Player grades from the Trail Blazers 107-95 win over Khris Middleton and the reeling Bucks.
Starters
Damian Lillard: 14 points/12 assists/5 rebounds
The Bucks were able to keep Lillard in check for most of the game, especially from the three point line, where he shot 0-6. Luckily, Lillard is no longer a player who relies on scoring to make an impact on the court. He was able to dish out a total of 12 assists – which is tied for the second highest mark in his career. Some of Lillard’s offensive struggles can be credited to his lack of opportunities at the line. Following a contest in which he shot a total of 12 free throws, Lillard attempted just two in last night’s game. Lillard now has five double-doubles in January, which equals his amount in the first three months of the year. Grade: A
CJ McCollum: 30 points/6 assists/4 rebounds
McCollum starred against the Bucks, hitting 10 of his 18 shots. He also dished out 6 assists to complete his offensive showcase. It was not only his highest shooting percentage in over a week (.556%), but his highest scoring output in over a month. In fact, the last time McCollum topped 30 points was back on December 31st, a game in which Damian Lillard was inactive. What might be overlooked in last night’s win was his ability to get to the line. While Lillard is usually the team leader in free throws attempted, McCollum carried that torch, hitting 7-9 from the line. Those nine attempts were his highest since way back in late November, when he went 10-10 in a loss to Memphis. Grade: A+
Al-Farouq Aminu: 16 points/1 assist/5 rebounds
The Trail Blazers won the first quarter by eight points, and most of the credit should be given to Aminu. The starting small forward started the game on fire, leading all players with 10 points. He may be streaky from the three point line, but when he is on it’s a beautiful thing to watch. He has now made at least one three pointer in seven straight games, bringing up his season average to 1.4 3PM/G. His improvements from deep need to be talked about more, as he averaged just .32 3PM in his first five seasons in the league. Defensively, he was consistent as always, snagging a season high three steals. Grade: A-
Noah Vonleh: 0 points/0 assists/3 rebounds
Vonleh left last night’s game early with a sprained ankle. That means that Terry Stotts will be looking for ways to fill the PF position in the short term. My best guess is Meyers Leonard, who has caught fire from beyond the arc. Personally, I would love to see the coaching staff experiment with both Plumlee and Davis in the starting lineup, but nothing I’ve seen so far this year leads me to believe that that is an option they are exploring. Grade: N/A
Related Story: Trail Blazers Successful Week
Mason Plumlee: 3 points/1 assist/8 rebounds
Maybe it was “big brother bias” or “sibling syndrome”, but Mason Plumlee struggled against Miles Plumlee and the rest of the Bucks front line. He shot just 20% from the field, his lowest mark since January 4th against the Grizzlies. Yet, even with his offensive woes, Plumlee was still able to amass eight rebounds, three blocks, and one steal. Grade: C+
Sixth Man of the Game
Gerald Henderson: 14 points/0 assists/9 rebounds
With an uneasy crowd looking on as the Bucks slowly started to climb out of a 15 point hole, Henderson led a charge that would finally put Jason Kidd’s team to rest. Henderson scored 13 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, and it seemed like he was always in the right place at the right time. From timely threes to clutch put back dunks, no player had a bigger impact in the final minutes of the game than Gerald Henderson. Grade: A+