After enduring one of the most painful home losses in recent memory, los angeles lakers the night before, portland trailblazers Monday pickup was desperately needed San Antonio SpursThey got it in the form of a crushing win with a 147-127 defense in front of an anxious Moda Center crowd.
Damian Lillard has 37 points and 12 assists. Yusuf his Nurkic nearly had a triple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists.
first quarter
After playing just 15 minutes on Sunday, Nurkic found himself in a better matchup tonight against fellow big man Jakob Poeltl. Both big men were effective early on at what they do best, being bigger than anyone else rolling in the direction of the basket. Nurkic moved the Blazers early with a pair of layups from a pick-and-roll with Lillard, but Poeltl answered the correct puck with a 2 of his own on the other side. Nurkic’s 3 midway through the quarter gave him 10 points, but Portland still trailed 19-16.
Things started to open up when Anfanie Simmons found a stroke from deep inside and knocked down three threes to help give the Blazers the lead. A pair of triples from Doug McDermott in the final minute briefly stalled momentum, but Nasir Little uttered the final word, calmly discharging a 26-foot step on the buzzer to give Portland a 40- It gave a lead of 38.
Second quarter
Q2 was like a bad sequel to Q1. Almost the same, no meaningful improvement. Again, Blazer’s attack had been sluggish for about half the time before it caught fire, but this time it was all attack. There was no defensive narrative that was starting to feel clichéd. Lillard and Nurkic continued the heavy lifting of Portland’s offense, but no matter how many points they put on the board, the Spurs refused to be left behind. Former Blazers Zach Collins and Romeo Langford are energetic , and was a handful of San Antonio attacking baskets.
Portland tied a season-high points half, but still couldn’t lead into the break. Both teams entered locker rooms stuck at 74.
third quarter
The Spurs are not a competitive team. The game had no business tied up long after it was introduced. The Blazers needed to get out of the gate and get rid of San Antonio quickly, reducing the risk of another full-blown meltdown.
The offensive outburst continued uninterrupted and this time the Spurs were unable to keep up. Lillard and Nurkic played perfect two-man games and kept Portland’s offense moving steadily. Lillard scored 19 points in the quarter to help the Blazers regain a 103-95 lead midway through the period, but it was Shadon Sharpe who put the game away.
The sometimes intriguing rookie had one of the best offensive stretches of his young career. Shortly after check-in, Sharp finished off a fast break with a surging one-handed alley-oop jam, then followed it with a contested pair of step-back threes. Sharpe scored 10 of 19 points in this quarter and the Blazers entered the final frame with his 119-101 to spare.
4th quarter
The starters again scored a short run, but the result was beyond doubt and Portland were able to take the win without much resistance.
next
Stay tuned for an extended summary coming soon.
The Blazers will have a day off before the tournament. utah jazz Wednesday Night – Tips are set for 7pm (Pacific).
