PORTLAND — Boosted by an eruptive third quarter, the Portland Trail Blazers thumped the Oklahoma City Thunder 123-103 to snap a two-game losing skid and move to 7-3 on the year.

Damian Lillard scored 25 points to lead Portland, shooting a 8-for-15 overall, 4-for-10 from three and 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Deni Avdija managed 24 points, six rebounds and eight assists.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Jared McCain added 21 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Portland held the edge early, scoring the matchup's first points and leading until a pair of Gilgeous-Alexander free thows gave the Thunder their first lead with three minutes left in the first quarter. It didn't last long, with a Camara jumper in the short corner giving Portland its lead right back. But the Blazers' advantage died quickly, an Aday Mara dunk giving the Thunder a 23-22 lead with just under two minutes remaining.

Oklahoma City never trailed the remaining of the frame, but Portland landed the final punch. In its final possession of the first quarter, Avdija found Jrue Holiday on the nail, who turned and threw a lob to an awaitng Clingan sat on the weakside dunker's spot.

The Thunder led 27-26 entering the second quarter. The Blazers' bench proved productive in the second quarter, at one point outscoring the Thunder's reserves 13-3. Chris Youngblood spearheaded the effort, scoring eight points off of two 3-pointers and two free throws. When Youngblood exited with three minutes and 40 seconds left in the half, his eight points were the most for the Blazers in the quarter, ultimately matched by Avdija.

Tied 59-59 at the half, Portland used a massive third quarter to create some breathing room. The Blazers won the period 38-21, ending it on an 8-0 run to push their lead to 17 heading into the fourth, leading 97-80. Lillard exploded for 13 points, sending Moda Center into a frenzy multiple times in the quarter.

The fourth quarter served as icing on the cake, the deficit too large for the Thunder to overcome.

Dame time

Shooting 33 percent from three the last five games, Lillard's 40 percent performance from the arc was a welcome sight. In the third quarter specifically, he shot 5-for-6 from the field and 3-for-4 from three. To end the quarter, Lillard used double drag set high near mid-court to find the breathing room to launch and hit a 3-pointer that the PA claimed was, "from Seattle!"

Whether he drove to the rim, threw a lob to a rolling Robert Williams III or found a teammate on the perimeter, Dame time arrived in the third period.

"I thought we just executed well," Lillard said. "(Donovan Clingan), Rob, they set the screens higher up on the floor, so it was just more space. In transition, it was more off-guard, you know, instead of just playing against a set defense. Our pace was better into those things. And just finding our moments of freedom through our execution and doing the things we work on everyday in practice when we do our 5-on-0. It was the randomness — I would say — and just us playing for each other."

That execution meant a relatively easy fourth quarter, the result never quite in doubt.

"We took control of the game, but I think that last two little flurries — the Deni three at the end of the third, and obviously Dame's — to extend it a little bit, kind of put it away, if you will," Portland head coach Micah Nori said. "They weren't able to close the lead enough to where Shai came back into the basketball game (in the fourth quarter)."

Suffocating defense

Paired with the hounding perimeter defense of Toumani Camara and Sidy Cissoko, the interior presence between the tandem of Donovan Clingan and Williams proved to be enough to slow down the former MVP Gilgeous-Alexander.

SGA scored his game-high 26 points through inefficient means, shooting 8-for-22 overall and 0-for-4 from three. He did manage to sink 10 of 11 free throws, but over half of them occurred in the first period, unable to draw the whistle consistently the rest of the night.

Camara and Sidy played him aggressively and refused to bite on his fakes, and though SGA typically thrives and looks to operate in the mid-range, his ability to score at the rim typically assists in opening up that part of his game. There was no rhythm to be established with Clingan and Williams patrolling the paint, acting as deterrents and forcing SGA to settle.

Gilgeous-Alexander won't have to wait long for a second chance, as the Thunder and Blazers will face off again Wednesday night.