The Portland Trail Blazers tried to beat the Toronto Raptors without Deni Advija in NBA action tonight and didn’t enjoy the process very much. They ended up on the wrong end of a 110-98 final score in spite
of several successful runs.
Guards Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe scored 21 points apiece to lead Portland. Raptors starters Sandro Mamukelashvili, Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickly all scored at least 20 to power Toronto to the win.
Following are a few things of note:
Jrue Is Back, Sort of
One of the mindblowing elements tonight was the demonstration of Jrue Holiday’s multifaceted mastery of leading a basketball team. Unfortunately, he is still battling a minutes restriction due to his lengthy stint on the injury list, so he had to sit part of the time when the game was on the line. He played 22 minutes and produced 21 points on 9 for 14 shooting (3 for 6 from distance) and 7 assists with only one turnover. One thing seems pretty clear: More Holiday minutes will be popular in Portland, and the sooner the better.
No Way to Start a Game
The Blazers were down 19-12 at the end of the first quarter, but it wasn’t as good as it sounds. Toronto was pretty bad, and a decent start by Portland would have produced a healthy lead. Instead, they shot 4 for 26 (15%) from the field and 1 for 11 (9%) from three. Eventually, the Blazers fought all the way to a brief lead in the fourth quarter, but the missed opportunity at the start tripped them up.
Hats Off to Jerami
It was a rough night for Portland forward Jerami Grant, but he did pass a milestone for his career: He scored his 10,000th career point in the first quarter. He would probably trade that for another win, but most NBA players fall short of that total during their careers, and his teammates threw a lot of love Jerami’s way after the game ended.
Javonte Who?
Yet another two-way player made an impression for the Blazers tonight. Guard Javonte Cooke helped keep the Blazers afloat during a back-and-forth second quarter with a plus-5 built on a put-back two, a steal and a transition three. The second half was not quite as notable, but make a note of this name because you are likely to hear it again.
Jrue to Donovan Equals Highlights
Donovan Clingan had a little trouble with ball security early tonight, and it seemed like Jrue came right back to him after every miscue with a pass that the big guy could dunk. It was more than passing ability on Jrue’s part, because it seemed intentional. Donovan is struggling? Okay, Jrue says let’s give him an easy one. This was easily the most beautiful part of a mostly ugly game.
Up Next
The Blazers are back in action on the road Monday evening versus the Washington Wizards. Game time is 5:00 p.m. PST.
