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CJ McCollum injury

Portland Trail Blazers

Beal & Westbrook snap Portland’s hot streak, 118-111

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The Portland Trail Blazers entered their Saturday night showdown with the Washington Wizards on a six-game win streak after wins over the Magic, 76ers, Cavs, Mavs, Thunder, and Pelicans.

Bradley Beal (37 points on 16/27 FG) and Russell Westbrook (27 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds) made sure that streak ended.

Game Recap

Washington’s talented backcourt duo of Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook were cutting through Portland’s defense early. The two combined for 38 points on 24 shots in the first half.

Beal kept up his scoring in the third quarter as he took advantage of some lazy transition defense from Portland.

Carmelo Anthony’s first shot of the night was a four-point play off a catch-and-shoot on the wing. He helped the Blazers to a huge 43-point first quarter, led by Enes Kanter’s 10.

Portland’s 12-point lead from the end of the first quarter was short-lived, as Washington blazed a 12-0 run early in the second and cut the lead to two. Anfernee Simons busted the run with a beautiful fading three, but the Wizards would take a 61-55 advantage into halftime.

Down five with five minutes to go, the struggling Blazers found some big plays from the Juniors: Gary Trent and Derrick Jones. The former hit a huge three and forced a turnover off of Westbrook’s foot, while the latter leapt for a monster block on Beal in the lane.

Unfortunately, Beal & Co. sparked a quick 7-0 run to take a nine-point lead with two minutes left.

A chaotic sequence ensued with under a minute remaining, including Dame getting a steal and running into Beal for a bizarre no-call.

MVP Watch

Lillard had an up-and-down night, emphasized by his tough offensive matchup against the 6’8” Rui Hachimura (when he wasn’t getting double-teamed).

After struggling to a 2/13 first-half start from the field, Damian Lillard made four of his first five shots to open up the second half.

La Heem went on to score 23 in the third quarter alone, capped off by a literal logo buzzer beater to end the period.

Dame Time may have come too early, though. His mere six points in the fourth came inside the last two minutes. He finished with 35 and 12 assists, but his performance was somewhat overshadowed by the frustrating physicality used against him and 20 missed shots.

Stats & Notes

Gary Trent Jr.’s third three of the night marked a milestone for the young guard. His 10 consecutive games with at least three made threes ties the Blazers’ franchise record.

With Jusuf Nurkic and Harry Giles inactive, Robert Covington and Melo were forced into minutes at center behind Kanter. RoCo made his presence felt on the defensive end with four blocks.

Davis Bertans entered Saturday’s game making 14 of his last 17 threes, but only managed 2/8 against the Blazers. Unfortunately, those two both came in crucial moments for the Wizards.

Next Up

The Blazers are back on the road for a big battle against the West’s fourth-place Phoenix Suns on Monday at 6pm.

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Portland Trail Blazers

Lillard’s clutch shooting extends win streak in OKC, 115-104

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

When the going gets tough, Damian Lillard gets going.

Portland certainly didn’t make it easy on themselves, but the Blazers are now winners of their last five games, and they have five more to go on this long road trip.

Game Recap

With less than two minutes to go and the shot clock winding down, Dame stepped back once more from the clingy Lu Dort to splash a clutch deep three. Are we even surprised?

A kick-out to a Robert Covington three and one more bomb from Dame sealed the win.

The Thunder scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, storming their way back into a one-possession game by the eight-minute mark in the fourth.

With 5:40 left, Dort’s triple gave Oklahoma City a one-point lead. Just like that, a 24-point third quarter lead had collapsed.

Gary Trent Jr. made a crucial five-point swing late in the game by forcing a backcourt violation on Diallo and splashing a three. These events were sandwiched by a pair of Dame step-back triples to reclaim the lead.

The Blazers held a 34-21 lead at the end of the first quarter, spearheaded by Damian Lillard’s 12 points and Enes Kanter’s seven boards. OKC was held to just 30% from the field.

Dort’s tireless effort helped bring the Thunder back within 13 with an 11-0 run in the third quarter, much to the dismay of Terry Stotts. This was after the Blazers owned a 24-point lead earlier in the quarter.

Young Guns

Anfernee Simons made his first three threes, giving the Blazers a 16-point lead to start the second quarter, although he did pick up his third personal foul midway through that same period. He finished the first half with a then-game-high 15 points on 5/6 from behind the arc.

Ant wasn’t the only Blazer in some first-half foul trouble—Dame picked up his fourth personal late in the second quarter. But the young Ant did eventually foul out with 7:40 left in the game.

Simons was one of a few notable young players to have exceptional performances. Nassir Little stepped up off the bench early to hit his first four shots, including two threes. His third was a bone-shattering slam over Isaiah Roby.

Gary Trent added 19 points as one of six Blazers in double-figures (interestingly enough, that list did not include Kanter).

