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Portland Trail Blazers’ defense, Jerami Grant, lead way in 106-95 win at New Orleans Pelicans: At the buzzer

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Damian Lillard was not pleased that the Portland Trail Blazers sat him as a precaution for their visit to New Orleans Thursday night as he continues to ease back from a calf injury.

It spoiled an anticipated matchup against CJ McCollum, his longtime former teammate and good friend.

Next came news that Jusuf Nurkic (right adductor soreness) and Shaedon Sharpe (right finger sprain) also would be sidelined with injuries.

With so many key bodies down, the Blazers appeared to be a long shot to win at the Smoothie King Center.

But once again, the Blazers’ available players elevated their games, the defense continued to thrive and Portland pulled off a 106-95 victory.

Jerami Grant led the Blazers with 27 points and Anfernee Simons scored 23. But it was the defense that carried the night, holding down a Pelicans team that entered Thursday averaging 118.2 points per game, third-best in the NBA.

Simons began slowly, going scoreless and missing all five of his shots in the first quarter. But like he always does, Simons kept firing and eventually his shots began to fall. He scored 10 points in the second quarter, then added 11 more in the third.

The Blazers shot 43.5% from the field, including 35.3% from three-point range. And perhaps the most encouraging statistic was nine — as in nine turnovers. The team had been averaging 17.2, tied for the most in the NBA.

“Obviously, the thing I’m most proud of in this game is our turnovers,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “When you don’t turn it over, teams don’t score in transition on you. I like our defense in the half court. They do a decent enough job. I thought our zone was incredible in this game tonight. We just kept fighting.”

Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 29 points. McCollum finished with 13 points and seven assists. Brandon Ingram, who fouled out with 3:32 remaining, had 14 points and five rebounds.

The Blazers held the Pelicans to 41.8% shooting.

“Very huge win,” Blazers forward Justise Winslow said. “This is a team we’re going to see four times this year. They’ve been playing well. We had people down and out. But it’s alway next-man up mentality. Guys stepped up and guys made necessary plays when we needed.”

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (1) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. The Trail Blazers won 106-95. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) APAP

WHAT IT MEANS

Before the season started, this six-game trip looked like it would be a doozy for the Blazers (9-3). But they surprisingly have won four of the first five games, even though Lillard has sat three times, Nurkic and Simons have each missed two games and Grant has been sidelined once. The Pelicans fell to 6-6.

“We’ve played some really good teams on this trip and we’ve earned every single thing on this trip, so far,” Billups said. “We thought that it was going to be a very challenging trip and it has been.”

JERAMI GRANT DELIVERS

Before the game, Billups said he told Grant, who played 42 minutes, that the team would need everything he had given how shorthanded they were.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) slam dunks over New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III, right, and forward Herbert Jones, left, in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. The Trail Blazers won 106-95. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) APAP

In fact, Billups told Grant and Simons to take some questionable shots here and there in order to create offense with Lillard, Nurkic and Sharpe out.

“I thought Jerami was big time all night,” Billups said.

One of Grant’s biggest moments came with 4:56 remaining when drove the lane, elevated and dunked over two Pelicans defenders to give the Blazers a 97-89 lead.

“For a guy that’s not aggressive, there was a lot of aggression on that dunk,” Billups said. “I think he knows that once you go down there, if you don’t dunk it hard, they could block it … I though it was just a great move and an even better finish.”

NASSIR LITTLE

With three key players out, that left the Blazers’ bench thin. Coach Chauncey Billups went with an eight-man rotation, and Nassir Little was a key option. He came through with 15 points and four rebounds, while hitting 6 of 11 shots. He made several key baskets in the second half.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little goes to the basket between New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) and guard CJ McCollum (3) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. The Trail Blazers won 106-95. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) APAP

“I was really proud and happy for Nas,” Billups said.

The only other players to come off of the bench were Trendon Watford and Jabari Walker. The pair combined for six points and eight rebounds. Watford had three steels.

Billups said both did a good job of helping the offense become less stagnant late in the game by making smart plays with the ball.

“Those guys we depend on to just make things go,” Billups said. “Their numbers most of the time won’t be noticeable on the stat sheet.”

NEXT UP

The Blazers close out their six-game trip Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Dallas (6-5).

— Aaron Fentress reported from New Orleans.

— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts



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6 Observations from the Trail Blazers Victory in Miami

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The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Miami Heat 110-107 on Monday in an exemplary show of resilience. Thanks to an energized, refocused defense in the third and fourth quarters, Portland was able to do away with as much as a 15-point lead, en route to a comeback win. They capitalized off of the absence of Tyler Herro, while holding all Heat players to 16 points or fewer. A buzzer-beating corner 3 from Josh Hart iced Miami, and silenced a South Beach crowd that just moments ago, got their spirit back after a Max Strus 3 tied it late. Yet another win in the books for the Blazers has continued a Cinderella run to bring home a 7-3 report card, worthy of praise, and not proverbial grounding.

This game would’ve been a shame to miss, considering the late push that was made. No matter, we have you covered if that was the case. Our quarter-by-quarter recap can be found here.

Presented to you now: a half-dozen carton of Easter eggs from tonight’s game, that sheds more light on why things happened the way they did.

Play Up Portland!

