The Portland Trail Blazers couldn’t keep pace with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Moda Center on Sunday night. The Blazers lost 130-111 against Cleveland to drop their fifth game in a row, as their home arena provided no refuge following a rough East Coast road trip.
A late scratch for newly minted All-Star Deni Avdija (lower back strain) and the absence of Jrue Holiday (personal reasons) proved too much for Portland to overcome against the Eastern Conference fifth seed. The uphill climb got even
steeper because Cleveland center Jarrett Allen played likely the game of his career. The 6-foot-9 big man — more renowned for rim protection than scoring — went off for a career-high 40 points (on 16-23 shooting), 17 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and two steals. The performance garnered a water bottle dousing from teammates as Allen spoke during a walk-off TV interview on the floor.
“Of course, we didn’t expect that game from him,” Blazers acting head coach Tiago Splitter said. “But he played outstanding, and I think we did a poor job guarding him. … [That was] probably one of the best games of his career.”
“We were trying to cut Donovan Mitchell’s water off, and I think we did a pretty good job at that,” Blazers guard Caleb Love added, as Portland held the All-Star Mitchell to 14 points on 15 shots. “ … They were just playing through their big, hitting the short roll, hitting the pocket pass over and over again, and he was making tough shots over [Donovan Clingan].”
Despite Allen’s performance and going down by over 20 at the midway point of the third quarter, the Blazers didn’t completely fall off. Portland went on a run to cut the deficit to 13 late in the third quarter and got the deficit down to 10 after an 18-4 run early in the fourth quarter. But each time, Cleveland called timeout, then promptly ripped off 7-0 runs to stay out of genuine danger.
Love led Portland with 21 points (on 8-15 shooting), three assists and two steals. Fellow two-way player Sidy Cissoko also provided a bench lift with 15 points and two steals. Starting guard Shaedon Sharpe produced 20 points and three assists, but it took him 21 shots. Starting center Donovan Clingan struggled to contain Allen all night, and he missed several bunnies around the rim he’d surely like back. He came on stronger in the fourth quarter to finish with eight points (on 3-10 shooting), 12 rebounds, five assists and four blocks.
Now on to better news…
Blake Wesley Returns
The silver lining of the 19-point loss came in the form of reserve guard Blake Wesley’s return. The scrappy-defending speedster appeared in his first game since Oct. 31 after missing 43 straight games due to a right foot fracture.
Wesley checked in at the 3:46 mark of the first quarter to a loud ovation from the home crowd, showing the impression he made on fans in just six games and 98 minutes before his injury.
“I didn’t expect that,” Wesley said about the warm reception. “But I appreciate the fans for showing me love. It was exciting. It was nerve-wracking a little bit when I first got out there, but … the first couple of possessions, I was comfortable.”
It didn’t take long for Wesley to leave an impression on the game. Just 30 seconds later, Portland center Robert Williams III grabbed a defensive rebound, outlet the ball to Wesley in the backcourt and ZOOM. the third-year guard raced up the floor, putting Cleveland’s defense out of position, and kicked out a pass to an open Toumani Camara in the corner for 3.
Camara missed the attempt, but the play served as an immediate reminder of Wesley’s jarring speed in the open floor. Early in the second quarter, Wesley got another opportunity to attack Cleveland off a miss. This time, he knifed through the lane and Euro-stepped his way to a layup for his first points. He said it really sunk in that he was back as he pushed the tempo on those fast break plays, showing he’s most comfortable at hyper speed.
“I feel like it’s gonna take me two or three games to get back [into regular game shape], but I’m looking fast, as you guys know, and looking like myself,” Wesley said with a smile.
“You see it, just coming off injury, how fast he was,” Love added. “And this is only his first game back.”
Wesley played a big role in Portland’s 7-0 run late in the third quarter. He knocked down a right-wing 3-pointer. On the next play, he pushed in transition and found Sharpe for an alley oop jam to force a Cleveland timeout. The production helped Wesley finish with five points on 2-3 shooting, four assists, three rebounds, a steal and three turnovers — a good burst in 19 minutes.
“He is gonna see the court. He is gonna help our second unit push the pace,” Splitter said. “Like I said, he was one of the few bright lights of the night. I’m just happy to see him basically playing the way like he was before he got injured.”