Tough Love

The Portland Trail Blazers (now 17-10, 5th in West) entered this matchup with a four-game win streak after a close win in Dallas two nights prior. The Oklahoma City Thunder (now 11-16, 12th in West), meanwhile, were coming off an impressive win over the Bucks without a few key players.

Both teams entered Wednesday’s game ravaged by Injuries. Oklahoma City was missing star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, George Hill, Trevor Ariza, and Theo Maledon; while the Blazers were without Jusuf Nurkic, CJ McCollum, Rodney Hood, Zach Collins, and Harry Giles.

Lillard banged knees with Dort while driving in the third, prompting understandable panic from Blazer fans and neutrals alike. The soon-to-be-All-Star rolled over and took his time getting up to make his free throws, but stayed in the game. A minute later, it was Melo’s turn to walk it off after landing awkwardly from a fadeaway.

Stats & Notes

Derrick Jones made a larger scoring impact than usual, notching 13 points on 4/9 from the field.

Darius Bazley scored seven of the Thunder’s first 10 points—not bad for a guy averaging just under 12 per game. He finished with 14 points on 4/16 from the field.

Next Up

The Blazers will face another important Western Conference bout tomorrow night in New Orleans at 6pm.

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Portland Trail Blazers

Blazers demolish Cavs to cap undefeated home stand, 129-110

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

After a thrilling victory over the Philadelphia 76ers last night, the Portland Trail Blazers hosted another Eastern Conference team, albeit near the other end of the standings: the 10-16 Cleveland Cavaliers, who are on a five-game losing skid.

Lineups

Portland: Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., Derrick Jones Jr., Robert Covington, Jusuf Nurkic

Cleveland: Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro, Taurean Prince, Andre Drummond


Photo via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

Photo via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

Game Recap

First Quarter

The quickness of Dame, Gary, and Enes notched a 22-4 lead early on, getting to the rim either around or behind slower Cleveland defenders. The Cavs committed four fouls in the first three and a half minutes.

Just a few minutes in, it was clear the Blazers were the better all-around team in this game. Prince’s hack of Kanter gave the Blazers their 11th and 12th free throws of the night, just before former Oregon Duck Damyean Dotson came off the bench and stopped the bleeding with a fadeaway jumper.

In true Blazers fashion, the lead shrunk to 11 with two minutes left in the first. Some (unnecessarily) rushed offensive possessions and Dotson’s energy cut the lead below 10 before Carmelo Anthony splashed a corner three.

Second Quarter

The Cavs switched into a surprisingly-effective zone defense, but Melo was able to get on an island and score three straight jumpers.

Garland hit the Cavs’ first three midway through the second, but Drummond quickly notched his third foul on the other end. He stayed in the game and avoided conceding another before the half.

Anfernee Simons’ second three put the Blazers up 20 with an 8-0 run. Things were still looking rosy in a snow-filled Rose City.

The Blazers reached 70 with just over a minute left in the half off a Gary Trent triple. They surpassed it with Melo’s buzzer-beating triple, leading by 21 at the half.

Third Quarter

Dame and Gary fired off to start the second half, boosting the Blazers’ lead to 24 halfway through the quarter.

Portland passed the 100-point mark when Kanter grabbed his second consecutive putback from a terrible three-point attempt.

Fourth Quarter

With the game in hand and the bench getting minutes, the Blazers kept their heads and their lead. Portland hampered Jarrett Allen’s shooting percentage, which was tops in the league—67%—coming in. He finished 7/13 with __.

Nassir Little was back in action after missing a few games with a knee injury.

Even CJ Elleby was getting in on the act, getting eight minutes of time and hitting a three.

Final Thoughts

Another solid win and a balanced attack, this time against an inferior opponent. It’s been a great three-game home stand for the Blazers, who now find themselves firmly in a playoff position in the West. If they can get four out of these next seven road games, they’re in really good shape for the return of (all-star caliber) CJ McCollum to the fold.

Player(s) of the Game

Gary Trent Jr. was the team’s leading scorer tonight with 26 on 8/12 shooting, including 4/6 from behind the arc. He was part of a balanced Blazers attack, and he’s playing himself into a big contract this offseason while replacing CJ.

Next Up

The Blazers begin a seven-game road stretch over the next two weeks against the red-hot Mavericks on Sunday at 4:30pm.

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Portland Trail Blazers

Melo boosts the Blazers past Philly, 118-114

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The Blazers got a game in the national spotlight tonight as they took on the Philadelphia 76ers on TNT, and what a wild one it was. Tonight marked the debut of Portland’s brown “Spirit of Oregon” city edition jerseys.

Lineups

Portland: Damian Lillard, gary Trent Jr., Derrick Jones Jr., Robert Covington, Enes Kanter

Philadelphia: Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Danny Green, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid


bangsquared.jpeg

Game Recap

First Quarter

The Blazers started hot from behind the arc, with Gary (3/3), Dame (3/4), and even DJJ (1/1) getting in on the action halfway through the first quarter.

