Lightning may never strike in the same place twice, but the 98-93 victory by the Portland Trail Blazers versus the Kings in Sacramento tonight suggests that it can definitely hit the same NBA team twice if that team changes locations. After a controversial triumph over the Kings two nights ago in Portland, the Blazers thundered south 571 miles and struck again. Following are a few observations regarding how they did it:
Beating the Trap Game Jinx
Too little credit has been given to the special power possessed by the Sacramento
Kings at this moment. They have a losing record and two stars on the injury list, a perfect combination against the Blazers this season! Didn’t hold this time, though. Now that we’re talking credit where credit is due, give some to the Blazers for dodging this jinx by winning twice in spite of the “odds.”
Help Wanted
This has been discussed before, but it keeps coming back on the table: as long as the Blazers continue to start games with their best bench players already on the floor, the other team’s bench is going to be a problem. To be fair, the Kings had a couple of starters on the shelf with injuries as well, but the Blazers won’t be shedding any tears on that account in the foreseeable future.
This time out, the Blazers were up by three at halftime in spite of losing the bench battle 21-5. The second half was similar–at the end, the count favored the Kings 37-13–but the raw numbers may be a little misleading. One bench player, Robert Williams III, played a huge role in the final outcome (see next note), but there is no doubt that the Blazers can’t walk this tightrope for much longer without more help on hand.
Two-headed Monster
Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III combined to wrap this game up when it counted. Both of them scored in the last minute, Donovan with a driving dunk and Rob with a pair of clutch free throws. Looking at the game as a whole, this duo became a two-headed monster fully unleashed tonight. The final numbers: 24 points, 23 rebounds and 3 blocks between them. If our center had only one head, those would be some All-Star stats.
Donovan From Deep
Meanwhile, Blazers watchers seem to be split on whether or not Clingan should be encouraged to shoot from the perimeter. He was 1-1 from the arc tonight and hit another one close, this on a team that frequently struggles from distance. Is that good or bad? Skeptics point out that he isn’t available for many rebounds when he’s shooting from deep, but he leads the NBA in offensive rebounding doing what he’s doing now. Feel free to sound off on this topic in the comments!
Two Very Heavy Lifters
If the bench battle was won by the Kings tonight (it was), then the Blazers starters must have prevailed (they did). Especially two of them. Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe took turns carrying the load for long stretches of this one. Deni ended up with 24 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds, Shaedon with 23 points. Neither was perfect–they each had 5 turnovers and Deni struggled with his shooting–but the Blazers struggled mightily when either of them was off the floor. Subtract either of these guys from the lineup and forget the win.
Up Next
The Blazers are back in action at home Monday versus the Detroit Pistons. Game time is 7 pm, PST.
