The Portland Trail Blazers are in the thick of a tight race for standing in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament this week. You wouldn’t have known it from their outing against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night. Portland came out flatter than a yeast-free pancake, giving up 65 points in the first half and letting the Pelicans think they had a legitimate shot at the victory.
Fortunately, Portland pulled it together in the second half, forcing turnovers and stroking long shots to put away
New Orleans 118-106
Jrue Holiday was the leading scorer for Portland in the game with 27, carrying his team through a decisive fourth quarter. Jeremiah Fears led New Orleans with 21.
The win takes the Blazers to 40-38 on the season. Their standings rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, are currently losing to the San Antonio Spurs and will likely finish the evening with a 39-38 mark.
Player of the Game
Others scored more, but Toumani Camara’s three-point shooting really saved the Blazers when they needed it. Camara finished the game with 6-12 beyond the arc, 23 points total. Without him there’s no floor-spreading, no pressure that let the Blazers streak ahead over their more-energetic opponents.
Stat of the Night
Camara wasn’t alone. The Blazers aren’t good at shooting threes, but they’re willing to take a lot of them. New Orleans isn’t good either. They take very few. Portland’s 20-51 rate beyond the arc provided an insurmountable edge compared to the Pelicans at 9-24.
What We Noticed
I hate to say it, but this Pelicans club looks pretty good when they’re at full strength. They’d look GREAT with a certain player currently wearing #5 back in the fold. If they had an experienced, defensive-minded, pick-your-spots point guard to set up all of those young scorers, New Orleans would be dangerous. A little discipline, a little depth, and who knows? Don’t tell anyone.
Up Next
The Blazers will have a couple days of before traveling to Ball Arena to face the Denver Nuggets on Monday night at 6:00 PM, Pacific Time.
