Trail Blazers turn down Heat 99-83
83. 110. 99. 34. Final
The Portland Trail Blazers came out in the first half flatter than matzo bread, then rose like a warm ball of pizza dough to envelop the Miami Heat in their yeasty dominance, 99-83. The Trail Blazers are now tied with the Golden State Warriors for most wins in the NBA and sport a flashy 28-8 record.
Recap
The Trail Blazers played most of the first half with all the urgency of a bologna sandwich. Granted, they are playing with neither their starting nor their backup “defensive-minded” centers, but the Heat got 60 percent of their points from the paint at the half and were out-rebounding the Trail Blazers 26-22. Meanwhile, Portland’s perimeter shots weren’t falling because their offense couldn’t get easy buckets… no easy buckets means the defense doesn’t respect your drive, and if they don’t respect your drive they will just dare you to shoot from outside, which is exactly what the Heat did, watching as the Trail Blazers missed multiple close shots at the rim.
When all was said and done, the Trail Blazers were trailing 48-43 at the half, but more importantly Damian Lillard collided with Dwyane Wade late in the second quarter and took a while to get up, holding his back. While he walked gingerly to the court to start the third, he looked no worse for the wear, much to the relief of everyone within a 200 mile radius of the Moda Center.
The Trail Blazers finally started hitting some threes and some better shots at the rim, and after a few minutes of improved basketball they had turned a 5-point deficit into a 56-51 lead halfway through the period. Seeing the ball actually go through the hoop did wonders for their overall effort, too, and Miami was held scoreless for over three minutes. The floodgates opened, Wade headed to the locker room for a spell, and the Trail Blazers blew ahead 76-64 after three.
By the fourth quarter, the Heat looked gassed. The Trail Blazers kept stoking the flames, moving the ball to get open looks and preventing Miami from doing the same. Halfway through the fourth, it was a 20-point lead and the outcome was no longer in question. The deep bench got some run, and the Trail Blazers got the well-earned 99-83 win.
Players
LaMarcus Aldridge was the steadying force that bailed the Trail Blazers out of their darkest moments. Down double-digits halfway through the second quarter, it was consecutive Aldridge shots at the rim that buoyed the team’s flagging spirits and, to this observer, injected some hope in a game that was starting to get ugly. He shot 11-20 from the field and finished with his usual 24 and 12.
Damian Lillard gutted his way through one of his roughest game in recent memory, scoring just 16 points and adding three assists with no rebounds, all far below his season averages. But if any one play sums up what Lillard is all about, it would be the alley-oop dunk he finished early in the third quarter, and mind you this was after he limped to and from the locker room at the half after hurting his back. He doesn’t quit.
…and neither does Wesley Matthews, who was battling injuries of his own. After hyper-extending his knee last game and playing through it, he was sporting a new knee brace and was clearly limited by soreness. No matter. He went 6-10 from the field and 3-5 from deep for 16 points in a solid shift.
Nicolas Batum struggled more than the box score showed. He missed a few free throws, he took some bad shots, he didn’t look like he was in rhythm save for a few brief moments, but he did use his length to grab nine rebounds, supplementing his four assists, two steals, and eight points.
Chris Kaman started his second straight game, averaging nine points, 10 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks over both. He had a few nice moves and seems to understand that the Trail Blazers desperately need someone to provide help in the middle. You can tell it doesn’t come as easily to him as does his role of tall, jump-shooting center off the bench, but he’s making the necessarily adjustments. Good on him.
Meyers Leonard shot poorly, but had nine rebounds, another example of the shorthanded Trail Blazers getting from their players what’s needed, rather than what the players are most comfortable with.
Steve Blake had five assists and seven points, including an unlikely stepback three to beat the shot clock. He’s been playing far from his best ball of late, but everyone goes through slumps. Tonight was the best he’s looked in a while.
Notes
- This was truly a game of two halves. The first half induced nail biting, shallow breathing, and a creeping sense of dread. The second half was as though someone opened the release on a pressure cooker, and before you could say, “THERE the Blazers are!” they had turned a deficit into a double-digit lead. This team definitely knows how to tighten the screws at will, which is pretty remarkable. It’s one thing to will yourself to play better in an individual sport, but it’s another to overcome both yourself and your opponent in a team sport. The Trail Blazers have figured out how to do that, and it’s a sight to behold.
- The Trail Blazers were outrebounded in the first half by a half dozen or so, but by the end of the game they had built a 50-42 edge. Also, they lost the points in the paint battle just 44-42; a huge shift from the first half.
- The seven turnovers the Trail Blazers committed were a season low.
They now must prepare to take on the 13-25 Orlando Magic at the Moda Center on Saturday, January 10th at 7:00 p.m. PST.