The Portland Trail Blazers treated their fans to a Halloween blowout this afternoon, beating the Utah Jazz 112-90 in Salt Lake City.
The Blazers (4-1) were led by Deni Avdija’s 24 points. He got into the paint at will and made 10-of-13 from the free throw line as the Blazers controlled the game from start to finish.
The Jazz (1-5) got 16 points from rookie Darryn Peterson, but their primary offensive threats, Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen, struggled all game long. They combined for 21 points on just
5-of-24 shooting.
As a team, the Jazz turned the ball over 19 times and shot just 37.2% from the field and 27.5% from behind the three-point line. Some of the credit goes to the Blazers defense, but some of it was simply ineptitude from a sluggish Jazz team.
Here are some observations from this afternoon’s game.
Avdija Getting Whatever He Wants
Avdija looked nearly unstoppable against a porous Jazz defense that couldn’t stay in front of him. His 24 points came on just 12 shots. He made 2-of-4 threes and lived at the foul line, especially in the first half. He played 30 minutes and the Blazers outscored the Jazz by 32 points while he was on the court.
Five games into the season, Avdija arguably looks even better than he did during his All-Star campaign last year. He is averaging 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. Those numbers are slightly down from last season, but it looks less taxing and more sustainable. He is sharing the ball and while he still prefers to drive right, he appears to have improved in his ability to beat defenders going left.
His field goal percentage and three-point percentage are up and his turnovers are down. He has more help on the offensive end and hasn’t been needed much in the fourth quarter of two of the early-season victories. That’s a great sign for the Blazers as they head into a challenging stretch of their schedule without injured Ja Morant.
Scoot Starts
Speaking of Morant, his absence presents an opportunity for Scoot Henderson, who got his first start of the season. Results were mixed for Henderson, who finished with 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. He applied a lot of defensive pressure on Utah’s guards and came up with three steals in the backcourt.
But there were struggles, too. He committed four turnovers while dishing out just one assist. In a game the Blazers won by 22 points, they were outscored by five during Henderson’s 31 minutes on the floor.
Camara Keeps It Up
Toumani Camara continues to shoot the ball well to start the season. He made 4-of-9 shots, all from behind the three-point arc and made both of his free throws to finish with 14 points. He has now made 20 of his 39 long-range shots (51.2%) through five games.
He is benefiting greatly from the additional playmaking around him and continues to cash in when he gets open looks. He’s rarely the offensive standout, but is playing his role perfectly and has been critical to the Blazers offensive success.
Lillard’s Home Away From Home
Lillard has historically played well against the Jazz, who reside about 35 miles south of his alma mater, Weber State in Ogden. Throughout his career, Lillard has more points against the Jazz than any other NBA team. He came out ready to go in the first quarter.
Dame was key to the 17-0 run that put the Blazers ahead for good, making a pair of threes in the opening quarter and knocking down three free throws after drawing a foul on another three-point attempt. He had 11 of the team’s first 14 points as the Blazers opened up a 16-point lead that the Jazz never threatened.
Lillard cooled off, but still finished with 22 points on 6-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-10 from behind the arc. Like Avdija, he got back on track from the foul line in this one, making 7-of-8.
Big Man Rotation
Robert Williams III was back in the lineup today, but the Blazers didn’t need much from him. He played just 14 minutes, providing his usual solid play on both ends.
Branden Carlson and Micah Potter struggled backing up Donovan Clingan against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. Today Head Coach Micah Nori gave Yang Hansen some first-half minutes. He looked a little lost, committing an offensive foul on a screen, failing to secure an alley-oop pass near the rim, and fumbling a few other balls. He did clean up on the defensive boards, collecting four rebounds before subbing out.
Hansen came back in the fourth quarter once the outcome had been determined and drilled a pair of three-pointers as both teams emptied their benches.
Part of the reason for Hansen’s minutes was foul trouble for Clingan. Last season, Clingan did a remarkable job of avoiding whistles. He did not foul out of a single game and committed five fouls just 5 times in 77 appearances. So far this season, foul trouble has limited his minutes twice in the first five games.
Against the Jazz this afternoon, Clingan got whistled for 5 fouls in less than 15 minutes. His lack of availability didn’t really matter against an overmatched opponent, but it will be interesting to see if foul trouble continues to be an issue.
Boxscore
Up Next
The Blazers will need strong play from their centers as they continue their road trip against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Denver. Tip is scheduled for 6:00 PM Pacific.
