Trail Blazers Report Card: Grades from Portland’s 104-85 victory over the Knicks
Starters
Damian Lillard – 30 PTS / 6 AST / 4 REB
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Another victory, another impressive night for Lillard. It is getting even harder for the NBA to justify his all-star snub, but the disrespect has paid dividends for the Trail Blazers. Lillard is learning how to get to the line more effectively each night. His search for contact led to his perfect 10-10 mark from the free throw line. His solid play also showcased his ability to take care of the ball, as Portland only committed seven turnovers (Lillard with only one). Grade: A
C.J. McCollum – 25 PTS / 2 AST / 3 REB
McCollum went a long way to putting his previous two games behind him against the Knicks. He has made it a habit of dribbling into trouble and escaping with lay-ups that defy physics. McCollum was also able to find his shot from deep. He went a near perfect 2-3 from beyond the arc last night. Grade: A
Al-Farouq Aminu – 4 PTS / 0 AST / 4 REB
Don’t let Aminu’s stat line fool you, his work on the defensive end proved crucial for Portland. Carmelo Anthony torched the Trail Blazers in their last meeting, but in last night’s game it was different. Aminu did a much better job containing Anthony, as he was limited to 23 points (still better than 37). Hopefully Aminu will bring both his offensive and defense to today’s match up versus the Celtics. Grade: C+
Noah Vonleh – 4 PTS / 0 AST / 4 REB
Vonleh started his night quickly with two impressive dunks, but it was over as soon as it started. Those happened to be the only two baskets for the twenty year old. On a better note, three of his four rebounds were offensive (that’s something right?). He only played 15 minutes and you should expect that trend to continue with Portland’s bench playing so well. Grade: C
Mason Plumlee – 2 PTS / 3 AST / 7 REB
Like Aminu, a lot of what Plumlee did against the Knicks doesn’t show up in the box score. His low offensive output was the result of a perimeter heavy attack. He led the charge for the Trail Blazers’ rebounding effort, which saw Portland out rebound the Knicks 55-46. Even if he isn’t pulling down the boards himself, he does a solid job of keeping his man out of position. It is almost a good thing to see his scoring numbers low, because it means that Portland is hitting their outside shots. Grade: B
Related Story: Trail Blazers Playoff Update
Sixth Man of the Game
Meyers Leonard – 11 PTS / 1 AST / 14 REB
This was Leonard’s first double double since mid January and his third solid game in a row. Somewhere in an office building, Leonard’s agent is preparing his pitch for a pay raise for himself and his client. Hopefully his hot shooting from outside continues through this tough stretch of games. Grade: A