First Nurk, now CJ. Dame finds a way to win but the costs are mounting
Melo and Kanter also don't seem like the bad guys anymore
If you live in Portland and watch Blazers games on cable, you’ve probably seen the incredibly chaotic Fred Meyers commercial to the tune of Flo Rida’s “Low.” Now, I have on proof but as a vibes connoisseur, I’m starting to feel that the vibe from that very chaotic commercial has crossed the chasm into the Blazers, as Portland found a way to steal a home win but may not be able to dodge another crucial injury.
Damian Lillard was great and played the entire second half, including a game-sealing drawn charge against Atlanta’s All-Star point guard Trae Young after CJ McCollum didn’t play in the second half with what the Blazers have deemed a left sprained foot following an MRI and x-rays, which appears to be something of a major victory on top of their regular season W tonight.
After Lillard’s 36 points and massive plays were the top stories but the Blazers depth and roster building, in preparation for a scenario like what has transpired after losing Nurkic for about eight weeks and CJ McCollum for an undetermined amount of time, they will need more complete performances from the roster like they got tonight.
Enes Kanter flirted with a 5x5 line with 12 points, 15 rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and two steals on the night. Gary Trent Jr. looked like he was back in the bubble with 18 points off the bench, including four 3-pointers and Derrick Jones Jr. seemed to have his hand on every important loose ball in the last five minutes, ending with nine rebounds and two steals. Then there was Carmelo Anthony, whose 11 points, most of which came in the 4th quarter, whose shot-making and ability to take control of the offense helped spell Lillard during key times. It’s times like tonight when you’ve lost two key players, where having a guy like Carmelo Anthony coming off the bench goes from luxury to necessity.
Between Melo’s ability to lead during a difficult time and giving Lillard another person with whom he can trust even without CJ and Nurkic, as well as Trent Jr. stepping up both on offense and against Trae Young on defense, the Blazers got the type of up and down performance that was necessary after another poor start.
Portland was already going to fight an uphill battle without Nurkic and however long they miss CJ they may struggle, but with Lillard leading and depth Portland, fortunately, has in players who can score, might be able to keep them in the thick of things in the West. They’ll need to keep playing at a high level and defending much more like they did in the second half of tonight’s game, as they held Atlanta to just 40 points on offense.
The Hawks have hit the skids after a hot start to the season but that shouldn’t take away from the win. But with the Spurs and Grizzlies (who just got back Ja Morant and beat Philly tonight) coming in next week, Portland has got to follow their leader and keep finding different ways to win, with everyone pitching in.
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