The Portland Trail Blazers finished off a five-game road trip in New Orleans Thursday night, but there was nothing particularly big or easy for the Blazers as New Orleans used a dominant fourth quarter
to earn a 143-120 blowout win.
The Pelicans entered the game having lost seven straight and 16 of their last 17, but were the better team all night.
With Portland’s top three centers ruled out for the game, New Orleans scored 88 points in the paint and outrebounded the Blazers 64-56. The Blazers kept the game close for most of the first three quarters, but couldn’t keep up as the Pelicans won the final quarter 38-23 to secure the win.
Six Blazers scored in double-figures, led by Shaedon Sharpe with 21. Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant each had 16 points, but combined to shoot just 11-34. As a team, the Blazers once again struggled from behind the three-point line, making just 14-48, while New Orleans relentlessly attacked the basket on the other end.
Here are a few key observations from the game.
Play it Forward
With so many injuries and illnesses, the Blazers entered the game with an unbalanced active roster made up mostly of forwards. Several key guards remain out with injuries. But against the Pelicans, it was their lack of centers that stood out.
Duop Reath was the only traditional center available for the game, but he specializes in three-point shooting and struggles to defend the paint and rebound. The Pelicans took advantage of Portland’s lack of size by attacking the basket at every opportunity.
Seventy-eight of the Pelicans 112 field goal attempts came in the paint. Rookie Derik Queen hurt the smaller Blazers lineups as both a scorer and a passer. He finished the game with 17 points on 8-12 shooting to go along with five rebounds and seven assists.
The French Quarter(s)
No trip to New Orleans is complete without a trip to the French Quarter. Beignets at Café du Monde. Live music. A stroll down Bourbon Street. Historic Jackson Square.
The Blazers brought a different kind of French Quarter to New Orleans. In the first quarter, Frenchman Sidy Cissoko scored eight points to keep the Blazers within shouting distance. The two-way player finished the game with a career-high 20 points on 8-12 shooting, including 3-6 on three-pointers.
Fellow Frenchman Rayan Rupert took his turn in the second quarter, scoring 12 points on 5-6 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers. Rupert was held scoreless in the second half, but it was his best overall game of the season as he filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
International Flavor
The French were not the only ones well-represented. Overall, 88 of Portland’s 120 points were scored by international players. For a few brief stretches, all five Blazers on the floor were born outside of the United States.
With Sharpe, Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Yang Hansen signed long-term, the Blazers will continue to get a lot of production from international players. Hopefully Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan and other Americans will return to the lineup soon to provide some additional support.
The Revenge of Bryce McGowens
In 13 career games with the Blazers, Bryce McGowens averaged one point per game.
Now on a two-way contract with the Pelicans, McGowens used this game to get some revenge against his former team. He made all five of his three-pointers en route to a career-high 23 points.
Promising Rookies
The Pelicans have one of the worst records in the NBA, but it’s not all bad news. Rookies Queen and fellow rookie Jeremiah Fears have been impressive all season and were a major reason the Pelicans were able to beat the Blazers on Thursday night.
The Blazers struggled to stay in front of Fears, who got to the basket seemingly at will. He scored 19 points on 9-14 shooting. Eight of his made field goals came at the basket.
Like a lot of rookies, Queen and Fears have struggled on the defensive end, but as the Pelicans look to the future, they appear to already have a couple of strong building blocks in place.
Home Cooking
The Blazers have now played 16 road games to just nine home games. But now that this long road trip has wrapped, they’ll have a chance to turn things around in front of their home crowd.
Seven of their next eight games will be at Moda Center, with just a quick trip to Sacramento on December 20th.
Up Next
The Blazers return home to take on the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, Dec. 14th at 6pm Pacific.
