Portland Trail Blazers stomp New York Knicks 101-79
79. 27. 101. 34. Final
The Portland Trail Blazers, still playing without Robin Lopez or LaMarcus Aldridge, dismantled the New York Knicks like a January Christmas tree, going ahead double-digits in under five minutes and never relenting for the 101-79 win. At 25-7, the Trail Blazers have the most wins in the NBA and continue to make strides even while missing starters.
Recap
The Trail Blazers started by building a double-digit lead right out of the gate. Before you could say “triangle offense,” they were whipping it around the perimeter for open looks while the Knicks were doing things like posting up with Cole Aldrich and allowing Carmelo Anthony to take 24-second vacations with the ball. Meanwhile, Wesley Matthews had three threes in the first quarter. It was 31-22 Portland after one.
The Trail Blazers pushed their lead even further, but the Knicks went on a mini-run at the end of the second quarter to cut the deficit from 21 to 14. While it didn’t need to be even as close as 55-42, it’s tough to argue with a double-digit halftime lead.
Anthony, the Knicks’ only hope ate keeping the game close, left the game with soreness in his knee and did not return after halftime. He would remain New York’s second leading scorer by game’s end, with 13 points.
Portland refused to play nice, and the lead crested 20 points once again. Mercifully for New York, Portland’s threes started drying up, preventing a near 30-point lead from being a near 40-point lead, and the Knicks went on another mini-run. This one could only get them to within 20 points, and it was 76-58 at the end of the third.
The fourth quarter gave the Knicks little relief. The Trail Blazers’ starters rested early, and every player that was eligible to play saw some court time. The crowd was happy and active as Meyers Leonard got the Trail Blazers’ 100th point for the 101-79 final margin.
Players
Wesley Matthews was the cup, the saucer, the coffee, and the cream. He had a ridiculous five three-pointers in the first half, before cooling off in the second. Still, he had a season-high 28 points with four boards, and five assists, which only three Trail Blazers have done since 2008: Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Brandon Roy. A fun night for Wesley, to be sure.
Joel Freeland got his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. That seems impossible, but it’s true. He also got a few blocks, including one that went careening into the front row near half court.
Nicolas Batum looked better than he has in ages, shooting without hesitation and moving fluidly. He was 5-7 from deep for his season-high 17 points. If Batum can keep his three-point stroke dialed in, it will be a huge deal for the Trail Blazers moving forward.
Damian Lillard had an off-night, but the Trail Blazers didn’t need him. He scored 11 points, four rebounds, six assists, and two steals in just under 30 minutes.
Chris Kaman played well in his first game back since his son was born, tallying 13 and nine with a block and a few assists. For 20 minutes of work, that’s about as good as you can hope for.
Thomas Robinson got the start for the still-ailing Aldridge. He played within himself, and netted five and four with a steal in 13 minutes.
Notes
- The Trail Blazers were scoring with such ease early on that it was almost comical. It’s difficult to defend a team that puts four players on the court that are shooting 35% or better from downtown, but still. The ball movement was vintage Stotts-era Blazers.
- The Knicks’ 79 points were the lowest for any Trail Blazers opponent this season.
- The Knicks also only got 1 block tonight. The Trail Blazers allowed an opponent one or fewer blocks just three times last year.
- In the last four seasons, the Blazers have scored 100+ points and allowed 79 or fewer points just four times.
- Of the 13 Trail Blazers to see the court, 11 made it onto the scoreboard. Dorell Wright and Allen Crabbe were the only
With the games getting a bit harder, the Trail Blazers face the East-leading Toronto Raptors in Portland on Tuesday, December 30th at 7:00 p.m. PST.