The Portland Trail Blazers handily defeated the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, 112-90 on Saturday afternoon. Deni Avdija led all scorers with 24 points. Damian Lillard added 22 and Donvan Clingan pulled down 9 rebounds. Darryn Peterson paced the Jazz with 16 points.
This one started out at a hectic pace, with neither team looking like they knew how to score. Thank goodness for Lillard, who took matters into his own hands and scored 11 of the Blazers’ first 14 points. Lillard was the only Portland player
to score from the field for the first six and half minutes of the game. As both teams remembered halfway through the quarter that halfcourt offense was a thing, Portland ramped up the defense, generating turnovers and building a lead. A first-quarter 17-0 run for the Blazers broke the game open, putting the Jazz on the backfoot for the rest of the afternoon.
The Blazers led by as many as 19 in the first half, settling for a 17 point lead as the half closed 59-42. Deni Avdija led all scores at halftime with 19 points, 10 of which came from the free-throw line.
The second half wasn’t a masterpiece from either team, but full credit to the Blazers for not giving Utah any reason to think they had any chance in this game. Portland answered every question the Jazz put to them, cruising to their fourth victory in five games.
Here are some quick reactions to Portland’s emphatic win.
Deni Avdija
Deni was at his best in the first half when the game was still in question. He forced the issue time and time again, earning 13 free throws in the game with relentless penetration when Utah was on its heels. He finished with 24 points, on 50% from the field, 50% from deep and 10 made free throws at 76.9%.
Third-String Center Position Open
Brandon Carlsen and Micah Potter both received playing time at center on Thursday against the Memphis Grizzlies while Robert Williams III took a rest day. Williams was back in the lineup today, but Yang Hansen was still given his turn to get some center minutes.
Unfortunately, none of Carlsen, Potter, or Hansen have seized the opportunity given to them. This backup role is clearly something Head Coach Micah Nori has his eye on. Williams will have more days off to try to keep him available for as much of the season as possible. Hansen finished with 6 points and 5 rebounds in 13 minutes, including two three-pointers late in the game. His play against regular rotation players didn’t pass the eye test at all. Perhaps his productive run as the game was winding down will give him a shot of confidence for the next time out.
Energy and Aggression
The Blazers outworked the Jazz on both ends of the court. On the offensive end, they won the second-chance points battle 18-6. They shot 41 free throws to 26 for Utah. On the other end, they generated 19 turnovers and forced countless contested shots, keeping the Jazz under 40% from the field and below 30% from deep. They seized the initiative and never let it go.
Damian Lillard
Lillard was more on ball today than we’ve seen so far this season, and he turned back the clock with his aggressive penetration. It wasn’t his best shooting performance, but he provided just what the Blazers needed whenever it was necessary. He led the Blazers with four assists.
Boxscore
Up Next
The Blazers are bound for Denver where they will face the 3-2 Nuggets on Monday, November 2 at 6:00 PM, Pacific.