RoCo was struck in the face yet again, this time by Ben Simmons. After sitting out with a concussion for a pair of games and returning with a mask, RoCo was hit in the face last game inadvertently. He stayed in the game tonight after a short breather.

Kanter’s aggressive offensive rebounding was noted abundantly by Brian Andersen and Reggie Miller. He finished with four in the first period alone.

Simmons was balling out, and his chase-down block on a Simons alley-oop turned to a two-hop assist to Matisse Thybulle.

Dame made up for the five-point swing by getting fouled on a three (making all the free throws) and hitting his fourth one on his next possession. He finished the quarter with 19 of Portland’s 37 points.

Second Quarter

Furkan Korkmaz’s and-one put the Sixers ahead, and although Carmelo Anthony answered with a three, Portland’s offense struggled with Dame resting.

Embiid’s midrange jumper put the Sixers within six, and Terry Stotts picked up a tech for voicing his opinion a little too loudly to the officials.

Kanter bled profusely from his left eye after getting hit by RoCo (how ironic) on a rebound attempt, allowing Embiid to dominate the paint for the final minute-plus of the quarter as the Blazers went ultra-small.

Embiid banked in a fadeaway at the buzzer to finish with 23 first-half points, including 15 in the second quarter alone.

Third Quarter

The two teams battled back and forth in the third, with Seth Curry and Embiid making strides on offense. Portland simply didn’t have the big bodies to compete with Embiid and Howard.

Neither team could take a commanding lead into the final quarter, though. Any time the Sixers threatened to make a run, the Blazers bit back.

Fourth Quarter

Melo smacked some sense into the team with three straight bombs from deep, inciting a 12-4 Blazers run to start the quarter all on his own.

He continued his crazy shooting stretch with a lean-in bank-shot at the buzzer, though he couldn’t manage it on the next possession from three.

Portland’s offensive rebounding was keeping them in the game, but it was the Sixers who came up with a pair of them before drawing a foul and tying the game at the 2:41 mark.

Gary Trent hit his fifth three of the night while Embiid gave Kanter an elbow to the dome on the other end for an offensive foul.

Dame was still struggling to heat up. His first points of the fourth came against Harris in the lane with 1:15 left.

Embiid hit a way-too-easy midrange and Seth Curry tied the game on a transition trey. With the score tied at 114, only 22.1 seconds remained.

Simmons fouled Dame with five left on an iso and Melo used the last timeout when he couldn’t inbound the ball.

Melo used a give-and-go with Covington to draw a blocking foul on Harris with three seconds left. With the Blazers in the bonus, Melo nailed both free throws to give the Blazers a two-point lead.

Former 76er Robert Covington came up with the biggest steal of the night when Ben Simmons basically threw it right to him. Dame hit two free throws to secure the four-point win.

Final Thoughts

What a game. With no margin for error, Carmelo Anthony came up with his best performance of the season. The Blazers closed the game unconvincingly with the shot clock off, but it was smart plays that made things happen: Melo’s give-and-go orchestration and Robert Covington’s interception were the specific plays that won the game.

Player(s) of the Game

Dame scored more and Gary was fantastic, but it has to be Melo. He came up huge when the Blazers needed it most, scoring 17 points in the fourth.

Next Up

The Blazers will host another Eastern Conference foe, the Cleveland Cavaliers, tomorrow night at 7pm.

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Portland Trail Blazers

Blazers beat Magic in home return, 106-97

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The Portland Trail Blazers are back for a three-game, four-night home stand after splitting their six-game road trip over the last couple weeks.

Lineups

Portland: Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., Derrick Jones Jr., Robert Covington, Enes Kanter

Orlando: Cole Anthony, Dwayne Bacon, James Ennis III, Gary Clark, Nikola Vucevic


Photo via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

Photo via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

Game Recap

First Quarter

Gary Trent opened things up for the Blazers with eight first quarter points, including 2/2 threes, but it was Portland’s defense that shined early on.

Al-Farouq Aminu made his return to NBA basketball after missing over a year due to injuries. It was fitting that his first action since November of 2019 was in Portland, where he spent four years of his career. That is, until he had to leave the game.

Carmelo Anthony heated up in the end of the first quarter and made a pair of threes, helping the Blazers to a 31-19 advantage after having one as big as 16.

Second Quarter

Melo and Gary kept scoring, though Dwayne Bacon hit Orlando’s first three midway through the second quarter on their ninth attempt.

CJ Elleby saw some second-quarter action, making one shot in eight minutes of playing time, while Rodney Hood lost his shoe at one point.

The Magic chipped away at the lead as Portland’s offense stalled, but the Blazers still held a 50-43 advantage by halftime. Gary Trent led all scorers with 15, while Portland’s own Terrence Ross (from Jefferson High School) shot 5/8 for 13 points off the bench.

Third Quarter

RoCo was hit in the face, went to the ground for a while, and ripped his mask off in frustration (his actual plastic mask, not a COVID-preventative one).