The Blazers didn’t do their job on defense in the first half. Their complacency guarding the 3-point line could not be shaken. They broke the cardinal rule of not stopping the ball in transition, leading to two easy Gabe Vincent bombs from deep in the first, as well as a Kyle Lowry trey later on. Portland also did not get up in the grill of the opposing wing players when past 23 feet, as warned about in our Blazers Edge preview earlier today. Duncan Robinson and Lowry excelled in that area, combining for six of Miami’s threes in the half. Their 10 collective triples were the most the team had hit all season in a single half, and it came with over three minutes to spare in the second. Even more blood could have been spilled but Head Coach Chauncey Billups remedied the cause by having his players zealously contest, leading to missed shots, and a couple of near fouls.

Bam!

Bam Adebayo might as well have changed his name to Felix the Cat in the first half, because he was all up in his bag during that stretch. When Miami needed a mid-range shot off the dribble, Bam had it for them. When the Heat needed a face-up jumper to keep momentum going, Bam was their guy. Did Erik Spoelstra call for a pick-and-roll? He sure did. Many times at that. And Bam found a way to duck inside for easy buckets. Adebayo also found success in the passing lanes, connecting with a wide open cutter for an easy deuce. Someone should write a letter to Emeril Laggase persuading him to give the Heat’s PA announcer a personal soundbite of his patented, “Bam!” Just for number 13. As rock-solid as he was offensively in the beginning of the game, he didn’t meet his production standards halfway down the stretch, scoring only six points and dialing in two assists in the final two quarters of play.

Game of Zones

What the Blazers failed to do in the 24 minutes prior to halftime is exactly what they capitalized off of in the 24 minutes after. Their 2-3 zone was executed to perfection, where Drew Eubanks was a menace in the middle. They fixed their problem of contesting, by shifting their defense up in the high screen-and-roll and other sets. This is the first time they’ve exhibited such great defense this season against the 3 up until this point, and a secret recipe for success was discovered. A 15-point lead was cut down, so much so that the Blazers tied the game with over two minutes to go. A testament to the reinvigorated defense was, with three minutes to go, Max Strus attempted a 30-footer. His defender, Anfernee Simons, was right up on him, forcing the miss. It was a direct example of what coach Billups probably preached in the huddle before the teams came out for the second half. A trickle down effect took effect once Portland transitioned into man defense, and sparked their eventual game-winning run.

On the other end, Miami’s zone in the first half was highly effective. Bam Adebayo was containing every attempt at the rim inside, and forcing the Blazers to shoot from deep, where they surprisingly had success. That was the only thing outside of Jerami Grant’s heroics that kept them in the game.

Déja Vu?

In their first matchup, Jimmy Butler had three or so fast break dunks in a 10-minute span that helped blow the doors open on the game. Fast forward to today, and Butler had three steals that led to fast break buckets, to help extend Miami’s lead. Butler had six takeaways on the game, tying a season-high. Reason being? Portland got lazy with their passes. They did not move the ball with vigor. When Butler was deceptively lurking in the passing lanes, the Blazers did not learn from their mistakes, and underestimated his cunning.

Sharing is Caring

Seven players in double figures for the Heat was a season-high. Lowry played unselfishly, and he and Vincent took care of their shooters, leaving their two stars ample opportunity to get theirs as well. Nothing more to it than that.

Simons Comes Through

Simons says, erase a double-digit deficit to win the game. Simons says, help get Jerami Grant rolling again after a monster start to the game. Simons says, let it fly from deep. Simons says, give Justise Winslow some time at the point and let him contribute to your comeback. Simons and Lillard were major catalysts in Rip City ripping the heart out of the FTX Arena. They did what was said, and let it fly from deep. With the barrage of long shots that Miami made throughout the game, it was their fearlessness from the 3 that kept them close. They ended up winning the 3-point battle 16-14, and shot a great 43.2 percent from the arc. Jerami Grant had two triples from the right corner that made the game close, and was aggressive inside over the duration of the contest. At the end of the third leading into the fourth, Justise Winslow was the point guard while Dame was out. Winslow kept up a good pace and handled the ball with precision. He had a couple of buckets inside that, while seeming small, accomplished exactly what an “other,” – as Shaq calls them – is meant to do. An amalgamation of all these factors, both great and small, led to the victory.

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Box Score

The Blazers got their revenge, and on the road too. Now they will enjoy a day off before setting their sights on the Charlotte Hornets, whom they play in the fourth game of their six-game road trip, on Wednesday evening, at 4:00 p.m. PT.

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Trail Blazers Guard Simons Blows Nuggets Into the Stone Age

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The Portland Trail Blazers faced one of their stiffest challenges of the season on Monday night, facing the Denver Nuggets and their MVP center, Nikola Jokic. As it turned out, the challenge was as stiff as overdone pasta, as the Blazers steamrolled Denver 135-110.

Damian Lillard ruled the first half of the game. He finished the night with 31 points on 10-16 shooting with 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Anfernee Simons took over in the third period, which saw Portland turn a 6-point deficit into a 13-point lead. Simons scored 29 for the game, shooting 7-12 from distance. With Jokic spending most of the game on the bench with foul trouble, that’s all the Blazers needed to win their fourth in a row to start the season.

If you missed the action, shame on you! Fortunately Matthew Legros has you covered with our quarter-by-quarter recap. After you’ve perused that, here are seven observations from Portland’s victory.

