Blazers bench out-duels Rockets but fall short, 94-96

In an unexpected turn of events, the Blazers bench staged a comeback versus Houston but ultimately fell short, 94-96.

Heading in to Thursday night’ s game, the Blazers’ magic number for home court advantage was down to ONE GAME. This means one win in the final four games secures extra games at the Moda Center come playoffs.

In addition, the magic number for the third seed is two – any combination of wins from Portland or losses by Utah contribute.

With Damian Lillard out due to a sprained ankle, the Blazers didn’t carry the same competitive nature against the Rockets. Let’s not forget Maurice Harkless and Ed Davis sitting out as well.

However, a crazy comeback by the deep bench players allowed Portland to only lose by two points, rather than double-digits as the deficit had been throughout.

Game Story

First Half

The Blazers began the first quarter playing as if Damian Lillard was leading the offense. Jusuf Nurkic scored 6 of the team’s first 8 points and Portland stayed tight with the NBA’s best.

Like the flip of a switch, Houston took off and ended up ahead by 19 after the first quarter. Every Rockets player connected on their three-point attempts and the Blazers couldn’t get its usual offense rolling in the absence of Dame.

Wade Baldwin IV and Shabazz Napier sparked a Blazers semi-comeback – the lead slimmed down to 11 at one point near the end of the second quarter. But once again the Rockets knocked down consecutive three-pointers to close out the half in front 22.

Second Half

Terry Stotts increased his double team calls when James Harden loomed at the top of the key. This forced the ball out of his hands, but whoever the open Rockets player was continued to knock down the open three-pointers.

Lapses in Houston’s shooting gave Portland a chance to come back. Every time the Blazers closed within 15 points, a three-pointer or alley-oop returned momentum to the home team.

The fourth quarter provided a great opportunity for a comeback as the Rockets shot 2/10 to start. However, the Blazers couldn’t convert a shot either and continued to trail by double-digits.

The white flag was raised as Stotts subbed in Jake Layman and Georgios Papagiannis. But they didn’t see it that way. A ragtag lineup composed of Portland’s deep bench managed to string together a 17-0 run to tie the game at 94 with seconds remaining.

Adding to his “Most Hated Man in Portland” résumé, Chris Paul hit a layup with 0.8 seconds left to win the game for Houston.

The comeback was amazing, but in the end Portland fell, 94-96.

Player of the Game

In just his second game of playing significant minutes, Wade Baldwin put together a wonderful performance.

On the stat sheet, he finished with 14 points, 3 assists and 2 steals on 6/10 shooting and 2 three-pointers. A majority of the team had a negative plus/minus, but Baldwin’s was +14.

Off the stat sheet, he gave James Harden a headache. Baldwin met him right at halfcourt each time and stayed close through all the fancy dribble moves. On several occasions he even forced Harden to mishandle a dribble and give possession back to Portland.

Wade Baldwin was one of few Blazers players giving 110% effort for all four quarters. He also contributed to the unexpected 20-point comeback by the Blazers bench through the final few minutes.

Play of the Game

The bench Blazers massive run to close out the game was the easy choice for play of the game. From Caleb Swanigan’s pull-up three to Jake Layman’s fadeaway two, Portland’s deep reserves put on a clinic against the best team in basketball. What was once a hopeless game has revamped Rip City entering the playoffs.

5 Stats from the Game

• The Blazers bench scored 17 straight points in under four minutes against the Rockets starters.
• The Houston Rockets did not make a single three-pointer in the second half. They made 13 in the first half.
• Georgios Papagiannis played his first game as a Blazer. In 4 minutes, he converted his only attempt and was +15.
• Portland’s bench outscored Houston’s, 42-21.
• CJ McCollum shot 7/25 for 16 points. He still finished as the Blazers’ leading scorer.

Next: Injury bug hitting Blazers at worst time

Since halfway through the first quarter, the Blazers failed to close the deficit below double-digits. Who would’ve thought Layman, Swanigan and Papagiannis would stage a 17-point comeback in under four minutes against the best team in the NBA!

While all the hard work and excitement resulted in a loss, tonight’s game demonstrated the potential of this deep Portland roster. Solid play from the bench combined with the starters knocking down their shots makes the Blazers a dangerous team in the playoffs.