Dame hit two huge threes as Dwayne Bacon failed to complete a four-point play. The Blazers found a spark on the defensive end and put a quick 7-0 run together, forcing a timeout from Steve Clifford. RoCo got the block before hitting a three in transition.

Orlando was still commanding Portland’s attention, though, and Vucevic’s second three of the night cut the lead back down into single digits.

The Blazers responded with fluid ball movement and a signature 18-point quarter from Dame, as well as a trio of Anfernee Simons triples.

Fourth Quarter

Melo drew a couple shooting fouls on Chuma Okeke and another on Ennis, completing one three-point play the old-fashioned way and another the “new” way. He finished with 23 points—a season-high—and moved up to 12th on the NBA all-time scoring list.

Up 13 with Dame at the line and five minutes to go, Nikola Vucevic was slow getting up for the Magic on the other end.

He stayed in the game, playing the entire second half.

The Blazers held their lead and with a comfortable 14-point advantage in the final minute, the starters got a rest.

Final Thoughts

This was a game that should have always been a check-mark. Orlando are missing a whole load of players, but the Blazers are too. With its badly-injured-but-not-as-bad-as-it-has-been-recently squad, Portland got their stuff together for a nice win. Most importantly, the Magic never really got within fighting distance.

Player(s) of the Game

Carmelo Anthony, and not just because he beat out Oscar Robertson on the scoring list. His season-high performance was a huge bench boost to Dame’s easy 36. A good all-around win.

Next Up

The Blazers will host the 76ers, who will be looking for revenge after a depleted Blazers squad beat them in Philly last week.

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Portland Trail Blazers

Blazers end road trip with tough loss in MSG, 110-99

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The Portland Trail Blazers had some momentum coming into their final game of a six-game road stretch. They had just earned back-to-back wins against quality teams—dropping 132 on the Wizards and stepping up without Damian Lillard to beat the Sixers on Thursday.

Even with Dame back, Saturday’s New York matinee left much to be desired; with the Blazers unable to hit big shots in crunch time against an energetic young Knicks squad.

Lineups

New York: Elfrid Payton, RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, Julius Randle, Mitchell Roninson

Portland: Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., Robert Covington, Rodney Hood, Enes Kanter


Photo via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

Photo via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

Game Recap

First Quarter

The Blazers opened up 7/14 from behind the arc in the first quarter, including back-to-back Gary Trent bombs. Pretty impressive against the best perimeter defense in the league.

Derrick Jones Jr. made his return to the court after missing the last few games with a left foot sprain. To quell any possible questions of his readiness, DJ nearly jumped over Taj Gibson for an alley-oop dunk attempt.

Before the break, Dame worked the 2-for-1 to perfection, hitting a crowded fadeaway three before splashing a logo three for the final points of the quarter. He led all scorers with 13 as the Blazers took a 31-26 lead into the second.

Second Quarter

As Dame got his first rest to start the second, he grimaced on the sideline holding his hip. He would return at the 5:11 mark of the quarter, although he showed signs of a limp during dead-balls.

Harry Giles earned some hustle points in his first _ minutes, notably causing a scrambled Knicks possession after rushing to double-team Quickley near half-court.

Portland’s small lead was reduced to nothing multiple times, but _

Chasing Oscar Robertson for 12th all-time in NBA points, Carmelo Anthony started 0/5 from the field. Additionally, the Blazers were struggling as a team from the charity stripe, making only four of their first ten free throws.

Despite having to guard Randle on defense, Robert Covington accrued nine points in the first half—all from three-point land. He finished as the team’s third leading scorer behind Dame (16) and Gary (11).

RJ Barrett and Elfrid Payton ended the first half with a pair of big threes to put the Knicks up 57-51, their largest of the game. Barrett and Randle led the way for the Knicks with 12 and 10, respectively.

Some key stats were bending New York’s way at the break; including bench points (17-4), points in the paint (28-8), and field goal percentage (55 to 43).

Third Quarter

The Knicks picked up right where they left off, building a double-digit lead before the Blazers got a single bucket. Rodney and Dame broke the cold streak with triples, but both were matched by Randle.

The Blazers wouldn’t quit, keeping the Knicks’ lead under 10, but New York would respond whenever Portland was knocking at the door. How courteous.

RoCo picked up a knock while getting hip-checked trying to fight through a screen. He left the game and sat the rest of the quarter, returning in the fourth.

Elfrid Payton’s nine third quarter points gave the Knicks an 84-76 lead heading into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

Anfernee Simons cut the lead to six with the first shot of the final period, but Melo’s rough night continued.

After getting called for an extremely questionable foul after a rebound, his protests were met with a technical foul. New York cashed the free throw and a three for huge swing. Two possessions later he was hit with another tough call after blocking Quickley.

Simons continued to step up, hitting another three and getting a tough and-one for nine quick fourth quarter points.