Smart Nuggets…For a Half

Field goal percentage is one of the ways to tell if a team’s offense is clicking. But percentage doesn’t tell everything. Where the shots come from also matters (and often contributes to percentage). Denver had no problem getting shots just where they wanted them in the first half. They feasted in the lane off of layups, posts, and offensive rebounds. In between, they generated enough kick-outs to make the Rockettes jealous. Even on their lower-percentage three-point attempts, they simply rose over the shorter Blazers. Credit to the Nuggets for the veteran know-how, exploiting matchups without having to feed a star for isolation attempts. Denver ended up 49.5% from the field for the game.

Easy Points

The Blazers had a couple tricks up their sleeves too. Tap-out rebounds for second chances have become a staple of Portland’s offense. Portland can’t necessarily grab boards, but they can poke them away from the opponent. Fast break points also provide a source of easy buckets when the offense dries up. Those extra, easy points take away the over-reliance on the three-pointer.

Portland got 9 offensive boards tonight, almost matching the 10 that the much-bigger Denver team corralled. 26 points on the break highlighted the effort the Blazers put in.

Zone

The Blazers have run zones against every opponent they’ve faced so far. It hasn’t worked very well. Tonight, it did. Zoning up against the Nuggets forced them to shoot in the seams. The openings came from mid-range. This was about the only time all night that Denver’s efficiency wavered, but boy did it waver. They got only jumpers against the zone and pretty much all of them missed badly.

The third period was won on the back of distance shooting, but Portland’s zone made the margin significant instead of ceremonial.

Normally “zone defense” and “good defenders” don’t belong in the same sentence, but there’s something vaguely attractive about the mobile Blazers keeping themselves in the vicinity of plays rather than getting dragged out of position and having to recover.

Third Quarter Adjustments

The third quarter was a nightmare for the Blazers last year. It’s been an intermittent issue for a while. Under-talented rosters tend to excel early, then wilt when the better team starts paying attention.

If early-season third periods are any indication, the Blazers just might be the better team this year. The Blazers trailed 61-55 at the half, but it took them about three minutes to erase that deficit with their shift in defense, running, and a barrage of Anfernee Simons threes. By the time the smoke cleared, Portland led 99-86. It was a 19-point swing in a single period.

Stay tuned, but halftime may just turn out to be a benefit this year.

Threes

Portland started the game sketchy from distance, but when then warmed up, they warmed UP. The Blazers hit 11 second-half triples, blowing the Nuggets out of the water. They’re better as an inside team now. When the outside shots are falling too? Watch out.

Mismatches

The Blazers had no answer for Denver’s forwards. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter, Jr. were just too big for Portland’s defenders to manage. Porter, Jr. had 18, shooting 50% from the field and 4-8 from the arc. Gordon scored 26 on 12-16 shooting.

Portland’s guards did their own damage, though. Denver didn’t come out far enough on Simons and couldn’t stay in front of Lillard. Dame fed Simons in the third period as Anfernee hit 6 of 7 three-pointers. Yes, in the quarter. At a certain point, it was like a video game out there. Portland was on the good side of it. Simons had 22 points, yes, IN THE QUARTER.

Joker Sits

If Nikola Jokic is The Joker, the referees were Batman tonight. Jokic spent pretty much the entire evening in foul trouble, picking up his fourth midway through the third period. He earned his fifth with 9:00 remaining in the fourth. Jokic attempted only 4 shots in 27 minutes of play. No matter who else Denver has, that’s a big advantage for the opponent.

If you’re counting, the MVP ended up slot-machining the evening with 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. Theoretically coins should have spilled out of Denver’s locker room at that point, but given the final score, it was probably more like tears.

Up Next

Boxscore

The Blazers welcome the Miami Heat to the Moda Center on Wednesday night, with tip-off at 7:00 PM, Pacific.

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Damian Lillard Scores 41 as Blazers Rise Over Suns in Overtime

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The Portland Trail Blazers faced the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at the Moda Center fresh off an opening night victory over the Sacramento Kings. Portland was hoping to look one of the Western Conference bully teams in the eye and come out with their record unblemished. Damian Lillard certainly did his best to ensure that outcome, taking over the ball, scoring 41 on 12-25 shooting, 5-12 from the arc, 12-12 from the foul line.

As happened in the Wednesday opener, this game went right down to the final possessions, quite an accomplishment, given the caliber of Portland’s opponent. After Lillard and Devin Booker failed to win it with big shots in regulation, the teams charged into overtime. Phoenix defended well in the extra period. Portland defended well enough. A little luck was enough to make up the difference between those two standards, and Portland earned a tough 113-111 victory to go 2-0 on the season.

Here’s how the action went down.

First Quarter

The Suns knew Portland’s weaknesses before this game tipped. They started the first period taking Portland’s guards inside and making the bigs come out to defend them. The Blazers couldn’t handle smalls posting one-on-one in the lane or centers shooting deep. Portland answered with Damian Lillard, trying to get him going with a buffet of shot attempts. Dame put up some nice shots but Phoenix was far better. Quick and decisive offense was too much for the Blazers to stop. Phoenix went on a 10-0 run early and led 19-9 before Head Coach Chauncey Billups called an emergency timeout with 7:17 left in the first At that point, Phoenix had hit 8 of 11 shots.

