In a Thursday night game that ensured a surprising season game, the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 118-114. Damian Lillard was the leading scorer for Portland with 30 points, 19 of which were in the first quarter. Carmelo Anthony was the hero in this one, but scored 24 points with 17 of them coming in the final quarter. Gary Trent Jr. also added 19 points.
The Sixers also had a good portion of the scorers. Joel Embiid had 35 points, while Ben Simmons had an almost triple-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
First term
Tries fell for Portland very early. Nor was it as if they were all easy catch-and-shoot opportunities. They made five of their first six, and all come from pull-ups by Damian Lillard and Gary Trent Jr. Finally, other players also took part in the fun. Derrick Jones Jr. had a corner three equal! But something that has troubled Portland this year is that the hot shooting quarters are being destroyed by mediocre defense. Some things were inevitable – like Joel Embiid, who makes mistakes in post-ups – but if you go on screens while watching Seth Curry, you’re not playing the game right. Ben Simmons also posed a problem with his size by taking down the track for easy layouts. Portland scored eight tries, but they only took a 37-36 lead.
Second term
Philly did well in his task of provoking Portland into a number of silly offenses. Embiid is already a master of this, but even Tobias Harris penetrated the action by shooting seven free throws in the half (the team was 17 for 20 in the half). It was a tough thing to keep the Sixers in it, but the good news was that Portland expanded with their second lead. With Rodney Hood named primary ball handler, Portland did well. He regularly worked his way up against smaller players in the posts and scored most of the quarter effectively. But Embiid was just too much. He had 15 in the second by just cultivating the post. Harry Giles had four errors in the first half and Enes Kanter got a massive cut on his eye, so let’s just say post options were … limited. Embiid led the Sixers 63-60.
Third term
The dynamic duel of Philadelphia, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, caused Portland so many problems in the third. Embiid was not Embiid; it does not matter who Portland holds in the post, because he can only kill them. If he does not, he only takes easy mid-range jumpers that make it impossible for him to protect. Simmons is also faster and bigger than anyone on the Blazers, and he easily exposed Portland when needed. Gary Trent Jr. helped Portland back in third place. Again, his self-creation was a big part of Portland’s head injury, despite injuries. But Portland’s defensive battle allowed Philly to maintain a 93-89 lead at the end of the third.
Fourth term
So um … how do you analyze Carmelo Anthony just to decide he’s going to make it every time? He made three of them right in the first four minutes, and they were the most Melo tries ever: pull-ups without any thought. He had 17 points in the quarter and just like seven of those points came on shots that make sense! It helped that Embiid finally started struggling, that evening the playing field for Portland. But the real highlight of this quarter was the last incoming game for Portland. With the Sixers doing everything they could to prevent Lillard from getting the ball, Melo tied it to Robert Covington. Lillard set up a screen to create just a little separation for a curly Anthony, and the vet pointed the fault at Tobias Harris. Two releases. Jackets lead. Covington gets the steal that sealed the game, and the Blazers win 118-114.
Overcome Misconceptions
Do you know what I really like about this victory? The fact that the Sixers brought Ben Simmons back into the series and that Portland still won. Sure, the Blazers had Damian Lillard back and for some reason the Sixers have in their team charter that they are not allowed to make tries against the Blazers (six of 27 tonight), but even with Lillard, Philly is a striking nightmare, theoretically.
It seemed at times like it would end badly. Portland had to make more than 80% of their tries, only to fend off Embiid and Simmons by one point after the first quarter. The Australian even made one last shot for Lillard basically impossible. But despite everything, Portland persevered and found a way to win. It was a gutsy victory for the Blazers.
Bly Me7o
What a match of Carmelo Anthony. After his play was about equal to the track, he just absolutely exploded. It’s hard to know what you can really make of it. We saw the repeat of Peak Melo for a short while. It may be a little exaggerated, but Anthony deserved a hyperbolic praise tonight.
The best part was Melo getting into a rhythm by draining the early tries. That’s when he was at his best for Portland. In this match, he shot 48% from outside the three-point line in the fourth quarter. When Iso Melo decides to take the post, it hurts the team. If he does it from three (or even better, just put him in the corner), then it’s much better. The more he does his ‘Three to the Dome’ celebration, the better.
Gary Trent Jr. do it again
I’ve touched on it a lot in previous iterations, but it’s remarkable again; Gary Trent Jr. creates good shots for himself. He wasn’t always the most effective last week, but this match showed how great it is when he maintains a rhythm. Especially his back-up three is a useful tool that he seems to take out of his pocket at will. Most importantly, it gives Lillard some help in the starting lineup. I want to see Trent sustain it, even when CJ McCollum returns.
Following
Immediate summary
Box count
The Blazers will not wait long for their next game as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers tomorrow at the Moda Center. Tip will take place at 19:00 PT.