Blazers go up-and-down, beat 76ers 114-110

The Portland Trail Blazers haven’t been so great at home, but not tonight, even without Damian Lillard.

Through 17 home games, the Blazers were 7-10 heading into tonight. It didn’t help that Damian Lillard was a late scratch with a hamstring injury that kept him out the two games before:

Making matters worse, the cursed red “Statement” jerseys were on deck again. As if five home losses in them weren’t enough.

Whether Portland could pull out a win was very much an open question.

1st Quarter

Neither team looked super enthused to start the game. A series of failed Jusuf Nurkic possessions were contrasted by Joel Embiid, who hit three from deep. Nurk was 1/6 shooting in the quarter, looking less than fully engaged.

With CJ McCollum being called on to shoulder the load, he stepped up, even if he looked a bit hurried at times. Playing the entire first quarter, McCollum had 14 points and three boards on 5/8 shooting.

The Blazers trailed 30-27 after one – McCollum leading Portland with 11 points.

2nd Quarter

Zach Collins, Pat Connaughton, and Ed Davis all kept the Blazers above water when they could have been drowning.

When Ben Simmons took it right to Ed Davis, you got worried… but Davis met him jump for jump, blocking the shot into a wedgie between the rim and the glass!

The Blazers closed on an 11-5 run, and took the 52-51 lead into the half. McCollum now had 15-5-2 on 6/9 shooting.

3rd Quarter

The 76ers began the second half with two consecutive threes plus an Embiid bucket, while Nurkic committed two fouls. The momentum was fully in 76ers favor, before Nurkic committed yet ANOTHER foul as he was bleeding from the bridge of his nose.

The Blazers quickly found themselves in the double-digit hole they wished they had dug for Philadelphia out of the break. Then, they were down 18.

…it was NOT a great start to the third.

To their credit, the Blazers clamped down and got within single digits before the close of the third, offering the semi-comatose Moda Center crowd a glimmer of hope. Still, it was 85-72 to the 76ers heading into the fourth as the Blazers were railed 34-20 in the quarter.

4th Quarter

When Nurk put Embiid into the spin cycle, hope rose.

The Blazers kept the pressure on, and Nurkic drew a Flagrant 1 on Joel Embiid.

As the clock ticked down, the Blazers were reminded, once again, that Shabazz is the man.

In the words of former Blazers broadcaster Mike Barret, “…and all of the sudden, the Blazers are right back into it.”

Another Napier drive cut the 76ers lead to 88-87 with eight minutes left in the game. The Blazers found themselves on a 13-0 run of their own.

By the time Nurkic blocked Embiid at the rim, the Moda Center crowd was awake, and they were loud.

Radio host Chad Doing summed it up nicely:

Nurkic continued to play tough, spirited defense on Embiid, avoiding getting the critical sixth foul.

Though the Sixers cut it to four, a McCollum jumper (who finished with 34 points) with 1:06 left pushed the Blazers lead to 107-98 and effectively iced the game.

The Blazers survived some late-game silliness to walk away winners, 114-110.

Three Takeaways

The Blazers need Dame

And no, a more obvious observation of this Portland team there cannot be. It’s still fascinating (or frustrating) to watch as the offense stalls and spurts, as the shots for role players that are usually somewhat open are choked off. And while the Blazers’ defense was good for stretches, you get the sense that so much of their defensive improvement has been simple leading by example. Without their best player to set the tone, the team fell in and out of being engaged, at times looking pretty good and at others looking disengaged.

Shabazz(‘s second half) is the man

One point in the first half. 22 points in the second half. No, that’s not a typo. Napier was EVERYWHERE when the Blazers needed him, especially in the fourth quarter. Passes between Embiid’s legs, free throw, drives, shots… just everything. Without Napier, the Blazers don’t win this game. Simple as that.

Next: Should the Blazers have traded Evan Turner instead of Allen Crabbe?

When Nurkic looks bad, he plays bad

Body language and energy mean more to Jusuf Nurkic than some players. Even though he closed out the first half pretty well, there were way too many times that he didn’t track a rebound, or didn’t hustle down the court, or just didn’t keep his head up to look alive. Some players don’t need that (See: Al-Farouq Aminu). Nurkic does. He’s an energy player, and without energy he doesn’t make good decisions and doesn’t play as well.

And BOY DID HE BRING THE ENERGY IN THE SECOND HALF. After getting hit in the face and having blood drawn, Nurk returned as a beast possessed. Despite being in foul trouble down the stretch, Nurkic continued playing tough, gritty defense, unafraid of fouling out. His energy was high, his head was up, and he looked alive. It made all the difference.

Next Game

The Blazers play the 9-25 Hawks in Atlanta this Saturday, Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m. PT.