Anfernee Simons tried to make up the difference, giving Lillard a wingman. Phoenix was keyed in and had little trouble crowding him into missed shots. Turnovers and slower-developing offense kept Portland from making up the ground they needed to.

Fortunately for the Blazers, Phoenix forgot what brought them to the dance. One crisp pass for an open shot became no passes for forced attempts as the Suns tried to exploit mismatches at center and the wings. The shots weren’t bad, per se, but they weren’t automatic. Portland’s second unit began passing and back-tapping misses for extra shots, both signs of effort and awareness. Possession by possession, the Blazers closed the lead.

Stagnant offense from Phoenix plus energy by Portland typified the rest of the period. Deandre Ayton picked up two fouls and had to sit, which helped Portland’s cause significantly. Lillard hit a classic, side-step three to wow the crowd. Had Portland made a couple more of their distance attempts, they would have led at the end of the period despite the rough start. As it was, Portland finished the period 3-9 from the arc while Lillard scored 14. Phoenix led 28-25 after one.

Second Quarter

Portland started the second continuing a couple game-long problems. They had trouble hanging onto the ball and they couldn’t close on three-point shooters to save their lives. The turnovers hurt, but Phoenix also couldn’t hit at the arc, so Portland got a bit of a hall pass on the defense.

At the same time, Phoenix figured they’d seen enough of Damian Lillard for one night. They started sending an extra man after him, forcing the ball to Simons and company. Lillard’s teammates delivered like the Great Pumpkin: lots of promise, not exactly showing up. Even missing open threes, Phoenix still went on a 13-3 run, leading 41-30 with 5:30 remaining.

Ayton coming back in the game didn’t help Portland’s cause. The Blazers ended up defending him with 6’6 players, which just wasn’t working. Also unhelpful: Simons bricking almost every attempt. Portland just didn’t have a suitable outlet. Lillard tried to take over again with moderate success until he hit a couple of deep threes late. That made everything shiny. The Blazers also drew foul shots. That pretty much kept them in the game despite a low shooting percentage (31.3% from the field at the half). Phoenix led 52-47 at halftime. Lillard had 28 points.

Third Quarter

The opening of the second half saw a couple developments for Portland that had been utterly missing before intermission. Jerami Grant and Josh Hart got shots up, while Simons hit one of his. Spreading the love around also moved the Phoenix defense, allowing air for scorers for almost the first time all game. The team that had been shooting 31% was all of a sudden over 50.

At the same time, though, Portland’s defense turned shockingly bad. Ayton scored on a dive to the hoop that a grade-schooler could have read. Three pointers were so open that the Suns could have hailed a beer vendor, downed three IPA’s, and still lined up for a decent shot. Portland attempted to counter by pushing tempo, but every fast break they got was met by one in return from Phoenix. It ended up being a lot of scoring, none of it changing the scoreboard margin much.

With 5:49 left in the third period, Ayton picked up his fourth foul. This had the potential to be big for Portland, as the Phoenix pivot had been in the middle of half of their headaches. Without their big man, the Suns started slashing down the lane into open space. Portland couldn’t stop them, except for fouling. Ironically, this evened out one of the advantages that had buoyed them.

The offense was far more team-oriented and successful in the third period. Deandre Ayton sitting opened up a huge opportunity. But Portland still trailed 79-75 heading into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

Portland’s second unit, outplayed to this point in the game, came alive at the start of the final period. They showed huge energy on the glass, smart offense in the halfcourt. Phoenix ended up with a single shot and a miss. Portland got fouls and short attempts, both for points. The Blazers took their first lead of the entire game with 10:27 remaining in the fourth.

With Ayton back in the game, the Suns tried to feed the ball inside, with mixed results. Portland alternated between Simons and Lillard when the going got tough, switching the two between controlling the ball and receiving it. Justise Winslow drew the difficult defensive assignments, as happened in Portland’s opening game versus Sacramento.

In another duplication of Portland’s first game, their three-point defense finally came alive in the closing minutes of the fourth. Getting hands in the faces of shooters made them look like a different team. Their rebounding remained sterling as well. Defense and board work? Nobody is going to argue with that.

Getting the chance to run out became a major side effect of all that energy. Suddenly the Blazers were pushing the ball past Phoenix’s ability to cope. The Suns’ bigger lineup started to look like a liability more than an asset. As is typical, Josh Hart shone bright in this environment, especially when he drove the ball down the floor. With 5:30 remaining in the fourth, the Blazers were up by 5, 93-88.

At that point, Phoenix started figuring things out. They ran a screen at the top of the key that freed Devin Booker for a cut and an unopposed jam. On their next play, Chris Paul lobbed to Ayton for another jam. Then Ayton missed a close one in the lane. Portland got a layup from Lillard but missed threes otherwise. With 3:16 remaining and a timeout on the floor, the score was tied at 95.

At that point, the Suns decided to go through Booker, who responded with a pull-up and a heavily-guarded layup. Lillard got a layup blocked, but Simons bailed out his team with a three. Then Grant goaltended Paul on a layup. Phoenix led by 1 heading into the final minute.

Nurkic was fouled on a layup with 48 seconds remaining. Hitting both free throws put Portland up 102-101. But Mikal Bridges ran the ball right back at Nurk on the ensuing possession, drawing his own foul shots. He hit 1 of 2, tying the game at 102. 37 seconds remained. It was nail-biting time.

