The Portland Trail Blazers did not play the perfect game on Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards. At times, the game seemed slow, tired and simply weak against one of the NBA’s offensive powers. But the Blazers played a team game at all times, except isolated, and that made up for any harm. On the second consecutive night, Portland put six players in double figure, four of them scoring 19 or more, and defeated the Wizards 132-121.
Game flow
First quarter
Wizards are not a premium NBA franchise. Playing on bad teams makes everything look better. Even so, the Wizards can score and the Blazers prevented them from doing so in the first quarter. Portland’s defense was active and effective. The attack focused on the wings. Gary Trent Jr. and Robert Covington made it difficult for Washington. They joined on the offensive end to Rodney Hood. This trio scored 24 points in the first 6:00, helping Portland to beat an 18-0 streak. During the same period, the Wizards scored just 7. Most impressive of all, Damian Lillard contributed zero points to the effort. That amounts to a 19-point lead, stellar shooting and great defense without the franchise’s superstar lifting a finger.
As is typical, the second Portland unit failed to hold on to the strong defense, but the Blazers still led 40-23 after one with Lillard contributing just 2. I would be willing to bet this is the first, or almost the first , since this has already happened, besides games he got hurt.
Second bedroom
Naturally, Blazers cannot have good things without losing them. This includes leads of all sizes. The Wizards closed the margin to 12 before you could say, “Buu!” in the second period. But Trent Jr. calmly lifted him up again, draining a pair of three. No matter how many failures his teammates had, Enes Kanter aspired or placed them in friendly hands. Even when the defense slipped, the attack won, largely thanks to Kanter’s efforts.
That story changed around 7:00. Bradley Beal started to hit three, spreading and paralyzing Portland’s defense. This seemed to undermine the vigor of the offense as well. The Blazers evolved into an isolation ball, starting with the moderately acceptable version of Carmelo Anthony and then progressing to hard to watch goo. The advantage decreased to 7 points, then to 6. Lillard became aggressive when the half time decreased, but he still couldn’t get the score right, opting for wheelbarrows full of free throws. But it proved to be enough. Portland led 75-63 at the break. A twelve point lead gave Blazers a cushion for the inevitable fatigue on the second night in a row.
Third quarter
The third period started in the standard Blazers style: Lillard three, Trent, Jr. three, Lillard three. As good guests, Portland also allowed the home team to hit from a distance. The flood of scores looked impressive, but it didn’t change the margin much. Washington had a 9-0 run in the middle of the period, so Portland made it 12-0. Lillard scoring a dozen in the period was enough to take the Blazers to the top when all was said and done. Portland led 106-90 after three.
Fourth trimester
Rodney Hood started the room with a few trios, signaling to the Wizards that the return would be difficult. With Lillard still rolling and Trent, Jr. nearby, the Blazers had all the firepower needed to make this happen. But lowering the defense and feet allowed the Wizards to close the lead late. Portland stopped and watched as Washington ran. The Wizards closed the lead to 4 with four minutes remaining, but Trent, Jr. sneezed three more and that was enough. A great Lillard slam with 2:10 left put an end to the game. We even had one of our first “Lillard Time” wristwatch celebrations as the Blazers crossed to victory.
Analyze
Put some respect in the name of Gary Trent Jr. He set the tone for his defense, then added 7-9 shots from a distance, 8-16 overall, for 26 points. Your game is professional now: bidirectional, confident and impactful.
Enes Kanter had 5 offensive rebounds, but it looked like 50. He was disturbing on the glass, giving Blazers extra possessions and eating a watch to help preserve the lead. He was hitting wizards like bowling pins. 14 points, 15 rebounds.
Rodney Hood looked like Rodney Good from the old days tonight. His three-point shot was pure (3-6 from the hoop) and he was able to move across the floor.
Robert Covington had a “What the what ???” moment in the first period, hitting their first three triples. He aligned himself with his teammates, providing a solid defense. 19 points from 5-8 shots from distance gave Portland the edge needed to make the game comfortable.
Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points from 8-16 shots, which is a fantastic line of statistics. With his bank seriously depleted, the Blazers were happy to go to him. The Wizards also started to have fun as the game unfolded, doubling up on the catch, knowing that he would shoot alone or wither. The plan may not be sustainable; Portland needs to make players healthy quickly. You can’t argue with 21 points in 26 minutes, however. Hat tip to ‘Melo.
The Blazers forced 7 turnovers in the first period, a prodigious pace. Behind Trent, Jr. and Covington, they demonstrated what their defense could be. The weak energy prevented them from sustaining the attack, but for a moment, they seemed Good.
Just as important, Washington hit 17 free throws. The overly aggressive defense of overly tired players is often a preparation for Whistlemania. Portland avoided this trap.
Ah … Damian Lillard had 32 points and 8 assists too.
The conclusions of this game were quite basic:
- Portland can play a good defense occasionally. When they do, they look great.
- The three-point shot makes everything better for Blazers. They reached 21-46 tonight, 45.7%. This made the game easier.
- Damian Lillard is fantastic, but if the Blazers want to win consistently, the rest of the team has to be there. The difference between just one small a little bit of coordinated effort and Iso-Ball Hell (along with a strainer-like defense) is night and day.
Points Box
Check out this incredible Instant Recap by Marlow Ferguson, Jr.
The Blazers face Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76’ers on Thursday night at 5 pm in the Pacific.