Blazers sink Thunder in opener despite 38 from Westbrook

When Kevin Durant went down to a fractured right foot, Russell Westbrook said he wouldn't be able to win games by himself. On Wednesday, he was proven correct.

In the Oklahoma City Thunder's first game without Durant since Jan. 24 - and the first in which Westbrook had played without his tag-team partner since April 17, 2013 - Westbrook completely took over, putting the Portland Trail Blazers on the ropes in their own barn from bell to bell.

Ultimately, the task proved too much for just one man, however fashionable. The Blazers took the game 106-89 in a game that was much, much closer until Portland pulled away in the fourth.

Westbrook finished with 38 points on 11-of-26 shooting, adding three rebounds, three steals, and six assists while turning the ball over twice. At some points, he was so good he even appeared to surprise himself.

Shake the haters off, Russ.

He's going to need more support in the long run for the Thunder to keep their heads above water, though. Serge Ibaka chipped in minimally with just 10 points and eight rebounds, and the other three members of the starting lineup combined for only 17 points. Lance Thomas was an unsuspected spark off the bench with 14, but the other three bench players who saw action shot only 23.5 percent.

The Thunder will get Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb back before too long (they hope), and Anthony Morrow and Durant will return at some point in December. Until then, expect to see more of Westbrook dominating the ball and trying his best to put the offense on his back.

The defense wasn't particularly strong either, but the Blazers deserve a lot of credit for that as one of the league's most fluid attacks. Each starter scored in double figures, and the team as a whole committed only 10 turnovers, helping them to an offensive rating of 117.8, a mark that would have paced the league a season ago.