Love, Sharpe, Avdija Lead Blazers to Big Win

SB Nation

The Portland Trail Blazers faced a mixed set of circumstances on Monday night as they welcomed the Dallas Mavericks to the Moda Center. Coming into the game with 12 wins and 21 losses, Dallas was hardly

a powerhouse, particularly lacking center Anthony Davis. But the Blazers were coming off an emotional win just 24 hours prior, facing all the physical and emotional fatigue implied.

The game was rougher than it should have been. Portland built a huge first-half lead then spent the second frittering it away. But when the final horn sounded, they held on to a 125-122 victory, a nice way to end their current homestand.

Here are observations from the game.

Allas Efense

When then-General Manager Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis last year, he claimed it was for defensive reasons, because protecting the rim was the key to championships. We’ll probably never know if Davis could make that kind of difference for the Mavs. We do know that without him, their interior defense is as stout as a cotton candy stick in the Gulf of Mexico.

They demonstrate that full-force in Portland tonight. It didn’t matter if the Blazers trotted out seven-footer Donovan Clingan or went small ball and let Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija slash to the rim. Dallas played like a bunch of customer service reps asked to transfer a caller to someone with actual power in the company: no answer at all. When Sharpe’s feet hit paint, their response was, “Please hold, your drive is important to us.” When Clingan rebounded it deep, they just ducked.

Portland ended up scoring 48 in the paint with 22 free throw attempts, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Seeing Sharpe’s eyes light up and feet dance with joy as he turned the corner was an experience and a half. 24 points later it was a win too.

Portlan Too

Unfortunately, the Blazers didn’t get to prosper from their good fortune as they returned the favor and then some. They allowed Dallas all the easiest kinds of points freely: 62 scored in the paint, 19 on the break, and 24 attempts at the foul line. Clingan, backup center Yang Hansen, Sidy Cissoko, Toumani Camara…nobody could get in the way without fouling, especially when the pace got quick.

Earlier in the season, Portland was the pushing team, always looking for the edge in tempo. Tonight that was the Mavericks. When they succeeded, they made Portland pay for slower feet.

Three Ball

This game might have been a blowout loss were it not for Portland’s blazing rate at the three-point arc during their 75-point (!) first half. They were shooting 50% from distance at intermission. It’s funny how easy the game looks when shots go down! Fortune did not follow them during the latter quarters, especially in the fourth. Klay Thompson and Max Christie heated up while the Blazers cooled. Portland finished the game shooting 16-41, 39% from the arc, but boy that opening half was fun!

The Usual

As you might expect given the opening paragraph, the Blazers dominated as usual on the offensive glass. A 17-8 advantage in own-side boards gave Portland room to absorb some of their typical errors.

All You Need Is Love

Caleb Love registered another strong game, scoring from start to finish, hitting threes, and providing the Blazers a lift whenever they needed it. This was true down to the closing minutes of the fourth, where Caleb delivered a key three-pointer and a couple of clutch free throws. Love finished the game with 24 points on 8-15 shooting, an inferno-like 6-10 from the arc.

Well, Maybe a Little Avdija Too

Deni Avdija registered a near-triple-double with 27 points on 9-18 shooting with 11 assists and 9 rebounds. It’s a mark of his play this season that he looked almost pedestrian doing it. Avdija is looking more and more comfortable setting up Portland’s offense. And, of course, scoring in it.

The only lingering, disturbing trend in Deni’s game (besides wholly-understandable turnovers) is a propensity to miss foul shots, particularly down the stretch. Avdija shot 8-12 from the charity stripe tonight.

Hansen

Yang Hansen got an assist and a turnover in 10 minutes tonight, some alongside fellow center Robert Williams III. Splitting the role between center and power forward took advantage of Hansen’s mobility more than sending him straight to the lane does. Hansen’s distance shot still needs work, but his passing and up-and-down speed are still as good as ever. He’s one of the few Blazers who looks natural running actual basketball plays. He’s ready to do three things at any given moment because he’s seeing the floor and understanding his role and space on it.

Hansen’s promise and alacrity don’t transfer to defense, however. He keeps his body pretty vertical but controlling it is another matter. Still a work in progress for Portland’s rookie.

Clingan

Speaking of centers, Donovan Clingan is on a roll. He registered his second straight dominant game tonight, posting 18 points and 11 rebounds on 8-10 shooting, making himself a nuisance on the offensive glass and defensive restricted area. It seems like somebody lit a fire in Clingan over Christmas. Let’s hope it keeps up.

Passing

When the offense worked well tonight, it came from free and easy passing. Some of that was due to Dallas’ permissive defense, but the capacity of the Trail Blazers to find easy shots when motivated shouldn’t be undersold. No passes or (one lateral pass) before a shot is a near-sure sign of sickness plaguing Portland’s attack. Doubly so if you see them working against the clock in the process. Passes leading to–or stemming from–penetration and defensive shifts make even offensively-muted Portland players look chef’s kiss.

Another way to put this… The Blazers don’t have great one-on-one scorers. No, not even Avdija and Sharpe. They’re both limited, proficient down certain channels but not Kyrie-Irving-like wizards with the rock. When the ball stays in the hands of one Blazer, no matter who that is, Portland becomes easy to guard. Given a seam, though, most any of the athletic Blazers can find an opening to score past their natural offensive limits. At the end of the day, this is still a continuity-and-motion offense. Only when the Blazers play with those characteristics do they succeed.

Plenty of Portland’s fourth-quarter woes this month can be pinned on this exact issue, a once-vibrant offense degenerating into tough, solo looks that lead to bricks or turnovers. Ouch.