The Road Chronicles: Trail Blazers visit Jazz, desperate for a win
By Ryan Allison
The Trail Blazers hit the road for their first of two roads games tonight when they take on the Utah Jazz at 6:00 p.m. PST. Absent three starters last night, the Trail Blazers fought the Warriors as well as anyone could have hoped for. They did lose their fifth consecutive game and the end of the streak might not be in sight quite yet. The Jazz have lost three of their last four games but did snap a five game losing streak against the Trail Blazers in February with a 92-76 win. The game can be viewed on CSNNW and heard on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
The Trail Blazers have not had a five game losing streak since they lost the last 13 games of the 2012-2013 season. It’s been awhile and it must feel extremely foreign for the team. They need to find a way to shake off the injuries and on-court struggles and play a style of basketball that will get them over the hump. What exactly does that winning style look like?
It starts with Lillard. We saw him take on the leadership role last night and he led the Trail Blazers with 29 points. It was great to see him aggressive early on and set the tone for the team, yet he still only had two assists, one rebound, and shot 42.9 percent from the field. He must continue to be aggressive and set the tone for the Trail Blazers to have any chance of winning while Aldridge and Batum are sidelined.
For a while, the Jazz looked like a team that was determined to finish the season on a high note. They won nine of 10 games before losing three of their last four. Their defense has taken a big step back from where it was when they were winning. Over the last two games, the Jazz are allowing 106.0 points per game but before that, they were holding teams to 81.6 points over their previous 11 games.
The Jazz have a couple of players that have come into their own this season. Hayward signed a huge contract in the offseason to stay with the Jazz. He has definitely made the Jazz organization not regret paying him. Hayward has increased his points per game and field goal percentage over last season, while averaging less time on the court. The increase in points has climbed from 16.2 to 19.6 and his field goal percentage has gone from 41.3 percent to 45.2 percent.
The true future for the Jazz has to be Gobert. The second year player from France has proven that he is a legitimate NBA starting center. After Enes Kanter was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the deadline, Gobert was inserted into the starting lineup and the rest is history. In the 17 games Gobert has been in the starting lineup since Kanter’s departure, he is averaging 10.0 points and 14.2 rebounds. Within those 17 games, Gobert has had seven games with 15 or more rebounds including a 24 rebound game against the Grizzlies earlier this month. Talk about a building block for a franchise.
In two previous meetings with the Jazz this season, Lillard led the Trail Blazers in points each game. As mentioned, the weight of the team will be on his shoulders and he must step up like he did last night. The season series is 1-1 and the Trail Blazers would like to forget their last trip to Utah in late February. In that game, the Jazz held the Trail Blazers to season lows in points (76) and shooting percentage (36.1 percent).
If Hayward is forced to sit out tonight’s game, the Trail Blazers will have a better chance of coming away victorious. However; they must find ways to keep Favors and Gobert out of the paint and off the glass. With their division lead down to four games with 13 games left, the Trail Blazers desperately need a win tonight.