2019-20 Re-Run: Portland Trail Blazers v Golden State Warriors

Final 3 minutes of OT: Game in the Balance

2:58 left in OT (offensive possession): Dame gets into the paint and draws help, which opens up the put-back slam for Whiteside, who registers his 20th rebound in the process.

1:54 left in OT (offensive possession): Lillard looks tired, and the Warriors do a good job of exploiting that by denying him the ball for a large portion of the possession. He finally gets it but doesn’t have the energy to do anything with it. Simons gets it in the left corner with the shot clock running down and knocks down a contested three. He twists his ankle on the play, coming down on Lee’s foot, which should have been called for a foul for being in the landing area.

1:08 left in OT (offensive possession): Lillard hits another pull-up three to tie the game. That makes 57. He’s complained to the refs on numerous occasions for getting bumped from behind. The officials don’t always get it right, but in both instances, they correctly recognize the contact on Lillard is actually by his teammate, Whiteside, running right into his back.

0:54 left in OT (defensive possession): Whiteside makes multiple efforts to protect the rim, including using verticality to stop Paschall right in his tracks (Hassan also took a knee to the groin). The defense leads to Trent Jr. getting a layup on the other end. The Blazers have gone on an 8-0 run to take the lead.

0:34 left in OT (offensive possession): Burks hits a difficult three in the right corner. There’s not much Hezonja could have done better. He navigated the screens and was right in Burks’ grill (perhaps he could have put a hand up; however, you don’t want to foul in that situation). This is just a great shot from a guy who is having a terrific night offensively.

Other Notes:

Hopefully, the NBA takes a page out of their MLK broadcasts for the upcoming restart.

Lillard set an MLK Day record (and career-high) for points (61), breaking the previous record held by Kemba Walker (51).

With C.J. McCollum out with an ankle injury, Carmelo Anthony took on more responsibility and usage offensively. He went 3 for 3 in the early going, attacking the block.

The deal for Trevor Ariza was consummated on the day of this game. As a result, Portland was short-handed because the incoming players hadn’t arrived yet, and the outgoing players were not eligible to play.

D’Angelo Russell started 0-7 with multiple turnovers before being taken out with 3:46 left in 1st. He ended up having decent counting stats with 27 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, but his efficiency was lacking, as he shot just 9 of 27 from the field.

Gary Trent Jr. also had his role elevated with the absence of McCollum. He had a couple of nice assists to Whiteside in the 1st. It’s fun to see guys get some additional opportunities and see how they respond. He appeared far more comfortable with on-ball responsibilities than he did off-ball.

9:21 left in 2nd (defensive possession): Beautiful A-T-O by Steve Kerr to get Burks an open layup. Something as simple as a disguised back screen can open up a lot of possibilities.

5:05 left in 2nd (defensive possession): Anfernee Simons makes a spectacular chase-down block in transition.

Jusuf Nurkic continues the fashion statement on the sidelines, this time wearing a tie-dyed suit.

Whiteside rejected Jordan Poole on multiple drives during the first half. They were so emphatic, I wouldn’t be shocked if Poole refuses to attempt another layup for the rest of his career. Whiteside had a positive impact in this one, with 17 points, 21 rebounds, and six blocks.

An odd choice for an in-arena promotion for this game, the Blazers gave away free Blu-Ray copies of Gemini Man. If you’re giving out free movies, at least make it a good one.

Reggie Miller called Paschall: “Draymond Green, with offense.” How about lobbying for more Stan Van Gundy and less Reggie Miller and Chris Webber. Hear this TNT, we would rather have the play-by-play guy do it solo than have to listen to ludicrous statements from Reggie and C-Webb.

1:10 left in 3rd (defensive possession): Marquese Chriss rises up for a monster put-back slam. His athleticism is exceptional, it’s his lack of skill and basketball IQ that is holding him back from being a productive rotation player.