Out of a timeout, the Blazers gave up a straightaway three to Quickley, gifted Bullock a fastbreak layup, and threw the ball out of bounds in the backcourt. Not a great way to erase a deficit.

More turnovers and sh*thousery followed, including a missed would-be-highlight-reel-dunk from DJ and more breakaway points for the Knicks, who built a 14-point lead (their largest of the game). Nothing was going Portland’s way.

Dame desperately tried to build some momentum with a ridiculous and-one circus shot, but a missed free throw from the league’s second-best (95%) seemed fitting for a wholly weird final quarter.

The back-breaker came out of a timeout, where a jumpball-turned-2-on-1-Blazers-fastbreak somehow turned into an ALec Burks three for the Knicks.

A pair of deep Dame threes and a scrappy Gary fade helped cut the lead to seven with two minutes left, but open misses from RoCo, Gary, and Rodney were not encouraging.

The score stayed the same as the clock ticked under a minute, and none of their hopeful threes hit the mark.

Final Thoughts

This was a frustrating one. The Blazers had chance after chance down the stretch, but the shots just wouldn’t fall. I’d revisit the rough patches in the third and fourth quarters as evidence for this loss, though. Despite Portland’s constant injuries, this was a game they could—and should—have won against an inferior opponent. The Knicks are certainly much-improved from years past and look like a lower-seed playoff team, but this was a tough way to split a long road trip, which looked like this:

  • Blown lead in Houston, 104-101 loss

  • Dame saves the Blazers in Chicago, 123-122 win

  • Destroyed by Milwaukee, 134-106 loss

  • Big win against Washington, 132-121 win

  • Blazers beat Philly in Dame’s absence, 121-105 win

  • Tonight’s 110-99 loss

Player(s) of the Game

Damian Lillard’s 29 points and nine assists included six threes on 50% shooting (including some desperate heaves in garbage time), strengthening his case to be an All-Star starter.

Next Up

The Blazers will travel back home and face the 9-14 Orlando Magic on Tuesday at 7pm.

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Portland Trail Blazers

Depleted Blazers outlast Wizards, 132-121

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

On the back-end of consecutive road games, the Blazers and Damian Lillard faced a familiar foe: Russell Westbrook and the Washington Wizards. Down five guys, the laborious Blazers fended off endless Wizards comebacks to claim a much-needed 132-121 win.

Lineups

Portland: Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., Rodney Hood, Robert Covington, Enes Kanter

Washington: Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, Deni Avdija, Rui Hachimura, Robin Lopez


dameisyourfather.jpeg

Game Recap

First Quarter

The Blazers came out absolutely on fire from three, jumping out to a 26-7 lead in the first six minutes. Robert Covington hit his first three shots (all threes) from each wing and the right corner, while Gary had two triples of his own.

Rodney Hood also had seven points. The most surprising part? Damian Lillard had zero.

A 40-point quarter (and, more importantly, 17-point lead) was exactly what Portland needed to get out a slump after being demolished by the Bucks the night before.

Second Quarter

Westbrook took advantage of CJ Elleby the second he stepped in the game, scoring on two consecutive possessions before Stotts took CJ out. Gary Trent ended the 9-0 Wizards run with back-to-back triples, and the Blazers passed the 50-point mark with over nine minutes left in the quarter.

Beal checked back in and helped cut the lead as low as seven. Kanter continued his regular routine on the offensive end, though, grinding out 12 points and seven boards in the first half.

Kanter picked up his third personal foul with a very questionable call on a jump ball in the second, much to Terry Stotts’ chagrin. Still, Blazers were able to close out the half strong, owning a 75-63 lead at the break. Gary led the way with 17 while Melo had 14.

Third Quarter

Portland jumped out to a 16-point lead to start the second half, fueled by a pair of threes from Dame and another from Gary. Westbrook and Washington pushed back, though, cutting the lead back down to seven once again with yet another 9-0 run.

Just over a minute later, though, and the Blazers had reclaimed a 16-point lead. Covington hit a pair of threes while Gary added a third. Melo added a confident triple in Hachimura’s face to pass Dominique Wilkins for 13th on the all-time scoring list.

Dame scored 12 points in the third quarter alone, and Portland took a 16-point advantage into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

It was Rodney Hood’s turn to hit a pair of threes, but reading between the lines will tell you Blazers fans were far from safe with another 16-point lead, even with nine minutes left.

Rui Hachimura started heating up for the Wizards, and the rookie forward out of Gonzaga finished with 24 & 5 on the night.

Once again, the Wizards stormed back to cut the lead to seven. Washington scored on five straight possessions and whittled the lead down to four points with four minutes left before Stotts called time.

Gary’s career-high-tying-seventh three of the game (out of nine) was a huge help with three minutes to go, as was a fresh pair of Enes Kanter Offensive Rebounds™. Dame put it to good use—blowing by Westbrook along the baseline and throwing down a vicious dunk—before a solid team defensive stop on the other end.

Back up by double digits with just over a minute left, Dame checked his watch. (Hint: It was 10:30 Eastern, or bedtime for the Wizards.)