With the two-for-one possession on tap, Lillard drove the lane and tried to pass to Nurkic, but the ball was intercepted. Booker tried a step-back three, but missed. Portland didn’t call timeout, instead letting Lillard command the floor. His three-pointer was double-covered and missed, the 102-102 score leading to overtime.

Overtime

The Blazers threw a zone defense on the first possession of overtime. Phoenix got the ball to Ayton, who got a shot and a foul over Hart, stuck guarding him on the left side. Nurkic scored on the other end up close, gaining a measure of revenge. After Ayton missed against that same zone, Nurk struck again with an offensive rebound put-back.

But that was the end of the fun for Portland. Booker scored twice in succession against a defense that suddenly couldn’t get close to him…the best offensive player on Phoenix’s side. Phoenix led 109-106 with 2:48 left.

On the next possession, Phoenix played the kind of defense Portland couldn’t, forcing an awkward set of passes and a Lillard layup next. Then Hart got a layup blocked by Bridges, followed by a Paul mid-range connection. Portland was down 5 with 90 seconds remaining. The Suns had turned up the “D”; Portland couldn’t.

A Nurkic free throw off of a layup trimmed a point off the lead, then Phoenix turned over the ball with 1:12 remaining. Simons drove, then found Grant baseline for a dunk. Phoenix led 111-109 with a minute left.

When Booker missed a long shot, Lillard streaked out and threatened the tying layup. He missed but was fouled. Two free throws for him were as good as the conversion. The scoreboard read 111 all with 34 seconds remaining.

Phoenix had the first chance at closing the game. They obligingly missed a quick layup, making sure they had time remaining after Portland’s attempt.

That attempt consisted of Simons running diagonally across the lane after the Suns had overcrowded Lillard to get the ball out of his hands. A running hook shot over Bridges fell. Portland led 113-111 with 7.2 seconds remaining. They’d need to win it with defense, and they almost did. Phoenix was stalled, as Booker drove into impossible traffic, but he passed to Ayton diving behind him. Ayton was fouled, receiving two free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining.

Fortunately for Portland, Ayton missed the first. He intentionally missed the second. Phoenix center Jock Landale grabbed the rebound and got a GREAT look at a layup, but he missed. Ugly or not, it went down as a stop, and that was the ballgame.

Up Next

Stay tuned for our extended recap coming soon from Marlow Ferguson!

Boxscore

The Blazers face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon. The game is scheduled to start at 12:30 PM, Pacific.

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Blazers Forward Corps Steals Crown from Fox, Kings

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The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Sacramento Kings 115-108 on opening night of the 2022-23 NBA Season. The contest was neck-and-neck throughout, the virtual tie broken by the play of Portland’s forwards against overwhelming scoring from Kings guard De’Aaron Fox.

If you want to see a quarter-by-quarter description of the action, you can find it in our Instant Recap. After you’ve perused that, here are a dozen or so factors that influenced the game.

Inside Offense

The Blazers showed a clear, persistent commitment to getting the ball in the lane in this game. They attempted 28 three-pointers, but scored 56 in the paint. That’s an inversion of their customary norm. They didn’t run from the long ball, but it wasn’t their first option. Instead they pushed for layups or step-back jumpers inside. The sustained lane attack had a side benefit of drawing fouls. Portland attempted 33 free throws tonight, frustrating the HECK out of the Sacramento crowd.

Running Hard

Pushing tempo off of rebounds and turnovers was a huge part of Portland’s attack. They played opportunistically whenever the ball changed sides. It was as fast and hard as we’ve seen a Blazers team run in forever. Fast breaks have long been a dead zone for Portland. Tonight they scored 20 on the run. Not bad.

16 forced turnovers didn’t hurt matters. To say Portland played good defense would be a stretch, but they kept their hands busy and tried to force steals. When they got one, they were off to the races.

Center Screens

When they got stuck in the halfcourt, the Blazers did run into a bit of a problem. None of their ball-handlers could get past Sacramento’s young, active defenders individually. When it came to one-on-one play, the Blazers fell short, with free throws off of whistles providing the only real relief.

They solved that problem somewhat with center screens. The Blazers are neither deep nor overly talented in the middle, but their bigs can stand straight and absorb a blow. With centers setting picks from multiple places on the floor, Portland’s guards found seams that they couldn’t have created themselves. For Anfernee Simons, that was enough. It was sometimes for Lillard too. Alternatively, the guards made passes against a collapsing Sacramento defense, finding forwards at the arc or rim.

Screen setting was one of the most consistent aspects of Portland’s halfcourt offense tonight. They deserve plenty of credit for sticking to the scheme and making it work.

Lillard Up and Down

Damian Lillard certainly looked confident as he took the floor for the first time in ten months. His shot did not follow him onto the court. His infrequent three-point attempts looked decent leaving his hands, but roll a die to see where they’d hit the rim. His drives were hampered by a lack of speed compared to his defenders. When he could get inside, he ended up forcing shots over outstretched hands.

To be fair, Sacramento keyed in on Dame persistently. He made them pay with the passing game. He seems committed to setting up teammates and counting their scores as his own.

Lillard shot 5-18 from the field, just 1-8 from the arc, tallying 20 points and 8 assists in his season debut.

Simons In and Out

Anfernee Simons helped lead the charge on the interior attack. He didn’t take many threes early, concentrating on finding the rim instead. He shot confidently when he did have an open look at the arc. It just didn’t happen as much as in prior years.

