PORTLAND — Monday was officially Star Wars night at the Moda Center with replica droids, Chewbacca impersonators and the intergalactic star power of New Orleans forward Anthony Davis.
But it was also, unofficially, Damian Lillard night.
Davis was active early and often, finishing with 28 points and nine rebounds, but the night belonged to Lillard, who scored a game-high 30 points, and the Blazers came away with a 105-101 win.
Lillard debuted his new signature shoe, the “D Lillard 2,” while his songs under the musical alias Dame DOLLA played before the game.
But like any good hero’s story, he had some help along the way.
Mason Plumlee had 15 points, 13 rebounds and tied for a team-high six assists. Gerald Henderson had 19 points off the Blazers bench and CJ McCollum had 16 points, six assists and a crucial defensive sequence near the end of the game.
After an offensive foul on Mason Plumlee gave the Pelicans the ball down by four with 32.6 seconds left, it seemed like the Moda Center would be the site of yet another late-game collapse.
But The Force was with them on this night. Or at least with McCollum on the crucial possession that sealed the game, saving them from another installment of “The 4th Quarter Strikes Back.”
McCollum busted through an “elevator doors” double-screen play the Pelicans had drawn up for Eric Gordon. Then he blocked a Jrue Holiday desperation jumper moments later on the same possession, getting the steal and hitting two subsequent free-throws to seal the game.
Before the game, head coach Terry Stotts bemoaned the Blazers’ poor fourth quarter defense.
McCollum’s play saved the Blazers from another drama-filled finish because of poor late-game defense.
“I think coming down the stretch, we didn’t play great defense, but I think when we needed it CJ made a big stop in a big situation where if they hit a shot, they’re right there,” Henderson said.
Said Stotts: “I thought CJ’s play at the end was terrific. That possession was a really positive possession. Everybody sees the block but the way he busted through the screen was great as well.”
“I knew (Gordon) was a great 3-point shooter so I was just ready to go,” McCollum said. “If you go around the elevators, it’s over, they’re going to close. Just try to go through them with him.”
The Blazers defeated the Pelicans earlier this season in Portland’s season-opener, 112-94.
It was one of many disappointing nights the Pelicans have had in the first quarter of the season, which has been characterized by injury and unmet expectations.
Before the game, head coach Alvin Gentry said that the Pelicans still had a “training camp,” feel.
After making the playoffs last season, the Pelicans entered Monday night with the second-worst record in the West (6-17) and just one road victory.
Evidently, a regular season feel to the Pelicans can’t come soon enough, let alone a playoff feel.
With plenty of season left and the Western Conference not being the pressure cooker it has been in years past, the Pelicans still have plenty of time for a playoff run.
Monday was not the night things started to get back on track.
Holiday, who was just cleared to play in back-to-backs and has seen his minutes restriction go up into the low 20’s, finished with 19 points off the bench.
Now the Blazers head on the road for a five-game, eight day road-trip that starts in Oklahoma City on Wednesday and ends on Dec. 23 in New Orleans against these same Pelicans.
“I don’t think the NBA did us any favors,” McCollum said. “I’m going to have to talk to Mr. Silver about switching up December and January for us.”
Unfortunately for the Blazers, there’s no Jedi mind trick changing the inevitability of the NBA schedule.
