Report Card: Blazers Breakthrough to Win Game 3
Players Grades and Analysis from the Trail Blazers vital 120-108 Game Three victory over the Warriors
Starters
Damian Lillard: 40 points/10 assists/5 rebounds
Lillard was one of three Trail Blazers to play over 40 minutes in the game, seemingly never getting a break in what was one of his best performances of the season. Matched up against one of the top defenders in the league – Klay Thompson – he refused to be deterred, as Lillard had not one, not two, but three double digit scoring quarters. It wasn’t just his hot shooting (8-13 from three) that was stellar though, as he had 10 assists before the fourth quarter started. It’s performances like last night that cement Lillard’s status as an all-time Portland Trail Blazers great. Grade: A+
CJ McCollum: 22 points/4 assists/5 rebounds
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With Lillard leading the charge, McCollum flew under the radar and put together another solid performance. It’s worth noting that he started the game shooting 1-7, but stayed confident by hitting seven of his last eleven shots. He also led all starters with a plus/minus of +15. The one knock of McCollum’s play so far this series is his lacking ability to hit three pointers. He’s gone just 2-14 (13%) from beyond the arc so far, which is considerably lower than his 40% clip in the First Round against the Clippers. It’s possible that the length of Thompson and Shaun Livingston is affecting McCollum’s stroke, but he’s going to have to combat that if Portland wants a chance at tying this series up on Monday night. Grade: A
Al-Farouq Aminu: 23 points/10 rebounds/1 block
When you have to hold your breath anytime a certain player has the ball, it makes it that much more satisfying when he’s able to do good things. For Aminu every game is a wild ride. It’s possible he goes off for 20 points raining down loads of threes, or he struggles to even dribble the ball. Last night was one of those special games when the stars seemed to align perfectly for Aminu. He shot 89% from the field and drilled four three pointers, good for second on the team. It will be tough, but if he can carry his momentum over to Monday’s contest it would go along way to helping the Trail Blazers get another important home victory. Grade: A+
Maurice Harkless: 3 points/2 steals
Limited minutes resulted in meager contributions from Harkless, who played just seven minutes, all coming in the first half. An injury is most likely behind his restriction, not a tactical decision by Terry Stotts. Harkless told the Columbian after the game that his hip slowed him up significantly after an early hard foul. Grade: N/A
Mason Plumlee: 5 points/7 rebounds/2 assists
Much like Harkless, Plumlee was sent to the bench for most of the Game Three victory (17 minutes on the court). His absence can largely be attributed to the Warriors emphasis on playing small ball. Their four big men; Bogut, Varejao, Speights, and Ezeli played just a combined 22 minutes. The saddest part about Plumlee’s lack of opportunity to play was his streak of double-digit rebounding games halting at seven. Grade: C-
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Sixth Man of the Game
Allen Crabbe: 10 points/3 rebounds/1 steal
Crabbe continued to impress in his leading role as a reserve, leading the Blazers bench with 10 points on the night. While he only shot 2-8 from the field, his ability to knock down three pointers and free throws proved to be the difference in what was a very solid performance from AC. The most impressive stat of the night for any player on the roster also came from Crabbe, who led all players with an incredible plus/minus of +25. Grade: B+