Looking comfortable on the floor is testimony enough, though. Simons didn’t in preseason. It’s a good sign for the Blazers that he appeared to feel confident in his role.

Simons scored 22 on 9-22 shooting, 3-10 from distance.

Sharpe Play

Shaedon Sharpe got separation on almost every driving attempt, but had trouble finishing. His first two steps seemed effortless, but as players closed he appeared to glance sideways.

He had no such problem on catch-and-shoot threes, though. Those looked sharp and instant. The rookie scored 12, hitting 3-3 from the arc in his NBA debut.

Jury out on Nurk

Jusuf Nurkic was part of the impressive screening mentioned above. Full marks for that. He also did fine on the boards, with 7 in 25 minutes.

The rest of the evening was mixed. Nurk looked slow. Both defense and offense appeared to slow when he took the court, let alone when the Blazers tried to work through him. Nurkic had 4 turnovers and shot 3-9 from the field.

The experiment needs more time, but this is something to watch. There’s no option to sit Nurk. It’s just tough when the less-talented centers behind him appear to play much quicker, and at least tonight, better.

Rebounds

If rebounding is going to be a problem for this height-and-mass-challenged team, it didn’t show up tonight. The Blazers had 11 offensive rebounds, the Kings just 4. Granted, Sacramento isn’t a giant team either, but it’s still hopeful.

Threes Deficit

If you’re hoping for a return to the Terry Stotts, three-point-heavy offense of the past, you’re going to be waiting a while. Portland shot 11-28 from distance, a respectable 39.3%. They just didn’t generate the attempts, preferring to go inside.

The Kings had no such problem. Portland did a credible job getting in the face of shooters one-on-one. They weren’t able to close off of any action. Sacramento shot 17-44 from the arc.

If you’re counting, that’s an 18-point deficit from the arc. That’ll be a stat to watch this season.

Grant Writing

Jerami Grant had a nice debut for Portland. He was as active on defense as advertised. The Kings scored, but not that much in his section. Plus Grant made the most of opportunity buckets. He stayed on the sideline for catch-and-shoot threes, becoming one of the few Blazers who actually hit from distance. When he got the ball, he drove quickly, either converting layups or drawing fouls with change of direction. He even grabbed a few boards, including an impressive offensive-rebound stick-back dunk in the third.

Grant’s stat line read 23 points on 5-11 shooting, 3-3 from the arc, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals in 35 minutes. If the Blazers get that from him every night, they’ll be ecstatic.

You Gotta Have Hart

Josh Hart was all over the floor tonight, in his usual style. His biggest contributions came in the third period. When Portland started falling behind by double-digits, Hart ran the floor and got the ball inside. His layups and short shots provided a consistent stream of points when nothing else was working. His continued aggression was evident. He and Grant really sparked the team in the second half. Hart’s final stat line read: 19 points, 8-11 shooting, 7 rebounds, 5 assists in 38 minutes.

And Justise For All

Justise Winslow was a key to the third and fourth periods for the Blazers. He played defense, converted layups, grabbed rebounds, and even hit a three-pointer. Coach Chauncey Billups kept him in for extra time late, even when the starters came back in. Some of the starters DIDN’T come back in as Winslow played power forward and center during crunch time. It was quite a testament to his effort. Winslow notched 11 points and 8 rebounds (3 offensive) on 5-9 shooting in 26 minutes. That’s one more minute than Nurkic played.

Forward Thinking

In case it wasn’t clear, Portland’s forwards—Grant, Hart, and Winslow—won this game for the Blazers in the second half. Their energy, rebounding, and commitment to driving gave Portland the spark they needed.

Almost Outfoxed

If Portland’s guards vacillated during this contest, De’Aaron Fox had no such trouble. Sacramento’s point guard shot 12-21, 5-9 from the arc on his way to 33 points. The Blazers had no answer for him on defense. Get well soon, Gary Payton II.

Up Next

Boxscore

The Blazers take on the Phoenix Suns on Friday night in their home opener at the Moda Center at 7:00 PM, Pacific.

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Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe to miss rest of Summer League due to small labral tear in left shoulder

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Portland Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe suffered a small labral tear in his left shoulder during their Summer League opener  Thursday against the Detroit Pistons and will be reevaluated in 10-14 days, the team announced Saturday. Sharpe had an MRI Friday, which confirmed the injury. With Summer League ending on Sunday, July 17, Sharpe will miss the remainder of the festivities in Vegas.

Sharpe suffered his injury only six minutes into Portland’s game against Detroit. He did not return in the first half, and his absence was announced in the second half. Teams almost always err on the side of caution when it comes to Summer League injuries because the games don’t count. In all likelihood, Sharpe will not be the only rookie to be ruled out before Summer League ends.

Sharpe was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but was among the more mysterious prospects available. A top recruit out of high school, Sharpe attended the University of Kentucky but didn’t actually play there after graduating high school early and initially planning to redshirt his freshman season before playing for the Wildcats next year. He was such a promising high school prospect that Portland felt comfortable picking him in the lottery regardless.

That would have made Summer League an excellent showcase for Sharpe, but he’ll have plenty of chances to prove himself on the court when the season begins in October. Neither he nor the Blazers have much to gain by pushing him to play injured now, so his Summer League is almost certainly over.

