The Trail Blazers secured their third consecutive victory on Thursday, with a 123-119 victory over the Kings. Led by Damian Lillard’s 44-point blast, the Blazers did just enough to outlast an energized Kings squad. Opposite to Lillard, De’Aaron Fox scored 32 points – 18 of which came in the final frame of the competition.
After a prolonged final minute, which included a series of unlikely plays and results (more on that later), the Blazers won a solid victory before the Game of the Stars.
For a detailed summary of the action, see our Instant Review.
Here are the main points that stood out in tonight’s result.
Dame Mix-and-Match
Each quarter of the game featured a different pace and style of Lillard’s pick-and-roll attack. In the first quarter, the former Weber State star methodically fell asleep his defender dancing around Enes Kanter. In addition to the bow, Lillard masterfully inserted his lethal kick back into the mix of balanced lateral movements. By keeping his defender in doubt, Lillard produced 15 perfect points in the first half.
As soon as Lillard returned to action in the second half, he used a more dynamic set of downhill movements. The change in pace left his main defender in the dust, forcing the Kings’ aid defense to pursue him aggressively while he cut through the paint. This shift in attention opened the way for Enes Kanter to finish undisputed moves on the edge. Somehow, Lillard managed to change his pace and pass through the Kings’ defense without committing a single turn in 38 minutes of action.
In the final stretch, Lillard’s attack spurred a 10-0 run with a hand that put the Blazers back in front of the Kings as the minute mark approached. Thanks to its clutch and multi-faceted scoring capability, Portland’s recent four-game losing streak seems a distant memory.
Better late than never
Through simple ball movement and post-book play, the Kings were just a pass and rebound away from easy buckets during the night. Sacramento had 18 offensive rebounds and scored 25 assists as a team. No matter what the situation, it seemed that the Kings had one more man on the ground each time the ball slid off the edge. Even Kanter, who had 21 rebounds, looked like he was caught in quicksand for long periods.
The action below was not the only problem for Portland. For most of the game, the Blazers’ only reliable defensive game was the hope that someone could push the ball away while the ball’s handlers flew into the basket.
After a flood led by Fox of the Kings, the Blazers faced a steep climb in the final moments. Led by Kanter’s uncomfortable game, Portland’s defense somehow changed the tide with consecutive stops. Sandwiched between Lillard’s stellar exit on the offensive side, Kanter forced the turns and rejected the pitches with the game in play.
Last-minute lessons
Judging by the final seconds of the game, the basketball gods seemed intent on squeezing every bit of the Blazers’ pre-break schedule. The Kings found new life after Robert Covington committed a repeated violation 10.9 seconds from the end. Things got even tighter after Fox added three points to the Sacramento record with 6.6 seconds remaining – pulling the Kings to a single point.
So … well … things got messed up.
Ahead by three points after a pair of free throws by Gary Trent Jr., the Blazers decided to miss Fox directly at the entrance – forcing him to stay on the line for two kicks. Fox made the first, then intentionally missed the second shot with an attempt to advance the line that went through the rim and hit the bottom of the table.
Initially, the referees considered that attempt to be a violation – since the ball did not touch the ring. Ball of blazers. After the review, it was decided that the ball technically contacted the ring when it came into contact with the orange square that connects the ring to the table. Call canceled. Fortunately for Portland, Kanter had established possession after the failure – maintaining possession for the Blazers.
In a truly unique year of basketball, this sequence and result provided a new lesson.
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Points box
Damian Lillard, Robert Covington and Anfernee Simons return to the track on Sunday for festivities at the All-Star Game in Atlanta.