The Portland Trail Blazers went 2-2 this week, leaving them 5-8 on the year. Here are their top 10 plays, who will take the top spot?
Despite an indifferent start to the year, the Portland Trail Blazers have still managed to add to their highlight reel, and this week was no different.
10. Damian Lillard to Anfernee Simons
The Blazers lost a close one to Toronto this week, but the Damian Lillard to Anfernee Simons connection still continued to shine.
Watch Simons lose the defense with a brilliant back-door cut, to then be picked out by a Lillard feed. Simons caught it cleanly, and threw up a high floater that dropped in off the top of the glass.
9. CJ McCollum cross and dunk
CJ McCollum seemed to have a breakthrough game in Portland’s win over Atlanta, and moves like this played a part.
Watch CJ lose his man in the corner, before finishing above the rim for the two-hand jam.
8. Kent Bazemore goes between his legs
Portland picked up an important win in San Antonio on Saturday night, which was the first of a lengthy six-game road trip.
Kent Bazemore has been performing well this week, and showed off his craftiness here, driving skillfully all the way to the rim.
7. Rodney Hood gets red hot
Despite the loss, Rodney Hood had himself a game on Wednesday night, tallying 25 points on an impressive 9-15 shooting.
Watch Hood hit one of his five 3-pointers, as he kept the Blazers alive in the third quarter.
6. Kent Bazemore goes back-to-back in OT
The Blazers were forced into overtime by the Hawks in their first game of the week, and could have been facing defeat, if not for Kent Bazemore.
Bazemore, in his first game against his previous team, got hot in overtime, as he hits back-to-back threes to hype up the Portland crowd.
5. Lillard’s swing pass
The Blazers played poorly against the Kings, but Lillard kept the highlights rolling.
Watch the All-Star pull off an audacious no-look swing pass to Hassan Whiteside, who promptly finished the play off with a strong two-hand dunk.
4. Nassir Little throws down huge dunk
Nassir Little worked his way into the starting five this week, with the rookie seemingly supplying more of an impact than Portland’s veterans.
Little showed why vs the Spurs, throwing down this huge dunk with just three minutes to go in the 4th quarter.
3. Bazemore goes high off the glass
Kent Bazemore was hot this week, and it goes to show, as this is is his third feature on this week’s edition of the Trail Blazers Top 10.
Down 11 with 7 minutes to play, Bazemore kicked off the the Portland comeback with this circus shot.
2. Dame’s go-ahead euro layup
Kevin Huerter‘s high runner off the glass to force overtime took some of the gloss off this shot, but the quality is still there.
With 11 seconds to play and the score tied, Dame Time was activated, as Lillard drove past DeAndre’ Bembry, hit a neat euro-step and finished at the rim to give the Blazers the lead.
1. Whiteside game-clinching block and FT’s
Yet another highlight from the win in San Antonio; there was almost too many to choose from.
Hassan Whiteside takes this weeks No. 1 spot, after his huge block stopped DeMar DeRozan down one end, and his pair of made free throws clinched the game on the other.
Check back next week to see how Whiteside’s clutch performance holds up and if it can continue to reign supreme in the top spot.