The Portland Trail Blazers squeaked 125-121 through the Minnesota Timberwolves during a Saturday night at Target Center. Damian Lillard scored 24 points with 10 assists in the effort. Enes Kanter added 20 points and 11 rebounds. Most importantly, Carmelo Anthony pitched 24 off the bench, without which the Blazers would have found themselves underwater. Portland’s Big 3 of Lillard, Kanter and Anthony put Karl-Anthony Towns in the balance, overcoming a slow start to score 34.
Ryan Rosback handled our Instant Recap tonight. It gives you a quarter-by-quarter look at the action. After you see it, follow the rest of the story.
Inside game
Enes Kanter played a big part in this game. His footwork, always impeccable, made him look faster and bigger than anyone who had thrown the Timberwolves at him. He dominates at the edge and off the glass. Reminder: he was queuing across from Towns. Kanter shot 75% off the floor and grabbed 11 rebounds to Towns’ 8 in slightly less minutes.
Kanter was not alone either. The Blazers apparently intended to beat the Timberwolves inside during the first half. They chopped, knocked and returned again against a thoroughly soft defense.
The offense normalized in the second half. The Blazers finished with just 38 paint points in the game. But for a few quarters, it was delicious.
Lillard’s Assists
Damian Lillard was an assist machine tonight in the first quarter. He had 7 in that frame alone, and he constantly lined up teammates while the defense bent toward him. It was his reaction to the increasingly popular scheme “Guard Dame and Nobody Else” that started throwing opponents at the Blazers. Lillard would have finished the night with 10 cents, but if his teammates had shot better out of the arc, he might have had 15.
Two for two
Portland is not known for their team play. Lillard and CJ McCollum get most of the touches and praise. But the Blazers followed the ‘Wolves’ unbalanced lineup with a coordinated attack.
On offense, the Blazers played more than usual on screen, especially earlier. They pull Minnesota defenders into the play, forcing them to overshadow and make three defenders two. A quick pass to the open player who just left the defense usually delivers a good look from a distance. Portland had trouble hitting them, but the execution was there at every point to the actual mist.
In defense, the Blazers trapped Minnesota ball handlers, knowing the Timberwolves would not convert jumpers at their end. They also forced Minnesota in 18 turnovers.
It was a clever strategy all around: targeting specific weaknesses of the opponents to generate the plays that benefit your side, and then gamble extra players into the sets.
Old Man Magic
Carmelo Anthony was able to shake tonight and shoot his way to 24 points at 7-12, 8-8 from the foul line. He took advantage of young players who had no idea there was a trunk, let alone how much rubbish was in it.
The Wolves tried to throw double play to Anthony when he caught in the second half. They knew he was going to shoot it. He still found ways to score. He hit a decisive three-point lead in the fourth to turn Portland’s booming backlog into a lead. He even played against the scene and made an incredible pass from the top of the arc to Derrick Jones, Jr. for once, with 44 seconds left in the game, which gave the Blazers the winning bucket.
In the process, Anthony Hakeem surpassed Olajuwon on the NBA standings of all time, becoming the 11th highest scorer in league history.
PS ‘Melo also played a decent, veteran defense in the fourth series.
Nassir Little Excels
Although his 3-7, 6-point performance did not look great in the Boxscore, Nassir Little had another effective night. His defense was good as usual, but his offense started against a permissible Minnesota defense. He was aggressive and attacked the edge hard, almost on veteran. It was impressive to see him looking for the best shot instead of just the first shot.
Tries come late
The Blazers needed all of the above in the first three quarters as their faithful three-point shot left them completely deserted. They hit only 6 tries in the first 36 minutes of the game, saved by another 6 strokes in the fourth. Lillard missed a half-dozen three-point attempts that night, Gary Trent, Jr.
Of course, the shooting performance in the fourth quarter was impressive. Anthony hit two, while Anfernee Simons paired him with another pair. But even more impressive was Portland’s ability to lead most of the game, even if they did not hit deep. It does not happen very often.
Go to Villages
An otherwise routine game turned around in the third period when the Timberwolves went to Karl-Anthony Towns in isolation. He is not a fleet of foot, but his movement in the direction of the bucket was relentless and as soon as he began to turn off. Portland could not get help fast enough for Kanter. Towns that occasionally hit three did not help, as Kanter had no chance to catch up with the shots in the first place. Towns scored only 15 of his 34 in the third period, bringing his team to the points ladder.
Towns ‘score started a shift from the Timberwolves’ paint points as they eventually discovered that Portland had no home defense to speak of. It was a bad look for the Blazers and a warning that they would have to put up their protection package better before the playoffs, or most random opponents would tear them down inside to clear open tries and mop the floor with them.
Minnesota eventually won the points in the paint battle 58-38, although Portland dominated early on.
This, of course, is the shadowy side of Kanter. Between mistakes and lack of defense, the Blazers could not play him off the field, even though he was one of their most effective players throughout the game. Fortunately, Robert Covington and a collapsing Jones, Jr., managed to stem the tide.
Lillard Wows
Damian Lillard was held off most of the evening, but when the game was underway in the fourth series, he again hit buckets so cold-blooded that it could just as well be lizards in the freezer. His ability stuns the imagination. He keeps canning 22-23 foot shots, like layups with defenses all over him and a win in the balance. The Blazers have never seen such a clutch. Watch him and enjoy every minute.
Following
Goal scorer
The Blazers return to the Target Center tomorrow night for a rugby camp with the Timberwolves, which begins at 5 p.m. in the Pacific.