Report Card: Trail Blazers Drop Game 2

Player Grades and Analysis from the Trail Blazers heart-wrenching 110-99 loss to the Golden State Warriors

Starters

Damian Lillard: 25 points/6 assists/4 rebounds

For most of the first half, it looked as if Lillard would continue his struggling ways, much like this entire postseason. Then, the third quarter came along and he went absolutely bonkers. Lillard Time can strike anywhere, at anytime, and it came in full force in the third. The star point guard scored 17 points in the period. Even with that outstanding burst, it wasn’t a great night by any stretch of the imagination. Lillard forced shots left and right, and ended the game with just three free throw attempts. That’s his lowest mark since scoring just 12 points in Game 4 against the Clippers. If Portland is going to steal a game or two in this series, Lillard is going to have to drive into the paint more and create free opportunities at the line. Poor jump shots against a Warriors squad this good isn’t going to cut it. Grade: B+

CJ McCollum: 22 points/2 assists/2 rebounds

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McCollum started the game off with a bang, scoring 14 points in the first half. That’s more points than he had in all of Game 1…think about that. He cooled off considerably in the last two quarters though, finishing the game with just 22 points after the hot beginning. While Lillard’s playoff struggles have been more documented in the media, McCollum has had his own set of demons. He’s a relatively short player to play the two-guard and being matched up against Klay Thompson is proving to be quite the battle for the Most Improved Player. Averaging just 2.5 APG in the series, McCollum should look to facilitate more when his shot isn’t falling instead of being compelled to take contested jumpers. A shift like that could pay big dividends for the Trail Blazers. Grade: B

Al-Farouq Aminu: 14 points/6 rebounds/2 assists

Much like McCollum, Aminu came out guns a’ blazing with 10 first quarter points. Unfortnately, he also followed in McCollum’s footsteps by virtually evaporating after that period. He made just one shot in the last three quarters, ending the game with 14 points. Regardless of his disappearing fact, it was once again an effective game for Aminu on defense. He collected one block and held Draymond Green (7-20) in check. Grade: B+

Maurice Harkless: 11 points/7 rebounds/1 assist

Harkless played a solid 27 minutes, with his biggest contribution coming on the offensive glass. Of his seven total rebounds, three of them (a game high) were grabbed after missed Blazer buckets. While Harkless continues to be a bright spot in the lineup each and every game, he got in foul trouble early once again, limiting his impact on the court. No matter how this series concludes, it’s clear that GM Neil Olshey has found a diamond in the rough that will surely be apart of Portland’s plan for years to come. Grade: B

Mason Plumlee: 6 points/11 rebounds/4 assists

This series has not been as kind to Plumlee as the previous matchup was against the Clippers. Where he was once getting open dunks, he is now getting rejected at the rim. Where he was once passing the ball around like a gigantic point guard, he is now turning the ball over possession after possession. Speaking of turnovers, his six in last night’s game is his new career high. It’s not to say he’s had a terrible series, in fact, he was the only Blazer to have a positive plus/minus. But still, he is continually being outplayed by Andrew Bogut – and now Festus Ezeli – and it’s hard to watch. Grade: B-

Sixth Man of the Game

Gerald Henderson: 12 points/3 assists/2 rebounds

Fresh off his Game 1 ejection, Henderson responded with his best performance of the playoffs. Before last night’s breakout, he had struggled to find his shot and had been averaging just seven points per game. It’s vital that either Crabbe or Henderson take the lead in terms of bench scoring and it was clearly Henderson’s turn in Game 2. If he can continue to do a solid job at defending Thompson, he should have plenty of chances to put up quality numbers on offense. Grade: B

Report Card: Blazers Crumble Late in Game 2 Loss

By Perry Waggoner | May 4, 2016

Player Grades and Analysis from the Trail Blazers heart-wrenching 110-99 loss to the Golden State Warriors