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Recap: Blazers Blow Out Pelicans, 85-68

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Injuries and defense were the story of the day for the Blazers in their second Vegas Summer League game. Portland’s defense shifted into overdrive, bringing high energy against the overwhelmed Pelicans. After an early lead, New Orleans struggled to find points without rookie Dyson Daniels, who exited in the first half with an injury. The Blazers outscored the Pelicans 31-17 and 23-9 in the second and third quarters, respectively.

The game was dwarfed by the Blazers’ earlier announcement that Shaedon Sharpe suffered a labral tear in his left shoulder. Sharpe, the 7th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, injured the shoulder against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, and his recovery timeline is unclear.

This was expected to be a showcase for Sharpe and 8th pick Daniels. But Dyson became the third single-digit pick to suffer an injury at Summer League (the other being Detroit’s Jaden Ivey), rolling his ankle on a drive. The Pelicans looked unmistakably lost after his exit, with some prodding by Portland’s frantic defense.

The Players

Pretty much every Blazers player review could be shortened to “didn’t shoot too well, but really worked hard on defense”.

Jabari Walker looks good. For any second-round pick, the hope is that they simply can hold their own at Summer League, and Walker has done just that. He sparked the key 18-point Blazers first half run that flipped the score and broke the game open. He had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a block in 18 minutes.

Keon Johnson’s defense led to multiple turnovers, and his offense was fine. Good night for Keon, who may have tweaked his ankle at one point. He filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, but 3 turnovers.

Greg Brown III’s performance is reminiscent of last year’s Summer League. Tons of energy, plenty of hops, and always visible. He finished with 7 points (on 2 shot attempts), 4 rebounds, and the usual highlight block.

Didi Louzada was generally invisible. He didn’t score, but did have 2 assists and 2 rebounds.

Trendon Watford was the steady, grizzled veteran of the team. Never too high, never too low, and knew where to be on the court. He led the team with a double-double, 17 points and 11 rebounds, plus 5 assists.

Brandon Williams didn’t shoot well, but got enough attempts to reach double figures. He scored 14 points on 4-14 shooting.

Kyle Alexander (4-5, 9 points), Craig Randall II (6 points), and Colbey Ross (4-5, 8 points) each had solid offensive performances, floating extra points to the Blazers at key moments off the bench.

Next Game

The Blazers pick up Monday night against the New York Knicks.

Box Score

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Sports

Blazers’ Comeback Attempt Comes Up Short, Lose 81-78 to Pistons in Summer League Opener

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The battle between No. 5 pick Jaden Ivey and No. 7 selection Shaedon Sharpe was curtailed prematurely after the Portland Trail Blazers rookie suffered a left shoulder injury. But, thanks to a highlight-heavy 20-point performance from Keon Johnson, and a competitive game from start-to-finish, those who tuned in to the late-night 81-78 loss to the Detroit Pistons were treated to an entertaining matchup.

Brandon Williams picked up where he left off in 2021-22, with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists, and No. 57 pick Jabari Walker joined him in double-figures with 11 points on five-of-five shooting. Though, those efforts were upended by the Pistons bringing four double-digit scorers of their own, headlined by Ivey’s 20-point, six-rebound, six-assist showcase. That said, here’s a quarter-for-quarter review.

First Quarter:

You might’ve needed an energy drink or two, but if you found the energy to tune into the Blazers’ Summer League opener, you were rewarded within the first minute. After giving up a thunderous backdoor alley-oop jam on one end, the Blazers returned with one of their own immediately. No. 5 and No. 7 picks Jaden Ivey and Shaedon Sharpe commanded top billing, but it was Brandon Williams and Keon Johnson who first took advantage of that free publicity.

Williams wasted little time building on last year’s aggressive playstyle. Not that you’ll ever need this info, but last year against Detroit, he led the Blazers to 49 free throws, tied for their most in a game since Mar. 13, 1999, and he provided a similar form here, along with smart rotations on defense, helping get his bigs out of tough isolations.

Johnson, for the Blazers, was the star of the first quarter, hitting three-of-four for seven points. Most inspiring is that he produced in so many different ways. The court vision was on display immediately; he had another smooth pass that was just out of reach. Maneuvering a pick-and-roll to get to his spot for an open shot? He did that as well.

Among other highlights, the game seemed to slow down as it progressed for Sharpe, highlighted by this smooth bucket.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, though: an inability to defend the 3-point line and turnovers proved costly for Portland, as the Pistons were able to run up a 10-point first quarter lead, with each of their starters adding to their summer highlight reel. That set up an uphill climb relatively early.

Second Quarter:

It probably serves no purpose buying stock in Summer League lineup rotations, but for documentation purposes, Shaedon Sharpe sitting on the bench as long as he did felt noteworthy. It could’ve simply been a way to ease him back into the flow early, but with as often as ESPN showed him, it was impossible to ignore. (Casey Holdahl did offer this, midway through the second quarter, and a real update was given later on).

On court, the Blazers had some trouble making any sort of advance on that 10-point deficit, scoring just six points over the first seven minutes of the quarter. To the Blazers’ credit, the Pistons weren’t much better. Thankfully, an interview with Damian Lillard happened at the same time — even in July, he found ways to help the franchise — and that provided a needed distraction. They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas … and that might include the tape from this quarter.

