The Portland Trail Blazers vs. Washington Wizards game on Monday night had the tenor of a practice session. (Translating for those under 30, it was giving Summer League.) For the Wizards, deep in the throes of the Flagg Rally, it was business as usual. The Blazers have ascended a step above tanking status. If you don’t come at them properly, they’ll dispose of you like Kleenex in the wastebin. That’s pretty much what Portland did too. After toying with their opponent for the first eight minutes, they pressed the accelerator and streaked away to a 112-97 victory.
Blazer of the Game
I want to talk about Duop Reath’s threes and rebounds from Donovan Clingan and Kris Murray, but how can you ignore Anfernee Simons’ 30 points on 10-17 shooting, 5-11 from the arc? Simons has had a really strong second half of the season. Tonight was no exception.
Stat of the Night
The Wizards shot just 12-40, 30% from the three-point arc and they had to make a late-game run to get it that high. They’re horrible normally, 29th in the league by percentage. Portland’s wings, including a resurgent Matisse Thybulle, turned horrible into abysmal. Without the deep ball, the Wizards couldn’t muster enough offense to ripple a mid-sized bathroom sink.
What We’ll Remember
Thybulle led the team with 5 steals, followed by Murray with 4 and Dalano Banton with 3. Portland ended up with 15 total. Watching them pick the ball and run was lots of fun, regardless of the quality of opponent.
Up Next
Boxscore
The Blazers welcome the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night with a 7:00 PM, Pacific start.