The Portland Trail Blazers fail to sustain momentum from their thrilling come-from-behind victory against the Sixers. They lose to the Atlanta Hawks, who have the worst record in the NBA.
The Portland Trail Blazers were surely hoping to capitalize on a momentum-building comeback victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. A win against the Atlanta Hawks would have been another boost for the struggling Blazers as they head into the New Year.
But – as is often the case with this team – they failed when faced with totally surmountable odds.
Questions heading into Saturday’s tilt between our Portland Trail Blazers and the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta:
- Will Damian Lillard play? (No.)
- Who will show up – Jusuf Nurkic or “the Beast”? (Neither. It was some guy who only managed to score eight points on 3-of-11 shooting and turned the ball over four times.)
- Will Evan Turner score more than 10 points? (Of course not.)
Some highlights from each quarter. Proceed with caution, Rip City. It gets ugly.
First Quarter
The Trail Blazers were sloppy with the ball early in the first quarter, coughing it up twice in the early going. The Hawks were more aggressive on the boards also, outrebounding Portland seven to four through the first six minutes.
After a lethargic start, the Trail Blazers take the lead 19-17 with just over four minutes left in the first. They’re helped by three offensive rebounds and a block by Nurkic.
After one: Atlanta 24, Portland 23. CJ McCollum with seven points. Nurkic and Al-Farouq Aminu with five apiece.
Second Quarter
Shabazz gets the Trail Blazers off to a good start with a three-pointer.
Maurice Harkless hits his first shot – a three-pointer following a mad scramble by a driving Shabazz Napier.
Aminu had a nice theft on a Taurean Prince drive, leading to a fast break and an assist for a Napier layup. (Portland fast breaks are a rare sight, indeed.)
Trail Blazers shooting right at 50% (from three and overall) with just under three minutes left in the half. (The Hawks, on the other hand, are shooting just 43 percent.) Portland is also outrebounding the Hawks, 22-16.
Nurkic, perhaps trying to do too much, attempts a behind-the-back dribble in traffic. He turns the ball over, leading to a three-point make by Marco Belinelli.
At the half: Portland 52, Atlanta 46. Napier has 13 points and four assists. McCollum was quiet in the second quarter and finishes the half with nine points. Nurkic and Aminu both with three turnovers.
Third Quarter
Sloppy start for both teams in the second half. The Hawks look woefully lost on defense to start the half. The Trail Blazers open up a 57-46 lead on an Aminu three; it’s their largest lead of the game.
But it was mostly downhill for the Trail Blazers after that.
Nurkic picks up his third foul early in the third quarter. Soon after, he crashes into Turner chasing a rebound. Turner appears to have gotten hurt on the play; he spends the rest of his time on the court trying to work out a kink in his neck or shoulder.
Atlanta rallies back to within one, 61-60.
Peak Nurkic: Two consecutive and impressive blocks on the Hawks’ Ersan Ilyasova, followed by a ridiculous pass to nobody (a turnover), followed by a foul at the other end (his fourth).
Atlanta takes the lead 67-66 with 3:47 to go.
Pat Connaughton took a knee to the ribs defending a fast break. He headed to the locker room afterward. Diagnosis: Bruised ribs. He did return, though.
The Blazers are outscored 26-17 and end the quarter down by three, 72-69.
Next: Should the Blazers have traded Turner instead of Crabbe?
Fourth Quarter
Turnovers, bad passes and general ugliness prevail as the Hawks extend their lead throughout the fourth quarter.
With 6:58 left in the game, Nurkic picks up his fifth foul, meaning he can no longer be aggressive on defense. (And he wasn’t.)
And things got worse somehow.
McCollum, fouled on a three-point shot, makes just one-of-three free throws.
Also: Atlanta gets to the rim whenever they want. Hawks take an 18-point lead.
Next: December play is not so good for the Blazers historically
Finally, Stotts waves the white flag. Into the game come Jake Layman and Noah Vonleh with 3:32 to play.
Final score: Hawks 104, Trail Blazers 89. It’s the Hawks first win of the season when scoring fewer than 110 points.
Dennis Schroder leads the Hawks with 22 points.
Trail Blazers finish the game with 20 turnovers.
Three Takeaways
Keep Shabazz Napier forever.
The Trail Blazers have struggled this season, so a lot of people (including Portland owner Paul Allen) are searching for answers. One possible “solution” I’ve seen batted around is a trade involving Shabazz Napier. I’d like to put the kibosh on this idea immediately. With each game, Napier proves himself to be absolutely vital to the Trail Blazers success. And he’s made Lillard’s absence less painful with his playmaking and three-point shooting. Dude is a winner.
Damian remains a leader on the bench.
Lillard has missed four games now with a hamstring strain. But he stays upbeat and positive on the bench. Plus, he uses his downtime to scout the game and offer tips and advice to his teammates, especially the younger players. Lillard would probably make an excellent coach if he decides to go that route.
Why won’t Jusuf Nurkic dunk the ball?
In an insightful article that listed common criticisms of Nurkic’ game, The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Joe Freeman asks, “How many times have you yelled at your television, ‘DUNK THE BASKETBALL!’ when Nurkic blindly flips up a close-range shot with finesse or settles for a layup.” Yeah, there was definitely some of that happening during this game. Dunk the ball, Nurk!