Final Thoughts

There were plenty of excuses for the Blazers to lose this game: it was the second night of a tough road back-to-back, missing five players out to injury (including an All-Star candidate and two more would-be starters), and facing the NBA’s leading scorer. Surrendering so many quick-response runs is still a concern, but Portland never stopped producing on offense for more than a few possessions at a time. As a team, the Blazers were 21/46 (45.5%) from three and made all 23 of their free throws.

Player(s) of the Game

Everyone?

The box score says Dame (32p/8a), but I think I’ll go with Carmelo. His 21 bench points were invaluable. RoCo (19p/9r), Gary (26p), Rodney (15p), and Enes (14p/10r) all deserve shouts too, though.

Next Up

The Blazers will continue their Eastern Conference road trip on Thursday in Philadelphia against the first-place 76ers at 5pm.

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Portland Trail Blazers

Dame’s late heroics save the Blazers in Chicago

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The Blazers visited the Windy City for a Saturday afternoon bout with the Chicago Bulls; a 7-10 team with a top-five offense in the Association.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Portland took an early lead, blew it, and were in a close one down the stretch.


Photo via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

Photo via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

Lineups

Chicago: Coby White, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, Lauri Markkanen, Daniel Gafford

Portland: Damian Lillard, Gary Trent, Nassir Little, Robert Covington, Enes Kanter

First Quarter

Both teams got out to a frenetic first quarter behind some beautiful offense. The Bulls used Kanter’s lack of defensive mobility to stretch the floor, making six of their 13 attempted threes.

Portland was led by Dame’s 13 points while Kanter added eight of his own.

Things that happened twice:

  • Dame had a couple nice feeds to Harry Giles in Enes’ absence.

  • Lauri Markkanen hit two corner threes.

  • Melo nearly airballed two threes, but they short-rimmed off.

  • Gary missed a pair of open fastbreak threes.

  • Dame felt the need to appeal to the refs after a few questionable calls.

Second Quarter

LaVine started off the quarter with a pair of triples, but the game slowed down in the second behind some sloppy play.

Gary Trent passed 10 points midway through the quarter with a big contested three. The Blazers followed it up with triples from a masked Covington and Anfernee Simons right after.

Portland started playing better defense, but their offensive midrange game was the difference in the first half. Overall, the team was 7/7 in between the three-point line and key.

Coby White was the leading scorer for Chicago with 16.


Chart via nba.com

Chart via nba.com

Third Quarter

Dame started off hot in the third, hitting two step-back jumpers and a 33-foot three that should have been an and-one.

The Blazers added to their double-digit lead behind Lillard and Kanter, and out of a timeout Dame and Gary both hit threes to make it 88-70.

LaVine came back in and gave the Bulls a spark, cutting the lead to single digits right before the break. Markkanen hit his fourth three for his 20th point to make it 93-86.

Fourth Quarter

Chicago cut the lead to two, but Simons hit back with a big three. A few possessions later, Tomas Satoransky hit a corner three to take a 103-101 lead.

Dame hit another three for his 33rd point with seven minutes left, but it was Lauri Markkanen and Zach LaVine hitting big shots late in the game. The Bulls took a four-point lead with one minute left.

  • Dame drove to the basket and two points dropped in after two rotations around the rim (:51)

  • LaVine dribbled into a long three (:32)

  • RoCo glided to the rim and scored a finger roll (:18)

  • Coby White was fouled and made both shots (:16)

  • Dame buried a long three (:09)

  • The Blazers forced a jump ball on the inbound pass (:06)

  • The Blazers win the tip, there’s a scramble for the ball, they dig it out and DAME BURIES A STEPBACK THREE OVER MARKKANEN AT THE BUZZER (:DAME TIME)

Final Thoughts

Here’s the sentence I wrote with 10 seconds left: Another brutal blown lead for the Blazers in another game against an inferior team.

That’s the reason Dame isn’t super hyped in the postgame interview. The ultimate question, though: Do you care??

A win is a win. This team deserved to win this game, and even though the Bulls could probably also say that, it’s always nice to have Dame to lean back on.

Player(s) of the Game

Dame had 44 points, 9 assists, and 5 boards. Enough said.

Next Up

The Blazers will continue moving across the country and take on the mighty Milwaukee Bucks Monday night at 5pm.

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Portland Trail Blazers

Anfernee Simons drops 26, including 6 triples, but Blazers fall to OKC 125-122

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

It’s the dreaded 2nd half of a back to back for both these teams in the dog days of the NBA season. Usually that favors the healthier of the two teams, but it’s hard to say which team is actually healthier. The Blazers are missing 3 starters due to injury with the Nurkic, McCollum and RoCo out. The Thunder are missing two starters in George Hill and Al Horford. Let’s see how this plays out.


Photo by Bruce Ely via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

Photo by Bruce Ely via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

First quarter:

Unsuprisingly, this game is very sloppy to start. Multiple turnovers from OKC and some misses on quick, long 3s for the Blazers.

