The lights cut out. The large corner banners broadcasted gigantic images of the Trail Blazers players. And 40,000 red glow sticks bounced and beamed around the Moda Center Wednesday night.

It was the Blazers' season opener, just before tipoff, but it looked a lot like the last time we saw this team.

"When we did starting lineups and the lights cut out and everything, it kind of felt like ... the playoffs last year," All-Star point guard Damian Lillard said.

And, in the end, the result looked a lot like one of those magical moments last season. It took more than three quarters, but the Blazers awoke from their slumber with plenty of time to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 106-89 before a sellout crowd of 19,441.

After looking rusty for much of the game, the Blazers steamrolled the Thunder with a mix of sturdy defense, three-point bombs and highlight-reel plays, knocking out a shorthanded team with a flurry of body blows. After trailing by five at halftime and two after a nip-and-tuck third quarter, the Blazers closed by outscoring the Thunder 31-12 in the fourth, showcasing all the traits that potentially make this team a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.

Aldridge was the linchpin for everything from beginning to end, finishing with 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting. Matthews scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth, Lopez finished with a workmanlike 11 points and 10 rebounds and Lillard overcame a forgettable start to record 10 points, five assists and four rebounds. All the while, Kaman (12 points, six rebounds) was a force off the bench.

But the sparkplug behind everything was Nicolas Batum, who rebounded from a quiet first half to will the Blazers to a win. Batum was everywhere in the second half, snatching steals, facilitating the Blazers' offense and draining timely shots. After a four-point, two-assist first half, Batum exploded, finishing with 16 points, six assists, five rebounds, one steal and one block. His steal facilitated the highlight of the night and epitomized the Blazers' fourth-quarter dominance.

On defense, Batum lunged for a pass thrown toward Westbrook and tapped the ball the other way. As it rolled down court, Batum gave chase, barely saving it from going out of bounds along the sideline. As he gathered it, he dribbled the ball behind his back and raced up court. Aldridge saw the whole play develop and streaked ahead. As he reached the foul line, Batum lobbed a perfect pass at the rim and Aldridge grabbed it with two hands and finished a beautiful fast-break alley-oop dunk.

The steal. The hustle. The highlight. It gave the Blazers a 93-83 lead with 5:17 left and perfectly summarized their dynamic and difference-making fourth quarter. It also took Aldridge back to another time, when he was younger and more spry.

"I saw he was going to steal it," Aldridge said. "I thought he was going to go out of bounds and just have to throw it in. So I was just trying to run to be that guy that he could throw it to. And then I saw that he stayed in bounds and I thought, 'Oh, God, he's finna' throw it up.' I haven't caught a lob in I don't know how long. I was just trying to get my one-two steps right. He threw it perfect and I just dunked it. I hadn't had that type of dunk in a while.

"I felt like I was 18 again."

And, for the Blazers, it was like old times. For the 14th consecutive season, they won their home opener, tying the Boston Celtics (1979-92) for the NBA record. In the process, for one breathtaking quarter, they showed what could be in store over the next 81 games.

"We know that we have that in us," Matthews said. "That's who we are."

--Joe Freeman | @BlazerFreeman