The Trail Blazers split their two-game series with the Timberwolves on Sunday after an ugly 114-112 loss on Sunday. Damian Lillard, who struggled in the first half to get his three-point shot rolling, managed to pull the Blazers within striking distance of the piece and finished with 38 points. For the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns was suffocated by the Portland defense throughout the game. With Downs out of action, rookie Anthony Edwards set a new career high with 34 points.
If you have not already done so, you can view our immediate summary for a quarter-by-quarter breakdown. Here’s a look at four items that defined the Blazers’ loss to the Wolves.
Early battle
The Blazers reached their first quarter of the 2020-21 season with the lowest score on Sunday. Coach Terry Stotts’ team, anchored by stagnation and cold shooting, did not bring the Wolves into balance and scored just 20 points within twelve minutes. Minnesota managed to keep Portland’s field goal percentage at 36.4 percent in the first quarter – and they do not have to spend much energy in the process.
Under the team-wide battle in the opening frame, Derrick Jones Jr. succeeds. and Gary Trent Jr. not in a single field goal.
CAT Defense
After handing over more than 30 points to Karl-Anthony Towns on Saturday, it was clear the Blazers were set on shuffling things on Sunday. When Towns received the ball inside the arc, there was a double team that arrived quickly. The scheme forced the former Kentucky Center to the perimeter. From there, Towns excelled in their task of overcoming problems and attacking Enes Kanter’s long-term finishes. In the first half, this approach yielded a mixed result. The Wolves’ attack dropped to just 47 points, but Anthony Edwards was able to find a rhythm that works within the CAT-centric gap.
The second half played the same way. Robert Covington picked up the majority of the one-on-one coverage over Towns and the Blazers continued to send extra help in that direction. The result: a best career night for Edwards. The former Georgia star cut for 34 points through Portland’s often absent defense.
Towns ended the evening with nine attempts on goal and eight assistants.
Inconsistent three-point shooting
The Blazers struggled through three-quarters of the less-than-ideal outdoor shooting in Sunday’s loss. Portland was unable to punish the zone-heavy scheme of Minnesota and changed the game for a long time in one go. Finally, in the fourth quarter, Lillard and Trent got on the roll. After conceding just nine three-pointers in three quarters as a team, the Blazers have scored eight tries in the final twelve minutes. Unfortunately, the barrage in the late game was not enough to overcome Ricky Rubio’s steady shooting in times of crisis.
A window to the second half schedule?
Sunday’s game was ugly. Honestly, it feels like an understatement. The second half of the NBA schedule includes an abundance of rugby games, which can lead to a handful of outings that look and feel that way. The Blazers’ lack of defense and dependence on the long ball puts incredible pressure on Lillard. The return of CJ McCollum should ease the workload, but the second half of this season may feel like an extended visit to the dentist.
Following
Box count
The Blazers return on Tuesday with a clash with the Pelicans.