Less than 24 hours after a triple-overtime victory, the Portland Trail Blazers were expected to be a little tired on the second game of their four-game road trip against the New Orleans Pelicans. Instead, they threw the car in gear, hit the gas, and never looked back, taking a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never letting it get any closer as they romped to the 114-88 win.
Recap
The first quarter belonged to Defensive Player of the Year… er, bench player Joel Freeland, who had only one block but whose defense transcended statistics. The other Trail Blazers, showing no signs of having played upwards of 50 minutes the night before, push out to a 14-4 lead early, and it didn’t stop. By the end of the first, the margin was 32-17, and the Pelicans were shaking their collective heads in disbelief.
The Trail Blazers opened up a 20-point lead in the second, and while the Pelicans did make a run, the lead was never smaller than 13. The Trail Blazers bench held their own and then some, scoring 20 points in the half that in years past would have been good enough for an entire game. Meanwhile, LaMarcus Aldridge had a field day, going 8-13 for 19 and 8, 2 steals, and a block in the half, and the Blazers rolled into the break with an incredible 62-44 lead.
They opened the third by pushing the lead to 23, their largest of the game so far. Nicolas Batum was active, despite his wrist clearly bothering him, and Aldridge continued to be stellar while Lillard made his presence known. As Luke Babbitt drew Freeland’s fifth foul, Lillard and Aldridge were going nuts, hitting shot after shot after shot and pounding the Pelicans into a fine powder. The lead had exploded to 29 points before Pelicans Head Coach Monty Williams finally called timeout. As the quarter wore on, the Trail Blazers refused to relent, and it was 94-62 lead heading into the fourth.
The bench emptied, and while the Trail Blazers didn’t score a bucket until Meyers Leonard hit a pair of free throws nearly halfway through the quarter, their lead was still 26. Some highlights from Thomas Robinson, Will Barton, and even a three from Leonard buttoned it up as the starters rested. Final score: Portland 114-88.
Players
Yesterday, it was Lillard; today, it was LaMarcus Aldridge. Playing just 29 minutes, he shot 12-20 for 27 points, 12 boards, two assists, three steals, and two blocks… and only had three free throws. The extended rest this allowed him late in the game should help him energize him for Portland’s upcoming back-to-back.
Chris Kaman gets second billing, shooting 80% from the field for 16 points with six boards and a steal. After not playing as well lately as he had early in the season, it was nice to see Kaman get his.
Damian Lillard was efficient and smart, shooting 50% both from the field and from three for his 17 points, seven assists, and three boards. He didn’t look tired in the least.
Nicolas Batum was active, but clearly favoring his injured wrist. It mattered little, as his 11 points, five assists, three boards, and three steals would blend in with any other line he’s had this year.
Thomas Robinson played well and had some nice highlights en route to 12 points and four boards. The more he can thrive on the court now, the better positioned he will be to contribute come playoff time.
Joel Freeland played phenomenal defense throughout. The stats won’t show it, but you can trust that his presence was a huge reason why New Orleans was demoralized early. It is no accident that Anthony Davis started the game cold and could not get in rhythm later on.
Notes
- The bench was big: 48 points, 23 rebounds, and 11 assists. Part of that had to do with the starters (except Freeland) not playing the fourth quarter, but they contributed early, too.
- With tonight’s win, the Trail Blazers improve to 5-1 this season in the second half of back-to-backs (per the Blazers’ PR Twitter account).
The Trail Blazers finally gets a bit of a rest before facing the Houston Rockets on Monday at 5:00 p.m. PST.