Robin Lopez returns, Trail Blazers escape Jazz, 103-102
118. 103. 34. Final. 102
In a must-win game, the Portland Trail Blazers slid and held their ground, then got ahead, then slid some more, but did just enough before the horn to withstand a Utah Jazz assault and walk away winners, 103-102. After missing the last 23 contests with a broken hand, Robin Lopez lumbered back into the starting lineup to the open arms of his teammates (particularly Nicolas Batum), and held the team together.
It is very, very good to have Robin Lopez back.
Flow
The emotional lift from Lopez’s return must have been palpable to fans, because we at home were feeling it from our radios, televisions, and computers.
This game teetered on the edge of being blown open by the Trail Blazers a few times… most notably near the end of third, up six, and near the end the game, up nine with 3:20 to go. The Trail Blazers never quite had control of the game, but every time the Jazz pushed, they pushed back a little harder.
In the final minutes, the Jazz made one last effort to take the lead. The Trail Blazers, however, outlasted them. With 0.4 seconds to go, the Jazz (down one) fouled Damian Lillard to stop the clock. They still had a timeout, so there was an inkling of hope left for them.
Lillard missed the first free throw and the Jazz eagerly awaited their chance to seize victory… until Lillard (throwing personal percentages to the wind) clanked the second free throw off the left side as an intentional time waster. Game: Trail Blazers.
This game didn’t close the door on the Trail Blazers worries: Rudy Gobert came off the bench and played like the second coming of Hakeem Olajuwon for seven and 15 with two blocks (and a lot more shots affected). But seeing Lopez in the lineup, and how much different the entire team looked on the floor with his presence, it’s much easier to a see a road back to consistent, winning basketball.
Players
Player of the Game: Robin Lopez! Why not? The guy was stellar, shooting over 50% and altering many more shots than his two blocks give him credit for. He had 11 points, six rebounds, and one large post presence. Beyond that, he glues this team together… he gives breathing room for error on both shots and defense. It is really good to have him back.
Damian Lillard did what a couple of other Trail Blazers did tonight: yawn, rub their eyes, and deliver a slump-busting performance; in Lillard’s case, to the tune of 25 points (despite 0-6 from deep), four rebounds, six assists, two steals, and just a lone turnover. It wasn’t perfect… some of his threes looked way off. But he more than made up for it with a relentless attack of the paint that led to a huge dunk over Gobert: he of the 7’8” wingspan.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points with 11 rebounds, marking his 219th career double-double. He is now tied with Sidney Wicks for most in franchise history. Although Gobert more or less locked him down in the second half, Aldridge’s effort on the glass among Utah’s big bodies was an important piece of the victory puzzle.
Nicolas Batum really, really liked that Lopez was back. His 10-8-6 with a steal and two blocks was vintage Batum… or at least, “Batum when his shot is off but he’s being aggressive and making other things happen” Batum. The second bucket of the game was a Batum-to-RoLo dunk, and he hit RoLo for an assist later, too. Batum doesn’t need to make all (or even most) of his shots as long as he remains a threat. With confidence, and a little help form his friends, he was a threat tonight.
Wesley Matthews went and had himself an excellent game as well: 6-10 shooting 3-5 from deep for 21 points, three rebounds, two assists, and three steals. His corner three midway through the fourth quarter felt like the shot to ice the game, giving the Trail Blazers their 9-point lead… and in a way, since the lead held, it still was.
Chris Kaman appeared relieved to return to his usual bench role, but did not look to score. Instead, he focused on his teammates to the point that he passed over a few good looks. No matter. He stood his ground and got a block with five boards and a few assists.
Steve Blake led the bench in scoring with seven points. That is probably more a reflection of how the game was paced than how well he played, but those seven were important nonetheless.
Allen Crabbe returned from a string of DNP-CDs and didn’t register a point, but hopefully it registered with coaches how easily he moved on both offense and defense. His nickname, Cool Breeze, is well-earned: he slides around the court effortlessly. I, for one, would like to see some more of the Barton/McCollum minutes (or even Blake minutes) going to Crabbe instead.
Notes
- The Trail Blazers avoided their first 4-game skid of the season.
- Lopez looked good. When he went to the locker room in the thirrd quarter after taking an elbow from Gobert, Rip City held its collective breath, but he quickly trotted back out sporting a new bandage over his left eye.
- Lillard will break out of his shooting slump soon. It’ll happen. Hopefully, “soon” means next game and not next week. He was aggressive on the drive in the meantime.
The Trail Blazers get a day off before facing the Phoenix Suns at home on Thursday February 5th at 7:30 p.m. PST. Portland is now 33-16, tied with the Clippers for the 4th-best record in the West, and 5.5 games ahead of Phoenix for the 8th spot. A win Thursday would keep that separation respectably wide.