting for just 12 points along with 3 turnovers.

Wow, the Trail Blazers truly deserve credit as the only team in the league able to subdue the Thunder; the latter’s first and only loss this season so far was courtesy of the Rip City squad.

In the third quarter, the Trail Blazers continued to battle the Thunder fiercely, maintaining a slim lead to enter the final quarter at 87-85.

The fourth quarter was just as tightly contested, but unfortunately the Thunder pulled ahead to win 123-115. Still, the Trail Blazers’ resilience surely gave them quite a scare.

The Thunder had six players scoring in double figures: Alexander contributed 26 points, 4 boards, and 5 assists on 10 of 12 free throws; Jewell scored 16 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and dished 5 assists on 7 of 18 shooting; Chet added 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

The Trail Blazers had five players reach double digits in scoring,Avdija was outstanding with 31 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists on 19 of 23 free throws, recording a huge triple-double.Grant, playing as center, scored 18 points with 3 rebounds, while Kamara added 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.

By the end of the game,Yang Hansen only played a few minutes in the first half, with stats showing just 1 rebound, though he likely had a steal as well; his plus-minus of +3 was tied for the third highest on the team.

Getting the chance to compete against the league-leading Thunder is a rare learning opportunity for Yang Hansen, allowing him to identify his weaknesses and improve, even though he might be criticized harshly for barely contributing in this game.

Competitive sports are always straightforward and ruthless: being weak is a sin, and every small flaw gets magnified and criticized; conversely, the world is a wonderful place.