The Portland Trail Blazers, arriving back home after a difficult road trip that went better than expected at 3-1, played without the services LaMarcus Aldridge (illness) and Chris Kaman (birth of his first child). Fortunately, they were facing the Philadelphia 76ers, who were wrapped into a stocking by the 3rd quarter and never threatened thereafter. The Trail Blazers cruised to the 114-93 win.
Still pushing through the post-Holidays haze, and working remotely from the fabulous McMenamins at St. Francis School in Bend (see picture), we’re going to keep this short and sweet. After all, this was not an especially enthralling contest, though it was nice to see the deep bench get some well-needed run while the regular season is young.
Recap
The Trail Blazers found a willing opponent in the first quarter, falling behind 10-6 to the 76ers early, but once a pair of Damian Lillard free throws gave the Trail Blazers a 1-point lead, they never trailed again. Yet, the game was still just 27-24 after one.
Wesley Matthews put his stamp on the second quarter, hitting three of his season-high seven threes in the period. The second also saw Victor Claver get some meaningful playing time, and the Trail Blazers slowly built their lead for the 61-51 halftime lead.
They continued to pull away in the third: Matthews and Lillard were too much for the 76ers to handle, and unfortunately for them, the Trail Blazers were still allowed three other players on the court. The lead flirted with 20 points into the fourth quarter, but Portland was content to let their deep bench stretch their legs: 11 Blazers got 15 or more minutes tonight. That’s obscene (and good for the bench). As the 76ers sulked away, the final margin was an uneventful 114-93.
Players
Damian Lillard had seven turnovers (youch), but he also had 28 points, five boards, and nine dimes. He’s also been averaging 29.2 points and 7.2 assists over the last five games. Still think there are seven other West guards better than him? Unlikely.
Wesley Matthews went bananas from three, taking 14 triples and hitting seven of them. His 25 points were a product of the confidence he has in his shot. Keep shooting.
Joel Freeland channeled his inner-Dennis Rodman. His 17 boards blew his career-high out of the water, and while the absence of Robin Lopez is a tough pill to swallow, the other bigs stepping up makes it a little less jagged.
Nicolas Batum had 14 points, four boards, and three assists. He still doesn’t look 100% (has he at any point this season?), but he looks better. We’ll take it.
No other Trail Blazer scored more than eight points, but everyone got decent run, and keep and/or stretched the lead throughout the game.
Notes
- The Trail Blazers played a bad team and beat them. That’s not a surprise. But they did so rather shorthanded, and in convincing fashion. That is more interesting. As the bench continues to get opportunities with various starters out of the lineup, you can see Head Coach Terry Stotts confidence in them, and their confidence in themselves, growing. This will be a big deal come playoff time.
- The Trail Blazers sunk an astounding 18 three-pointers for 54 points to the Sixers’ three for nine. Eight Trail Blazers scored from beyond the arc tonight.
Next, they take on the New York Knicks in Portland on Sunday, December 28th at 6:00 p.m. PST.