Robin Lopez game-winner lifts Trail Blazers past Nuggets

The Portland Trail Blazers played a mediocre game overall and trailed the Denver Nuggets most of the way, but were able to land a few punches, then turn it up late to set up the game-winning bucket from Robin Lopez for the surprising 105-103 win in Denver. The Blazers breathe a sigh of relief as they move to 14-4 overall and 5-2 on the road.

Thanks to Ben Golliver for permission to use the video above

Recap

The Blazers knew this would be a different Nuggets team than the one that allowed them to post 80+ points in a single half. And boy, was it.

The first quarter for the Blazers was all about Aldridge, but the off-ball movement on offense slowed to a molasses trickle. He shot 6-11 for 14 points in the quarter, but also played all 12 minutes. The Blazers didn’t connect from three in the period. Meanwhile the Nuggets shimmied and shook to the basket like they didn’t care who was watching. After the dust settled, the Blazers were staring at a 31-23 deficit, and in desperate need of a cold bucket of water thrown over their collective heads.

The second quarter didn’t start any better. The Nuggets expanded their lead slightly as most of the starters rested. Even when they came back in, it was hard to believe this was a Blazers team that was widely considered to be among the league’s leaders. If it weren’t for Aldridge, who had 26 (!!!) points at halftime, the Blazers would have been in a world of hurt. As it stood, the Nuggets could only manage a 56-50 lead going into the half. Another odd stat: though he had only taken a single shot and had no points, Nicolas Batum had nine assists at the half, good enough to tie his season high for an entire game. The bench had but four points to show for their time on the court, and the Blazers had yet to hit a three.

With the Blazers needing to get a punch in to start the half, they instead allowed five quick Denver points. As the quarter wore on, Steve Blake got the Blazers their first three of the game, but the energy still seemed off. It was 76-62 halfway through the third, the Nuggets’ largest lead of the game, and it wasn’t looking very hopeful.

Of course, it’s always darkest before the dawn… and in exactly 30 seconds, Lillard hit a jumper, another jumper, then was fouled on a three and hit the free throw. That’s eight points in 30 seconds. Tracy McGrady would be proud. The Blazers had pulled it to 78-72. As Lillard was clearly feeling it and the score had equalized, the Blazers almost magically perked back up on both ends of the floor. They found themselves in the middle of a 12-0 run. By the time the Nuggets snapped it, the lead had been trimmed to five. The Blazers entered the fourth quarter down 83-78.

The fourth began with the Nuggets taking advantage of more Blazers turnovers, silly fouls, poor perimeter shooting… basically all the things the Blazers need to do to either close out a close game or crawl back from under a deficit, they didn’t do. Soon the lead was 10, and as Lillard was blocked out of his gourd by ex-Blazer J.J. Hickson, you could feel the air being sucked from their sails. In a game when (save for the 14-0 run) Blazer pushes were few and far between, they were able to get it to within four, only to slip back… then make another push and get to within one on a Matthews three, then finally took the lead at 98-87 with 3:20 to go on a Lillard drive.

Knowing they had a shot at the game, the Blazers needed to be aggressive and focused. Aldridge put that in action, moving aggressively to the rim in traffic and drawing the and-1, and with three minutes left it was a 101-99 Blazers lead. In a crucial play, Aldridge went into Hickson who failed to draw the charge, but Aldridge had it blocked after the ball had hit the backboard. The call on the floor was a goaltend and two points for the Blazers, but they went to the review station. After telling one Denver fan to “Shut up, idiot,” the officials decided their original call was good, and the score stood at 103-101, Denver ball, 1:46 to go. After a few nail-biting plays and some questionable shots, the teams found themselves knotted at 103, Blazers ball, 19 seconds in the game, 16 seconds on the shot clock.

It was do or die… or go to overtime. Lillard took the ball. He got the ISO. The clock ticked… Aldridge flared up for the screen on the left side, Lillard took it, Lopez blocked out his man down low, Lillard got the layin… and missed it. But, fortune upon fortune, the Nuggets batted it out of bounds, and it was Blazers ball with 4.3 seconds to go. Now it was really do or die.

From under the basket, Batum inbounded it to Aldridge at the top of the key… he hesitated… saw Lopez had sealed off Hickson down low, shot it down to him, and the pass was bobbled as Hickson grabbed and lunged for the ball… but Lopez contained it, collected himself, and cashed the easy lay in! Blazers lead!

With 1.3 seconds to go, the Blazers played smart, tough defense. Denver’s Danilo Gallinari got the ball a few steps behind the arc. With Batum draped on him like a cheap curtain, the shot was no threat, and the Blazers walked off the court winners, 105-103.

Players

A Robin Lopez game-winner? Yes, please! Also, he gets the game ball for actually winning the game. While only grabbing three rebounds, he hit all five of his shots, including the game-winning bucket with 1.3 seconds in the game. He posted the Blazers’ highest +/- with a +15. Another contribution that’s easy to overlook was his opening the deep lane for Lillard’s failed lay in attempt that would have put the Blazers up two with five seconds left. So, really, Robin Lopez played a crucial role in both Blazers attempts to get the game-winning shot. Awesome.

LaMarcus Aldridge had a monster night with a season-high 39 points, 11 boards, and two blocks. He gets the other game ball (I guess there are two game balls now) for keeping the game close when no other Blazers had it going. He was just abusing anything and anybody who tried to stop him. The defense adjusted and Aldridge shrank a little in the second half, but his big move to the bucket late in the fourth was both clutch and sorely needed.

Speaking of timely plays, Damian Lillard scored eight points in 30 seconds in a third quarter that was slipping away for the Blazers. It wasn’t one of his better performances (17 points, 6 assists), and he’s now scored 20 or fewer points in five of his last six games, but you’d be hard pressed to say the Blazers would have won this game without him. He also had to play very carefully late, having racked up five fouls.

Wesley Matthews had hit six or more threes in three straight games. Tonight, he was 1-10 from deep. That burns. He still had 15 points, but yikes.

Nicolas Batum did not actively look to score, taking only six shots, but was invaluable the Trail Blazers offensive efforts with 13 assists– one short of his career high. He finished the game with four points, four rebounds, and three steals as well.

Steve Blake saved the bench from a very bad game. He was perfect from the field (5-5) and perfect from deep (3-3) on a night when the Blazers shot just 5-22 from downtown. In other words, Steve Blake hit 60% of the Blazers’ threes tonight. Let that sink in. He had 13-3-3.

I didn’t like how Chris Kaman played tonight. He seemed low on energy in a game that where the Blazers needed it desperately. He posted just four points and one rebound with a team worst +/- of -14.

Notes

…a win’s a win… and they won!

The Blazers were able to win a game against a decent team that was in the middle of a winning binge, on the road, while only hitting 22% of their threes. That’s a good sign. Of course, it bears repeating that Aldridge 39-point games don’t grow on trees, but still.

Here are some post-game comments from Head Coach Terry Stotts, on which he talks about that amazing final play to Lopez. Also included are comments from Lillard, Aldridge, and Blake courtesy of Trail Blazers Beat Writer Casey Holdahl.

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