Blazer Beef
The Blazers defense and turnovers against the Washington Wizards wasn’t a good start to their road trip.
Nicolas Batum guarded John Wall, but that switch didn’t stop the Wizards from having an above average scoring night.
Also, in an otherwise great game, Portland struggled to get key rebounds in the second half and overtime against Indiana, which was a major factor in them losing a game they were leading.
Blazer Bravos
• Batum’s defense against Paul George was spectacular. He has played well defensively for stretches before, but he did so for 48 minutes against an MVP candidate. George went 5-of-23 from the field.
• LaMarcus Aldridge made a big time shot over Tyson Chandler to give the Blazers a win in Madison Square Garden. They were also solid defensively against New York.n Damian Lillard’s 38 points as well as Robin Lopez’s 17-point, 14-rebound night against Roy Hibbert were impressive performances in a great game.
By the Numbers
19 — CJ McCollum’s new career scoring high, which he set on Saturday against Minnesota.
2 — How many games the Blazers have left before the All-Star break.
5 — The total NBA All-Star Weekend events Damian Lillard will participate in next weekend.
Look Ahead
Tuesday vs. Oklahoma City, 7 p.m. (CSNNW, NBATV, AM 620): Kevin Durant torched the Blazers for 46 points when these two teams met a few weeks ago.
Wednesday at L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNW): Without Chris Paul, Blake Griffin is stepping up in a big way and the Clippers are doing just fine.
Friday, 6 p.m., NBA Rising Stars Challenge in New Orleans (TNT): The first of Damian Lillard’s five events.
Saturday, 5:30 p.m., NBA All-Star Saturday (TNT): Damian Lillard will compete in the Slam Dunk Contest, Three-Point Contest and try to defend his title in the Skills Competition.
Sunday, 5 p.m., The 63rd NBA All-Star Game 5 p.m. (TNT): Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge will be the first Blazers to play together in the game in 20 years.