If nothing else, the Blazers stayed competitive and played hard, and were ultimately rewarded for it down the stretch. Trendon Watford, though the foul issues again reared their head, put some plays together, and Johnson picked up where he left off, continuing to make his case as tonight’s best player. In Year Two, the game should be slowing down, and based on some of his feeds, it certainly is. He stood out as a positive, despite the 41-34 halftime deficit.

Third Quarter:

For now, Sharpe’s smooth, spinning-pivot midrange shot will have to be on loop; it was confirmed early on that a shoulder strain would sideline him for the game’s remainder. Anchored by their aggressive play, the Blazers remained competitive. Brandon Williams, in particular, commands a note. He was born in California and he plays in Portland. But he made the free throw line his third home to start.

Around this time, one couldn’t help but wonder if certain trends from last season would see any immediate progress. For example: how would Trendon Watford pivot from last year’s foul trouble and 3-point issues? He’s always an impactful player and his box score shows it, but those questions sort of stood out in the third quarter.

In their attempt to cut into the Pistons’ decade-long single-digit lead, the Blazers found notable minutes from Luka Garza. Likely playing with extra juice against the team that cut him just a week ago, Garza showed flashes of that offensive juggernaut we saw at Iowa, with deep post seals, a quick-trigger 3-point release and power in the paint. Digging deep into their rotation, the Blazers actually made their biggest push with Colbey Ross — a versatile bucket-getter from Pepperdine — and the Blazers’ 2022 No. 57 pick Jabari Walker, among others.

Fourth Quarter:

Since we’re thinking long-term, how about some highlights on Chauncey Billups’ interview to start the fourth? He complimented Shaedon Sharpe’s “veteran pace” and “quiet competitiveness.” He talked about his plan in building Anfernee Simons’ defensive grit, as well as his belief that Jerami Grant will win the Blazers “so many games.”

It’s a bit fitting that the Grant trade was the topic at this point in the game: Portland and Detroit continued helping one another quite a bit tonight as well, trading turnovers that prevented one team from getting an edge over the other. Walker was a positive down the stretch, hitting a 26-footer and a midrange pull-up to cut the deficit to two; it’d seemed his play earned him a spot in Steve Hetzel’s late-game rotation.

Down the stretch, the game was nip-and-tuck, with the trio of Watford, Johnson, and Williams each getting key buckets, earning valuable late-game chops to keep the Blazers within one bucket. The latter two looked noticeably comfortable in isolations and pick-and-rolls.

A few whiffed opportunities — such as DiDi Louzada’s missed layup, an inability to contain Ivey, and a failure to get the right look on an inbounds steal with four seconds left — effectively closed the door on the comeback try.

Up Next:

Box Score

The Blazers will get a day off before battling the New Orleans Pelicans at 9:00 pm PT.



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Blazers Guard Shaedon Sharpe Leaves NBA Summer League Game with Injury

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Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe exited his first game of NBA Summer League, 2022 with a shoulder injury. Sharpe played only six minutes in Portland’s game versus the Detroit Pistons before leaving the floor. He attempted three shots, making one.

Sharpe did not appear for the balance of the first half. The Blazers announced just after halftime that Sharpe had injured his shoulder and would not return. The team has not updated his status further.

Sharpe was drafted 7th overall by the Blazers in the 2022 NBA Draft. He was the biggest enigma in his draft class. Touted for his athleticism, Sharpe did not play a minute of college ball last year before declaring himself eligible for the draft. Summer League is expected to be an important early step in his learning curve, also in assessing his readiness to assume a role in the league.

Shortly after the Blazers’ 81-78 loss to Detroit, Chris Haynes, Senior NBA Insider for Yahoo Sports, reported that Sharpe is expected to undergo an MRI.

We will update this post as information becomes available.



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Trail Blazers Plan To Waive Eric Bledsoe

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The Trail Blazers intend to waive Eric Bledsoe in the coming days, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says several teams are expected to register interest in Bledsoe as a free agent.

Bledsoe had been under contract for $19.38MM in 2022/23, but only $3.9MM of that money is fully guaranteed. If the point guard were to remain under contract through July 10, his full salary would become guaranteed, so Portland will officially waive him before that happens.

Bledsoe, 32, began the 2021/22 season with the Clippers, appearing in 54 games (29 starts) for L.A. and averaging 9.9 PPG, 4.2 APG, and 3.4 RPG in 25.5 minutes per contest. However, he was sent to Portland in the Norman Powell/Robert Covington trade prior to the trade deadline.

Bledsoe never actually appeared in a single game for the Blazers. The team announced in March that he was being shut down for the season after receiving a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to address the tendinopathy in his left Achilles tendon.

The Blazers were in tank mode after the trade deadline and were shutting down just about veteran on their roster who had a minor ailment, so there’s no reason to think that Bledsoe’s Achilles issue is significant enough to hinder his ability to catch on with a new team once he reaches free agency.

Portland will have the option of applying Bledsoe’s $3.9MM in dead money solely to the 2022/23 cap or stretching it into increments of $1.3MM across three seasons. Stretching that cap hit could be something the Blazers consider, given their proximity to the luxury tax line.

Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link) estimates that Portland’s team salary is approximately $3.7MM above the tax threshold, but we’ll need to wait for the official details to come in on contracts for Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic, and Gary Payton II to know for sure.



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