Report Card: Trail Blazers Bullied by Celtics in Loss

Player grades from the Trail Blazers 116-93 blowout loss to Isaiah Thomas and the streaking Celtics.

Starters

Damian Lillard: 20 points/2 assists/4 rebounds

Lillard finally hit a wall after a torrid start to the second half of the season. Matched up against Avery Bradley, you could tell from early in the game that it wouldn’t be a walk in the park for the Trail Blazers. A walk it wasn’t, as he shot just 8-17 from the field to go along with a mere two assists. It makes two straight poor shooting nights for Lillard, who shot just 8-18 Tuesday against the Knicks. The difference in that contest was his ability to get to the line (10 -10 on free throws). Bradley and Co. was not having any of Lillard’s drives to the hoop, shown by just one trip to the charity stripe. Grade: B

CJ McCollum: 17 points/2 assists/2 blocks

With Lillard shut down against Bradley, it was clear that McCollum was going to have to step up against Isaiah Thomas – the defensive liability in Boston’s back court. In the first half he did just that, nailing five of his first seven shot attempts. It looked to be McCollum’s night. Then the game went south for Portland. After his hot start, he failed to make another basket. One positive for McCollum’s game was his two blocks, which ties a season high. Grade: B-

Al-Farouq Aminu: 2 points/3 assists/4 rebounds

For the first time this season, Aminu started a game without averaging 10+ points. With a two point outing yesterday, his numbers will continue to tumble. He has been a model for inconsistency as of late, scoring either in double digits or scoring four or less points in the teams last 11 games. Aminu failed to make a three-pointer yesterday as well, which increases his streak to four games without a shot from downtown. Let’s hope Aminu can get it going once again on Friday against the Raptors. Grade: C-

Noah Vonleh: 6 points/5 rebounds/1 steal

Vonleh had one of his better games on Wednesday, collecting his most points and rebounds in almost two weeks. He led the team in offensive rebounds, and was the only starter with a positive plus/minus. It’s worth noting that Vonleh took 10 shots in last night’s game, which is a season high. While it’s taken a long time, he is finally starting to show the potential he flashed in the Summer League. Grade: B-

Mason Plumlee: 9 points/3 assists/7 rebounds

No player stuffed the staff sheet as much as Plumlee. To go along with his near double-double, the big man pitched in three assists, one block, and two steals. He has been one of the most versatile players on this roster all season, and continues to validate that label with performances like this. Behind Lillard and McCollum, Plumlee might be the third most vital player to Portland’s success. Grade: A-

Sixth Man of the Game

Allen Crabbe: 10 points/3 rebounds/1 block

In 26 minutes of play, Crabbe contributed a modest 10 points from the bench. No reserve stood out for sixth man honors, as it wasn’t the strongest showing from one of the NBA’s best units. Still, Crabbe nailed two shots from downtown and played some solid defense on Boston’s sneaky guards. Grade: C+