Darius Bazley just waltzed to the basket for an easy dunk.

The shorthanded Blazers will have to play better defense than that to win this game.

Enes Kanter can rebound the ball. Every time he gets the opportunity he just cleans the glass and scoops up offensive rebounds. He has 6 rebounds in the first 6 minutes. Everyday he’s hustlin’.

Darius Bazley is off to a hot start and has 10 points in the first quarter on 4-5 shooting.

Bucknell’s finest, Mike Muscala has entered the game and promptly hits back to back 3 pointers. He’s the oldest, rotation player on the Thunder tonight with Horford and Hill out.

The quarter ends 34-24 and the Blazers defense needs to wake up.

OKC finishes the quarter shooting 13-23 from the field and 6-12 from 3 on 10 assists.

Blazers are 9-24 from the field and 1-8 from 3 with 3 assists.

Second quarter:

Harry Giles is reminding people why he was the #1 player in his high school class. Hit a 1970’s style left handed hook in the first quarter and then starts the 2nd quarter off with this put back dunk.

The Blazers start the 2nd quarter off on a quick 8-0 run in the first 90 seconds of the quarter.

The run ends on another Muscala 3. Can someone please guard him?

Carmelo is cooking in the 2nd quarter. He is looking like it’s 2011 and not 2021 in this quarter.

13 points in the quarter and he’s aging like a fine wine.

The half ends with a buzzer beating corner 3 from Gary Trent Jr. and the score is 69-60 OKC.

The Blazers defense continues to struggle.

OKC shot 24-45 from the field and 12-21 from 3. Mike Muscala (yes, Mike Muscala) is 5-7 from 3 and leads the way with 16 points in the first half.

Blazers shot 24-48 from the field and 4-13 from 3. Carmelo is leading the way with lots of long 2s to pace Portland with 13 points.

Third Quarter:

Dame starts the 2nd half off with a deep 3 pointer of a great screen from Kanter.

He hasn’t gotten enough of those looks tonight.

Kanter continues to clean the glass. He has a knack for offensive rebounds and finding the open man.

The Thunder have 14 made 3s with 7:30 left in the 3rd quarter. Where is the defense?

The Blazers have tied it at 77 after another Gary Trent Jr. 3. He has a quiet 18 points so far.

Mike Muscala re-enters the game and promptly hits another 3. El está en fuego.

Shai Gilgeous – Alexander just hit the most unorthodox floater I have ever seen. Seriously how did this go in?

Anfernee Simons was cooking in the 3rd. He had 12 quick points and the Blazers continue to hang around in this game. Simons is 5-7 from 3 in the game.

94-91 to end the quarter.

OKC is still shooting above 50%. They’re 33-65 from the field and 16-32 from 3.

Portland is 35-71 from the field and 11-29 from 3.

Fourth Quarter:

Gary Trent starts off the quarter with a midrange jumper on a nice curl action that was clearly the play called by Stotts during the break.

Mike Muscala runs the floor and gets a tough and-one. He is playing great tonight with 21 points in 16 minutes.

Anfernee Simons is now 6-8 from 3 and he is also en fuego.

Muscala has turned into Dirk Nowitzki and has just hit a tough turnaround, one footed fade-away. What in the what?

It’s the Simons vs. Muscala show right now as Simons gets a sneaky baseline left handed dunk.

Lamar Hurd perfectly quips “We’ve got to re-do the dunk of the game.”

They Kant handle Enes down low as he now has 20 rebounds and 6 offensive. Multiple offensive rebounds by Kanter lead to a Carmelo 3 with 3:25 left that cuts the lead to 6.

Darius Bazley hits a back-breaker of a 3 to extend the lead to 9.

Down 6 with 20.4 seconds left, Luguentz Dort is called for a borderline foul on a Lillard 3.

The Thunder use their challenge successfully. Good call that results in a jump ball at midcourt.

OKC wins the jump ball and that may be all, folks.

Wait, what? Dame hits an absurd, step back 3 to cut the lead to 3 with 5 seconds left. Maybe there is still life.

SGA splits the free throws and it’s a 4 point game.

Dame hits a long 2 after a timeout and cuts the lead to 2 with 1.5 seconds remaining.

Immediate on SGA leads to 2 free throws. He hits the first and misses the 2nd.

Dame grabs the rebound and his 80 foot heave falls short.

125-122 OKC. Thunder win.

Next up:

The Blazers get a few day’s rest before heading to Houston for a TNT Thursday night game against the new look Rockets at 6:30pm PST.

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Portland Trail Blazers

Blazers win 116-113 slugfest over Knicks

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

After a six-day break, the Portland Trail Blazers returned to action tonight against the New York Knicks in the Moda Center. Damian Lillard’s 39 points helped lift the Blazers over the better-than-usual Knicks, despite Tom Thibodeau & Co’s best efforts.

