The Portland Trail Blazers played another in a long series of B- games on Sunday afternoon against the New York Knicks. Portland played a solid first half, occasionally inspired. 58 points was enough to give them an 8-point lead at intermission. But the offense went cold as transition defense lost containment in the second half. The lead evaporated. Portland didn’t even come close to breaking 100 and the Knicks ran away with a 110-93 victory.
The Knicks ended up shooting 53.6% from the field, 40.0% from the three-point arc. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby scored 28 apiece for them. Deni Avdika had 33 for the Blazers, Shaedon Sharpe 23.
Fast Break Wars
This game resembled a Middle School Dance, with parties lined up against opposing walls, wanting to get out there and strut their stuff but unable to summon the courage and fortitude to start the action.
Nowhere was this clearer than in transition. Both teams wanted to run. Each succeeded when they got out on the break, dazzling with passing and dunking. The rushes were intermittent until the second half, when the Knicks took over, converting turnovers into easy buckets. Portland ended up with 16 fast break points, the Knicks 26. All game long the team that got out on the break, succeeded. New York ended up on top because they won this battle.
Bench Pain
The Blazers are injured, missing two rotation centers, their starting power forward, and Scoot Henderson. Those four absences mean the deep bench has become their mid-bench. It did not serve them well today.
The vaunted New York defense was all but absent for long stretches of the first half. Portland’s starters made the Knicks look slow, especially defending penetration. But the third quarter told a different story as the Blazers bench took over. They couldn’t get steps or shots against the Knicks. Turnovers and contested bricks replaced missed shots, as New York ran out and erased a 9-point lead for the Blazers in a matter of minutes.
Portland’s reserves combined to shoot 2-12 for the game with 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 turnovers. It was a painful performance.
Shooting Drama
This game was a tale of two halves offensively for the Blazers. In the first half they shot over 50% from the floor, 40% from the three-point arc, which is where the Knicks ended up for the game. Good shooting wasn’t enough to make the Blazers dominant over the Knicks but they held their own and a bit more.
All of that went to hell in the second half, starting with the bench shift in the third and continuing onward throughout. The penetration of the first half disappeared. As soon as New York didn’t have to send extra men into the paint to contain Portland, there went the three-point shooting as well.
The Blazers ended up at 43.7% overall, a dismal 25.0% on threes for the evening. Not enough.
Deni Delight
No matter how well the Knicks defended, they couldn’t stop Deni Avdija’s scoring. Avdija had 15 points in the first half, 33 at the final horn. Those advocating Deni as Portland’s next superstar will have another piece of evidence in this one...against at team with premium defensive wings as well.
Camara’s Offense
Defense is Toumani Camara’s calling card. His offensive performance has been improving steadily throughout the season, however. He was not a top scorer for Portland tonight but he did shoot 6-8 from the field, 4-6 from distance for 16 points. Camara’s defense is going to make him a player in this league for a long time. Efficient scoring will turn him into a near-automatic starter. He’s far closer at the end of the year than he was at the beginning, a sign of hope for his future and the team’s.
Up Next
Boxscore
The Blazers travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks on Tuesday with a 4:30 PM, Pacific start.