The Portland Trail Blazers screeched by the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-121 in a Saturday night play at the Target Center. Damian Lillard scored 24 points with 10 assists in the effort. Enes Kanter added 20 points and 11 rebounds. Most importantly, Carmelo Anthony threw 24 off the bench, without which the Blazers would have found themselves underwater. Portland’s big three, Lillard, Kanter and Anthony, balanced Karl-Anthony Towns, who overcame a slow start to score 34.
Ryan Rosback handled our instant recap tonight. This will give you a quarter by quarter view of the action. After seeing that, here’s the rest of the victory story.
Inside Game
Enes Kanter played a big role in this game. His footwork, always impeccable, made him appear faster and bigger than anyone the wolves would play against him. It dominated at the edge and out of the glass. Reminder: he was lined up in front of the cities. Kanter kicked 75% off the ground and grabbed 11 rebounds for 8 Towns in less minutes.
Kanter was also not alone. The Blazers seemed determined to defeat the Timberwolves from the inside during the first half. They cut, hit and ricocheted against a soft, pasty inner defense.
The attack normalized in the second half. The Blazers ended up with only 38 paint points in the game. But for a few quarters, it was glorious.
Assists by Lillard
Damian Lillard was an auxiliary machine in the first room tonight. He had 7 in that frame alone, continually establishing teammates as the defense bent towards him. It was his response to the increasingly popular “Guard Dame and no one else” schemes that opponents are starting to launch against the Blazers. Lillard would end up with 10 cents in the night, but if his teammates had shot better in the arc, he could have hit 15.
Two for two
Portland is not known for its team play. Lillard and CJ McCollum receive most of the touches and praise. But the Blazers went after the ‘Wolves’ unbalanced formations with a coordinated attack.
In the attack, the Blazers relied on screen shots more than usual, especially at the beginning. They pulled Minnesota defenders into the game, forcing them to protect themselves, making three defend two. A quick pass to the open player that the defense just left used to get a good look from a distance. Portland had trouble catching up with them, but the execution was there at every point until the real error.
In defense, the Blazers arrested Minnesota ball handlers, knowing that the Timberwolves would not convert the jumpers on their end. They also forced Minnesota to 18 turnovers.
It was a smart strategy: targeting your opponent’s specific weaknesses to generate the moves that favor your side and then betting on the extra players in those sets.
Old Man Magic
Carmelo Anthony was able to shake and bake his way to 24 points in 7-12 shots tonight, 8-8 from the foul line. He took advantage of young players who had no idea of the existence of a chest at play, let alone how much garbage was in it.
The ‘wolves tried to pair up with Anthony when he caught him in the second half. They knew he was going to shoot. He even found ways to score. He hit three decisive points on the fourth to turn Portland’s flourishing deficit to an advantage. He even played against the guy, firing an incredible pass from the top of the bow to Derrick Jones Jr. for a dunk with 44 seconds remaining in the game, giving the Blazers what turned out to be the bucket of victory.
In the process, Anthony overtook Hakeem Olajuwon on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, becoming the 11th highest scorer in the league’s history.
Melo do PS also made a decent and veteran defense in the fourth game.
Nassir Little Excels
Although his 3-7 and 6-point performance does not seem extravagant in Boxscore, Nassir Little had another effective night. His defense was good, as usual, but his attack went off against a permissive defense from Minnesota. He was aggressive, attacking the hoop hard, almost like a veteran. It was amazing to see him looking for the best photo instead of just the first one.
Three arrive late
The Blazers needed all of that in the first three quarters, as their faithful three-point shot completely abandoned them. They hit just 6 trebles in the first 36 minutes of the game, redeemed by 6 more hits in the fourth. Lillard missed half a dozen three-point attempts that night, Gary Trent Jr. five.
Of course, the display of photos for the fourth quarter was impressive. Anthony hit two, Anfernee Simons matching another pair. But even more impressive was Portland’s ability to lead most of the game, even when they weren’t hitting deep. This does not happen very often.
Going to cities
A routine game changed in the third period, when the Timberwolves went to isolated Karl-Anthony Towns. He is not light, but his movement towards the bucket was inexorable and, as soon as he started to roll down the hill. Portland didn’t get help for Kanter fast enough. Cities hitting the occasional three did not help, as Kanter had no chance of reaching those shots in the first place. Towns scored 15 of his 34 goals in just the third period, leaving his team with a small lead in the conclusion.
Towns’ score kicked off an avalanche of ink spots by the Timberwolves, when they finally discovered that Portland had no self-defense worth mentioning. It was a bad look for the Blazers and a warning that they had better reinforce their protection package before the playoffs or any random opponent will take them down to free up three and clean the floor with them.
Minnesota ended up winning the points in the 58-38 paint battle, although Portland dominated early.
This is the dark side of Kanter, of course. Between fouls and lack of defense, the Blazers failed to defeat him, although he was one of their most effective players throughout the game. Fortunately, Robert Covington and Jones Jr. collapsed and managed to contain the tide.
Lillard Wows
Damian Lillard was pressed for most of the night, but when the game was in play on the fourth day, he once again hit buckets with such cold blood that they looked like lizards in the freezer. His dexterity confuses the imagination. He continues to throw 22-23 foot shots as layups with all the defense against him and the victory hanging on the scales. Blazers have never seen such a clutch player. Watch it and savor every minute.
Next
Points box
The Blazers return to the Target Center tomorrow night for a consecutive rematch with the Timberwolves, starting at 5 pm in the Pacific.