CJ McCollum returned to the Portland Trail Blazers tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans, causing fans of the Blazers to explode in “Ode to Joy” upon seeing their uniformed star guard. Ultimately, “Easy to be Hard” by Three Dog Night would have been a more appropriate hymn. The Blazers fought on the defensive end against Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson throughout the night. Everything they tried looked like calculus done blindfolded in a windstorm. No amount of three-point shooting could overcome the difficulty. The Pelicans scored at a rate of 30 per room and played “D” well to prevent the Blazers from doing the same. Damian Lillard drove a huge 16-0 run in the middle of the quarter to bring his team to life. Since New Orleans had 17 victories at that point, the return seemed almost impossible. But impossible and Damian Lillard do not belong to the same sentence together. 50 points from the superstar gave the Blazers an incredible 125-124 victory after the defeat was almost guaranteed.
McCollum scored 10 on his return. Williamson had 28 and Ingram added 30. The Blazers scored 43 points in the final and decisive frame.
First quarter
CJ McCollum wasted no time making his presence known, raising four attempts from three points in the first quarter. He hit two, and the Blazers were in operation. They worked on the high screen and rolled to exhaustion, trying to take advantage of the relative lack of mobility on the New Orleans attack court. It also worked. The problem was that Brandon Ingram went nuclear on the other side, sinking everything from three to layups. Portland’s defense, especially inside, could not be up to the attack. The Pelicans’ ball movement showed that they understood Portland’s weakness and were ready to exploit it. All field goals hit by the Pels in the first quarter were attended. A dunk by Zion Williamson left them with a 23-15 lead in the middle, but Lillard led the attack towards the end of the period. He was running out of three and writing down names, and forgot his notepad to write down names. Gary Trent, Jr. added one of his own to the chorus. As so often, the triple brought Portland back. Ingram had 13 in the period, Williamson 10, but the Blazers hit 6 trios to stay away from the screams. New Orleans led 34-28 after one.
Second bedroom
The Pelicans slaughtered the Blazers in the painting to start the second quarter. Williamson was not sorry; his companions followed suit. The advantage came to 43-32 before Terry Stotts asked for a “Wait a minute” timeout. Portland blocked the steady flow of dunks to New Orleans, but her own attack fell silent at the same time. They couldn’t eat the lead. When the Pelicans hit some jumpers, the margin increased to 51-35 and Stotts asked for another timeout, this time with intentions probably not printable. Lillard helped his team to collect a few buckets, but at this point it looked like the Blazers were losing as many points after the turns as they scored. Portland played from man to man; Pelicans went through layups. Portland moves to the zone; Pelicans reach three. Whatever it was, it just wasn’t working. New Orleans led 64-50 at halftime.
Third quarter
If the Blazers planned to turn the tables at the start of the second half. his defense did not show it. New Orleans came in again. Portland responded with three. In a reversal of luck, however, the Pelicans began to turn the ball. These were the only possessions in which they did not score, but the large volume of OTs began to increase. Portland had the margin back to single digits and the return started. But you can’t make a comeback without defense and the Blazers have never played any, at least not for long periods. Derrick Jones, Jr. hit the occasional three – an unexpected boost – but New Orleans easily matched his production. The Pelicans maintained a 9 to 12 point lead for most of the period. The more Portland was agitated, the more unbalanced their defense became and the easier New Orleans passed them. Pels playmaker Lonzo Ball had a career record of 16 assists at the end of the third period. New Orleans led by 95-82 entering fourth place.
Fourth trimester
The Blazers needed the rally flag at the beginning of the fourth. Instead, it looked a lot like a flag of surrender. They got three more right, but allowed the same amount. And they have yet to contain the Pelicans’ internal game. The situation did not improve until the 6:00 mark, when Portland made a 16-0 run to close within 1, 117-116. Lillard was at the center of everything with two trios, a tray and an assist for Trent, Jr. for three more. Eric Bledsoe closed them again with a three vengeance and the game started, 2:00 remaining. Carmelo Anthony and Zion exchanged buckets, so Lillard headed for a conventional three-point play. Then Williamson scored again. Lillard lost a three, leaving Portland with 124-121.
With less than 24 seconds remaining, the Blazers intentionally fouled. Incredibly, Ingram missed two free throws with 7 seconds to go. The Blazers had a chance to tie with the final possession. Instead, the Pelicans soiled Lillard before he could shoot. Dame sank both, and now New Orleans leads by 1 with 5 seconds remaining.
While the improbable parade continued. the Pelicans cushioned the pass on the pitch. The ball went out of bounds, giving Portland a chance to win with any kick.
While Lillard pulled for two longs with 1.2 seconds remaining, Bledsoe gave him a foul on his arm. Lillard calmly hit both free throws. New Orleans managed a long pass for Williamson, but he lost his defense against the bell. After a terrible 42-minute game, the Blazers won in the most surprising way possible.
Stay tuned for our expanded recap with analysis by Marlow Ferguson, Jr.!
Points Box
Portland will face the Pelicans once again on Thursday evening at 7 pm in the Pacific.