While many of us were just getting started, ready to somnambulate through a day filled with turkey and stuffing leftovers, the Portland Trail Blazers were piecing it all together on the hardwood.
On Nov. 24, 2017, the day after Thanksgiving, the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Brooklyn Nets on the road, 127-125. And as part of our series looking back at the best Blazers games of 2017-2018, this one ranks right up near the top.
What’s this? A defense-less, early morning (West Coast time) November win against the fairly awful Nets, who won just 28 games all season? That’s one of the “best of the season”?
Well, yes, actually.
And here’s why.
Blazers Schedule and Record
The Blazers were 10-8 entering their game against the Nets (6-11) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Portland had not yet won more than two games in a row; this victory was the start of the first three-game winning streak of the season.
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Of course, as we were just beginning to learn about this Portland team, they were streaky as all get-out. By way of example, the three-game streak that began in Brooklyn was followed by a five-game losing skid immediately thereafter. And that was followed by another three-game win streak and then another three-game losing streak. You get the picture.
The Brooklyn game was the third of a five-game East Coast trip during which the Blazers went 4-1, one of their most successful road trips of the season.
And they did it without starting forward Al-Farouq Aminu, who missed 13 games in the early part of the season due to a bum ankle.
In fact, head coach Terry Stotts used his fifth starting lineup in this game. Pat Connaughton got one of his five starts on the season. And Noah Vonleh, who started 12 games for the Trail Blazers before being traded in February to the Chicago Bulls, was effective, if not spectacular; he scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Blazers-Nets
It was run and gun from the opening tip of this one. The Nets certainly made a game of it, too. Eight Brooklyn players scored in double figures, and they shot 50 percent from the field as a team, including 40 percent from three.
The Nets took a 53-51 lead into halftime.
And yet the Blazers offense was even better, although it wasn’t nearly as spread out among the players as the Brooklyn offense.
Damian Lillard was awesome, scoring 34 points and dishing out nine assists.
Jusuf Nurkic, who had thus far played with frustrating inconsistency, had one of his best games of the season, a dominating performance in which he scored 29 points, grabbed 15 boards and blocked four shots. And he was especially active in the final few seconds of the game, making a steal that led to a three-point play, essentially sealing the victory for Portland.
CJ McCollum added 26 points.
ET and Nurk
Evan Turner — while not exactly lighting up the scoreboard — provided the necessary spark off the bench to put the Blazers in the win column. Turner had 13 points, four assists and three rebounds — just the kind of performance the Blazers needed from one of its bench players.
Turner and Nurkic are the reasons why this game ranks among the best of the season. Portland needs both these players to excel, and this game exemplified the sort of effort they need to bring to every game.
Turner is a constant target of criticism from Blazers fans — many of whom consider him overpaid and underperforming. He came off the bench in 23 of the Blazers’ first 24 games before moving into a starting role due mostly to the ineffectiveness of Maurice Harkless. But I think he’s most effective as a member of the second team, and I expect that will be his role next season.
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So why is this game one of the season’s best? Because it’s tough to win on the road. Especially in an early game the day after a holiday in the middle of a road trip.
But also because it was a clear indication of what the Blazers need from Nurk and ET. And even though consistency remained a bugaboo for both those players, it was as if Portland had received a sign from the heavens.
Get these two to play with fire, and a lot will go right.