of portland trailblazers faced houston rockets Without Jerami Grant on Saturday, one of the Big 3 players who’ve been supporting them all season.9-19 With the Rockets currently fielding the Big 0, Grant’s back spasm could cost the Blazers a big loss. There was no But Portland’s pristine third period was enough to put away the Rockets 107-95.
Damian Lillard scored 25 points in the game and added 10 assists in the process, while Anfanie Simmons led the Blazers with 32 on 11-21 shooting and 5-12 from the arc.
first quarter
The Blazers started the game in an atypical way, pushing the pace to try to force the Rockets out of the gym. A simple shot rang the scoreboard. Those buckets also collapsed the defense, leaving the Blazers with space for him three pointers. You knew that when you heard The Undertaker’s music hit, and you already knew what this was going to be? He led 13-5 just after his 8:00 mark in the first for Portland.
The Blazers were a little slow when the Rockets started pushing back. However, the Rockets were unable to defend Portland. If they hadn’t gotten away, the Blazers got fouled for driving or hesitating and made hay at the foul line.
Not defending Portland is an unworkable strategy. The Blazers were on track for a 40-point period halfway through the period.
However, the scoring stopped in the second half of the first half. Both teams started shooting threes like short-order cooks working in Michelin-starred restaurants. Things were going fast, but quality left something to be desired. Portland’s turnover and Houston’s aggressive rebound conspired to undermine the Blazers’ starting advantage. Solid scoring by Anfanie Simmons and Damien Lillard continued the streak, but it was a mess.
The Blazers had a one-point lead, but instead of a 40-22 lead, it was 33-27.
Second quarter
At the start of the second, Portland’s scoring remained sparse. The Blazers threw the ball to Yusuf his Nurkic on multiple possessions and the Rockets across his team he dueled him one-on-one. This was caused by Houston smearing Portland’s defense to within two feet on multiple attempts. Lane’s scoring allowed the Rockets to crawl to the end of the game.
That lasted until Nurkic almost soaked up a stinky elbow on a rebound attempt with 6:36 remaining and left the game holding his chin. Somehow Drew Eubanks and Keon Johnson couldn’t make up the difference on offense. However, the match looked like a stop-and-start affair, as if both teams were sparring and waiting for the match to begin in earnest. Play was pretty fast, sloppy, and vaguely frustrating.
Simmons rebounded in the second half to hold on to an 8-2 run to give the Blazers a 57-51 lead at the half.
third quarter
The start of the third quarter was definitely Portland’s. They visited an old friend, Three Point. One each for Simmons and Nurkic, and two for Lillard. Reid said he went from 6 to 13 within five minutes of the start of play. Houston didn’t have enough octane on offense to keep up with that kind of production. The Rockets got several shots inside, either on conversions or free throws from fouls.
It wasn’t fair, with the Blazers trailing by 17 points when Trendon Watford scored three with 4:22 remaining. At that point, Portland’s inside eased his scoring as well. Houston doesn’t defend well under normal circumstances, let alone when they are scattered across the floor. Drew Eubanks gave Portland’s defense a bit of a kick as Nurkic rested. Assisted by Damian Lillard. It was one of the most balanced periods the Blazers have played this season.
Portland doubled Houston 28-14 in the third round, leaving them with an 85-65 cushion heading into the final period.
4th quarter
The Blazers only needed to hold for a few minutes in the fourth to salt the win. Anphanie Simmons and Keon Johnson set aside a lot of time tonight, but they provided plenty of seasoning. Simmons hit three of her shots, including a triple. Johnson added two more buckets inside. It was nearly impossible for the home team to catch up as Houston shot threes like LASIK contenders. Houston went on a 12-2 run in the end, no doubt head coach Chauncey Billups got a little heartburn, and Lillard quickly scored his 3 off off Nurkic’s assist, and it was a ballgame. Also.
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Stay tuned for an in-depth analysis of our upcoming games!
Portland has nights to travel before facing the ocean. oklahoma city thunder Monday night, in the first game of the back-to-back baseball series. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 PM Pacific Time.