Lineups

New York: Elfrid Payton, RJ Barrett, Alec Burks, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson

Portland: Damian Lillard, Rodney Hood, Robert Covington, Derrick Jones Jr., Enes Kanter


Image via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

Image via Trail Blazers (used with permission)

Game Recap

First Quarter

The Blazers got off to a hot shooting start from behind the line, starting 4/6. Dame (15 points) and DJJ (10 pts) were both a perfect 4/4, while Hood added five of his own in place of an injured CJ McCollum.

Julius Randle was the aggressor for the Knicks offensively, getting to his spot on the baseline or taking it to the rim with force. He totaled 13 points in 15 first-half minutes.

This game was a special occasion for two former Knicks on the Blazers: Enes Kanter and Carmelo Anthony. They left New York with very different legacies, exemplified by this tweet from the Knicks.

Second Quarter

Gary Trent Jr. and Anfernee Simons opened up the second with two more quick threes. The Blazers surpassed the 50-point mark with over seven minutes left in the half while shooting over 60% from the field—even more impressive considering the Knicks were the best defensive team in the league entering this game.

It wasn’t long until near-disaster struck, though; Rodney banged his knee in a collision with Austin Rivers and clutched it in pain for a while. Fortunately, he was able to continue playing.

Portland’s defensive efforts were almost as impressive as their offensive ones. The Knicks were held to 45% from the field with only 6 threes. The hybrid-zone employed by Terry Stotts was working.

Simons continued hitting shots, earning 13 off the bench in the first half alone.

A RoCo-to-Ant fast break gave the Blazers 70 points to end the half—again, against the statistically-best defensive team in the league.

Third Quarter

With the hype focused on Ant, Dame reached a 25 after just a few possessions of the third. His streak of zero missed shots from the field or the line ended later in the quarter, but by then his 27 points on 82% from the field was nothing to balk at.

He also fathered a pair of twins into the world over the weekend, in case you still weren’t calling him Daddy Dame yet.

The Knicks kept within 20 thanks to some poorer three-point shooting from the Blazers (1/10 before Dame hits another one). Alec Burks was 5/7 from deep while Immanuel Quickley entered double-digit scoring.

Fourth Quarter

A Portland cold streak saw the Knicks cut the deficit to single-digits, although a Gary Trent pull-up and second-chance Melo three curbed it for a moment.

The Blazers’ FG percentage dipped under 50, but Dame slithered between screens to pop a signature three for his 35th point. This brought the lead back up to 10 with six minutes to play.

The lead was the same with three and a half minutes remaining when a jump-ball was called for Kanter and Randle, which Enes won.

Kanter’s pick-and-roll lay-in from Dame on the other end could have been an and-one, but the lead stayed at 12 instead.

Ant stayed with the starters as a second ball-handler with the Knicks double-teaming Dame in the backcourt, but young Ant had the ball stolen from him before fouling Quickley while shooting a three. Stotts challenged the call (hoping to get an illegal screen on Robinson) and lost it, sending Quickley to the line.

The rookie guard out of Kentucky made all three shots (he’s 93% from the line all year) and Gary & Melo replaced Ant & RoCo.

Gary missed an open three (106-102, 1:13 left) and Kanter half-blocked Randle for another jump-ball (same score, :50 left), which Randle tapped out of bounds.

On the next possession, Melo was trapped for what seemed like an eternity before getting bailed out by a foul, resulting in a 108-102 advantage with 30 seconds left. The game played out like this over way too many real-time minutes:

  • Randle quick driving lay-up into Melo (:26.4)

  • Dame fouled immediately, makes both free throws (:25.6)

  • Robinson tip-dunks a floater from Quickley (:19)

  • Melo hits two free throws (:17.9)

  • Quickley draws three free throws from a DJJ foul (:16.6) and makes all three

  • Milliseconds after the free throw (:16.6), Randle fouled out by hitting RoCo in the face. With a closer look, Kanter was kinda grabbing Randle’s arm and sorta caused it to fling into Covington’s face. The play was reviewed for a possible flagrant to no avail, and RoCo made both free throws.

  • Quickley found Robinson for another alley-oop dunk (:10.0)

  • Gary catches the inbound in the backcourt and gets it to Dame, who dribbled in circles, nearly fell down, and got fouled. He hit both free throws to make it 66 straight.

  • Quickley made another lay-in but the Blazers inbounded and the game was over!

Final Thoughts

This game could have been over in the first quarter, but we know the Blazers—always making it hard on themselves. Credit to the Knicks, who deservedly won the second half with their aggressive defense and efficient shot-making.

Player(s) of the Game

It has to be Dame (11/17 FG, 39 pts, 8 ast, 6/10 3pt), but Ant (6/9, 16 pts, 2ast) deserves credit too. In the postgame interview, Dame credited the time off for allowing film study and added practices for his big night.

Next Up

Portland will host the 6-8 Thunder tomorrow night at 7pm.

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