The Trail Blazers shared their two-game series with the Timberwolves after a terrible 114-112 loss on Sunday. Damian Lillard, who struggled to hit his three-point shot in the first half, managed to pull the Blazers to an attack distance in the final stretch and finished with 38 points. For the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns was stifled by Portland’s defense during the game. With Towns out of action, rookie Anthony Edwards set a new career record with 34 points.
If you haven’t already, you can check out our instant recap for a quarter-by-quarter review. Here is a look at four items that defined the loss of the Blazers to the Wolves.
Initial fights
The Blazers produced their lowest score in the first quarter of the 2020-21 season on Sunday. Anchored by stagnant sets and cold kicks, coach Terry Stotts’ team failed to unbalance the Wolves and scored just 20 points in 12 minutes. Minnesota managed to keep Portland’s first quarter field goal percentage at 36.4% – and they didn’t have to spend a lot of energy in the process.
Under the struggles of the entire team in the starting frame, Derrick Jones Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. were unable to connect in a single field basket.
KAT Defense
After earning more than 30 points for Karl-Anthony Towns on Saturday, it was clear that the Blazers were focused on mixing things up on Sunday. When Towns received the ball inside the arc, a double team arrived quickly. This scheme forced the old center of Kentucky to the perimeter. From there, Towns did an excellent job of getting rid of problems and attacking Enes Kanter’s slow hits. In the first half, this approach generated mixed results. The Wolves’ attack snapped to just 47 points, but Anthony Edwards was able to find a rhythm by working within that KAT-centered void.
The second part took place in a similar way. Robert Covington obtained most of the individual coverage for Towns and the Blazers and continued to send extra help in that direction. The result: Edwards’ best night of his career. The former Georgia star cut Portland’s often-absent defense to 34 points.
Towns ended the night with nine attempts at goal and eight assists.
Inconsistent Three-Point Shot
The Blazers fought three-quarters less than ideally off target in Sunday’s defeat. Portland was unable to punish Minnesota’s heavy zone scheme, making the game hard work for long periods. Finally, in the fourth period, Lillard and Trent started to play. After producing just nine three points in three quarters as a team, the Blazers made eight trebles in the last 12 minutes. Unfortunately, that dam at the end of the game was not enough to overcome Ricky Rubio’s constant free-throw shot at the time of the squeeze.
A window for programming the second half?
Sunday’s game was ugly. Honestly, that sounds like an understatement. The second half of NBA programming features a plethora of consecutive games, which can result in a handful of matches that look like this. The Blazers’ lack of defense and dependence on the long ball put incredible pressure on Lillard. The return of CJ McCollum should ease some of that workload, but the second half of this season may seem like an extended visit to the dentist.
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Points box
The Blazers return to action on Tuesday with a fight against the Pelicans.