The Portland Trail Blazers came out on top, only to fall flat on their face at the end of the 111 to 108 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night in Portland. The defeat is the team’s third in the last four games, having dropped to 3-4 in the youth season. CJ McCollum led Portland with 26 points, the best mark in the game, but failed to hit the ball as the Bulls recovered from an initial 20-point handicap.
Zach LaVine’s third setback put Chicago in four to ten seconds from the end, and Carmelo Anthony’s chance of a draw gave the home team a disappointing defeat against a team that shouldn’t make the playoffs.
First quarter
The Blazers did well, hitting the first four attempts at three points to reach the initial lead. Wendell Carter Jr. suffered two quick fouls for the Bulls, who fought hard on the offensive side while Blazer’s leadership reached double digits in the middle of the frame. A third foul sent Carter to the bench with 4:30 remaining, testing the limited depth of Chicago, as several players lost the game due to the COVID protocol.
The Bulls had only 8-26 on the field, including a paltry 2-10 from beyond the arc, while the Blazers had a 39-21 lead after the first 12 minutes of action. Damian Lillard scored 13 in the period for Portland, which broke the season record by eight of three points in the final stretch.
Second bedroom
The Bulls began to find their three-point pace in the second, methodically reducing the advantage with Portland’s reserves in the game. Chicago embarked on a 13-0 run to reach seven at the 4:30 mark. After getting cold for most of the quarter, the Blazers managed to stop the bleeding in the final minutes and hobble to the break with a 54-45 lead, despite scoring just 15 points on the scoreboard.
LaVine, defended mainly by Derrick Jones Jr., scored just 2 to 8 points in the first half, but involved his teammates with eight assists, the best of the season.
Third quarter
The Bulls started attacking the ledge in the first minutes of the second half, while McCollum carried the attack from Portland. LaVine connected in consecutive triples around the midpoint, but the Blazers’ attack continued to buzz with contributions across the board – perhaps the most important of an aggressive Jusuf Nurkic. A three-man transition from Anthony put the Blazers at 12 on the three-minute mark, forcing the Bulls to ask for time.
Chicago responded after the break with an 11-3 run – including eight points from Garret Temple alone – to pull the score to four in 85-81 entering the final stretch of the game. The Bulls finished with 36 points in the period.
Fourth trimester
The Bulls took advantage of a porous defense from Portland in the opening minutes of the fourth game, pulling with a single point. Coach Terry Stotts turned to the little-used Harry Giles in place of Enes Kanter in the center, with just under ten minutes to go. The big man sparked the bank defensively, but the Blazers’ attack had difficulty getting it right. The Bulls jumped forward for the first time in the game with six minutes to go.
The lead went back and forth in the following minutes until Chicago went on a 6-0 run to reach 106-100 on the two-minute mark. The Blazers retreated with a single possession after Lillard was fouled in the three-point attempt. After a few defensive stops, Lillard won another pair of free throws to pull Portland into a spot with just thirty seconds left.
In possession of the Bulls that followed, LaVine punctured that three step back off a Thaddeus Young canvas to give Chicago a 109-105 lead with 10.7 seconds remaining. Lillard responded with a quick triple of his own. After Coby White hit two free throws at the other end, Portland had the last chance to tie the game with 4.7 seconds on the clock. Anthony hit a three-turn in the iron and the Bulls held on for the 111-108 victory.
Early, late sizzle
Portland got off to an impressive start, going 8-15 from a three-point ground in the first quarter, apparently putting the game off early. Unfortunately, the attack fell shortly afterwards, allowing the Bulls a chance to recover, despite LaVine having a horrible first half kicking the ball. As the Blazers’ attack stalled, Chicago was able to hold out long enough until their second-half shots began to fall, after which Portland could never regain momentum.
Anthony and Kanter’s dubious defensive duo was further questioned by the duo’s lack of production on the offensive side. In addition to the anxieties, there were Nurkic’s continuous struggles; he finished just 6-15 off the pitch, despite some promising moments. McCollum was hot and cold and struggled to find a rhythm when the Blazers desperately needed buckets in the final stretch. Lillard finished just 6-17 on the field.
Balanced Bulls
Seven Bulls players ended in double digits, led by White’s 21. Otto Porter managed to take advantage of the fight against Anthony, scoring 19 points and shooting from 4 to 7 from a distance. LaVine had 18, leaving his best for last, while Chicago received significant contributions from newcomer Patrick Williams, Temple and Carter – despite their initial problems. Given the fact that the team is playing without its second top scorer, Lauri Markkanen, they needed their players to stand out – and they did.
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The Blazers first see Anthony Edwards, the first overall choice in the 2020 draft, when hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.