Facing the leader of the Western Conference, Sidy Cissoko (1.98 m, 21 years old) was one of the rare satisfactions for the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday evening. Back in the major five, the young Frenchman took full advantage of his chance, showing himself to be aggressive, skillful and impactful, even if that was not enough to worry Oklahoma City who won easily 124 to 95.
A fully assumed return to the major five
Aligned from the start as leader, the native of Saint-Maurice quickly set the tone. With confidence, he multiplied the offensive initiatives and established himself as Portland’s number one option in this meeting. With 19 points at 7/10 on shots, including 5/7 at 3-pointers, he finished as his team’s top scorer, in an evening that was complicated collectively.
Beyond the scoring, he also contributed in sequences in the game, compiling 2 assists, 1 rebound and 1 block, while displaying real maturity in the management of possessions. He came within 1 point of his scoring record this season (20 points against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 12).
🇫🇷 SIDY CISSOKO back in the starting 5 ⚫️🔴
19 POINTS
7/10 shooting
5/7 to 3-PTS pic.twitter.com/eJ25nJJE2U— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) January 1, 2026
Portland overtaken by the West leader
Opposite, the Thunder quickly took control of the meeting. Carried by an expeditious Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30 points in just three quarters), the Oklahoma franchise left Portland no chance. Note that in this meeting, French winger Rayan Rupert spent 12 minutes on the floor coming off the bench for 2 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist at 1/6 shooting and 0/1 from distance.
The Portland Trail Blazers thus conceded their 20th defeat of the season and fell to 10th place in the Western Conference, with a record of 14 wins for 20 losses, while Oklahoma City continued to impress with 29 wins for only 5 losses.
