According to an old Hawaiian proverb, there is more than one way to peel a pineapple — and judging by the way the Portland Trail Blazers unwrapped the Milwaukee Bucks tonight, my ancient ancestors may have been on to something. Playing with a patchwork lineup for what seemed like the hundredth consecutive time, the Blazers rode 35 points from Jerami Grant to a 115-103 victory. Bobby Portis Jr. led the scoring for the Bucks with 22, but that wasn’t enough to keep them off the chopping block in this
one.
Player of Note
Jerami Grant grabbed this game with both hands and never let go. He rang up 35 points on 8 of 18 shooting, 3 of 7 from three and 16 of 19 from the line. Throw in 4 rebounds and 4 assists to go with some relentless defense and call it another day at the office.
Stat of the Night
The game is apparently a bit easier if you make shots, and the Blazers did a lot of shotmaking. They won the free-throw contest 25 to 13 and the three-point showdown 18 to 13 on the way to a much-needed victory. Deni Advija went 5 for 7 from deep to lead seven Blazers who connected on three-pointers.
What We Noticed
Robert Williams III was impossible to overlook in the second quarter. He entered the game at the 7:50 mark with the Bucks on a pick-and-pop rampage that put them up 40-39 and immediately slammed the door with agile perimeter defense, blocked shots and ferocious rebounding. When Rob returned to the bench with 3:11 left in the quarter, the Blazers were up 57-47. Rob’s line for the night: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks and a steal in 16 impactful minutes.
Another note: the Bucks took a moment for a tip of the hat to Damian Lillard in recognition of his recent work in Milwaukee. While “Dame Time” was never quite what the Bucks had hoped for when he arrived, the thanks the Bucks fans offered certainly seemed to be sincere.
Up Next
The Blazers head back home for a key NBA Emirates Cup clash with the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Game time is 7 p.m. Pacific.
