Rip City Project
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Report Card: Trail Blazers Hang On To Beat Wizards in OT

By Perry Waggoner

Mar 8, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles around Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles around Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Player grades from the Trail Blazers 116-109 OT win over John Wall and the short-handed Washington Wizards

Starters

Damian Lillard: 41 points/11 assists/5 rebounds

Lillard continued his torrid pace with another MVP caliber performance, by leading the Trail Blazers over the Wizards. It was an encouraging sign for a player who struggled with his shot on Sunday (8-22 from the field vs Detroit). Even with the stellar shooting, the most impressive part of Lillard game was the 11 assists. During his hot streak (starting after the All-Star break), he has averaged just 4.7 APG, so seeing the PG reach double-digits was a welcome sight. Last night marked just the second time all season that Lillard has been able to score 40+ points while dishing out 10+ assists. Grade: A+

CJ McCollum: 18 points/2 assists/3 rebounds

McCollum certainly didn’t have his strongest outing as of late, but still was able to contribute at a high level. It was clearly Lillard’s game from the get-go (13 point first quarter), so it was up to McCollum to take advantage of his time alone on the court. Unfortunately, he was in foul trouble for most of the game. Which led him to playing just 36 minutes in all five periods. While he did have six turnovers (a game high), any faults were forgiven once he knocked down the clutch mid-range with seconds left to send it into overtime. Grade: A

Al-Farouq Aminu: 5 points/1 assist/8 rebounds

Following a break out performance (4-9 from 3PT against Detroit), Aminu struggled to put the ball in the hoop once again. Still, that didn’t stop him from contributing in other areas of the game. In his 28 minutes, Aminu was able to corral eight rebounds, five of which were offensive. If he can figure out when his shot is there and when it’s not, it could go along way to Aminu providing more productive performances – whether with his scoring, rebounding, or defense. Grade: B

Noah Vonleh: 2 points/3 rebounds

Vonleh took just two field goals and didn’t make either one. His two points were from the charity stripe, marking just the 18th game in which he has gotten to the line. He was once again overshadowed by the stellar play of Ed Davis and Meyers Leonard. Grade: D+

Mason Plumlee: 7 points/2 assists/4 rebounds

Like Vonleh, Plumlee was outplayed by the reserve big men. In 22 minutes he chipped in seven points, four rebounds, as well as one block. Since his 16 point performance against Chicago in late February, Plumlee is averaging just 5.2 PPG and 5.3 RPG. While that’s nearly half of his season averages, he should have an opportunity to bounce back against the Warriors on Friday – a team he scored 12 points on a little over two weeks ago. Grade: C+

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Sixth Man of the Game

Ed Davis: 9 points/4 assists/15 rebounds

How in the world is Ed Davis not starting on this team? He has time and time again showcased his skill set and last night was just another great example of what he can do in a healthy amount of court time. After a game in which he played just 9 minutes and didn’t score a point, he exploded onto the scene once again with an inspiring performance against the Wizards. When he was in the game, he was undoubtedly the best big man on the court (snagging down a season high 15 rebounds). Additionally, his four assists made it a very Plumlee-esque performance. Simply put: This game could not have been won without Ed Davis’ efforts on both ends of the court. Grade: A+