Portland Trail Blazers lose 3rd straight, fall to Washington Wizards 106-92
By Nate Mann
The Portland Trail Blazers lose to the Washington Wizards by a score of 106-92.
Without John Wall for the second matchup between these cross-conference teams, the Blazers fell to a 7-7 record at home.
The Wizards were fresh off a 47-point loss to the Utah Jazz, but bounced back tonight. Instead of blowing a 17-point fourth quarter lead like in November, Washington maintained the double-digit gap through the final 12 minutes.
This marks Portland’s third straight loss, all at home.
First Quarter
Portland hopped out to an early lead behind solid defense; Washington scored just three points in the first four minutes of play. Starting forwards Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless combined for one steal and two blocks in the first quarter.
On the other end, the Blazers ran their offense through Jusuf Nurkic. He found Damian Lillard cutting twice, resulting in the team’s first two buckets. He then knocked down three straight unorthodox shots in the paint to keep the small lead.
Bradley Beal and the Wizards bench came out of a timeout to outscore Portland, giving the visitors a six-point lead at the end of one.
Second Quarter
The Wizards continued their run into the second, scoring 11 straight between the quarters to take a nine-point lead. Fouls and turnovers kept Portland from closing the gap, until Terry Stotts subbed in Lillard and Nurkic.
Washington’s lead slowly dwindled, but the Blazers couldn’t manufacture offense. Two sloppy plays involving near turnovers by Pat Connaughton and Lillard led to three-pointers, keeping them within single-digits.
Barely staying afloat quickly became drowning. A few more of Portland’s 13 first half turnovers gave the Wizards a 51-37 lead at halftime.
To add injury to insult (pun intended), Harkless headed to the locker room just before halftime. He slipped into Otto Porter during the first quarter, returned to play, and then eventually exited with a left quad contusion.
Third Quarter
The Blazers came out flat in the second half, falling behind by more than 20 points. Bradley Beal added to his 51-point night with a couple of three-pointers, extending this lead.
Just when the game appeared to be out of reach, Aminu and Lillard finished consecutive threes. They both scored a few more baskets, including a four-point play by Dame. The gap closed to 11, but Beal stole the spotlight back with a pair of triples.
In a quarter of runs, plus a shooting duel between Beal and Lillard, the third ended with Portland still trailing, 79-66.
Fourth Quarter
The Bradley Beal massacre continued as he hit the 40-point mark early in the fourth. His outbreak kept Portland from late-game heroics that changed the November 25 outcome.
And then more bad news for the Blazers: Nurkic left for the locker room after twisting his knee on an and-one basket.
Rip City closed its collective eyes the final six minutes of tonight’s game. Finally the torture ended with a 14-point victory by the Washington Wizards.
3 Takeways
Shooting Woes
The Blazers finished tonight shooting 41% from the field. The team shoots 44% on the season, already a low total from 2016’s 46%.
What’s interesting about Portland’s poor shooting tonight is the three-point success. 12-27 from behind the arc was better than how they shot overall. The misses came from two-point land, especially put back opportunities.
The shooting gets more concerning with the backcourt. Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for 16 of 39, right on line with the team’s 41%. In the first half, they were below the 30% mark. If not for Dame’s improved second half from deep, the number would have remained that low.
For an offense already struggling to produce, shooting in the low-40s certainly won’t help. Even with a top-five defense, they’ll continue to lose games without any sort of offensive identity.
Home Record
Portland is now 7-7 at home, compared to 6-4 on the road.
Dame discussed the struggles at home by explaining the pressure of defending your own court. Away, the team feels less pressured and hunt for a victory in front of opposing fans. He does credit Blazer support for giving the team a home court advantage though.
Next: Expectations for Jusuf Nurkic in Portland
Fortunately, but maybe unfortunately, Portland has a couple more away games than home for the rest of the season.
Injuries
Maurice Harkless and Jusuf Nurkic exited the game early with respective leg injuries. Both came from contact plays – colliding knees for Harkless and an awkward landing for Nurk.
Moe was quickly diagnosed with a left quad contusion, while Jusuf was later labeled with a right ankle sprain. To be optimistic, they each left the game under their own power, albeit limping.
Harkless says he didn’t want to be a liability on the court and therefore left early. He hopes to play Saturday against the Houston Rockets.