Blazer Beef
How the Blazers handled their 21-point lead against the increased pressure and desperation of the Houston Rockets was probably this team’s worst offense this week.
After going up 21, the Blazers started playing with the game a little bit, committing oddly timed turnovers and fouls.
This allowed the Rockets to hang around long enough and stay within a James Harden-flurry from making it a game.
The Blazers offense was probably most at fault. Even after they blew their lead, they lacked the fluidity and conviction in their cuts and screens.
Houston blanketed Lillard and McCollum with bigger defenders and also had Dwight Howard patrolling the middle, but it seemed like the Blazers feared the Rockets attack.
Unlike their performance a week before against the Warriors where they were consistently in attack mode, the Blazers seemed caught off guard by the aggression from a team they had beat by a combined 28 points in two meetings earlier this month.
Blazer Bravo
Damian Lillard’s worst game in the past seven was a 23-point outing in the loss to the Rockets Thursday, but he’s been nothing but spectacular in nearly every other game.
He answered that game with a 31-point outing in a win over the Bulls, which was the first time in his career scoring 30 points without hitting a 3-pointer.
Lillard is now fifth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 25.2 points per game and has put up 30 points in six out of seven games entering Sunday.
We should also give CJ McCollum some love for going 59 games before scoring just six points on a 1-of-12 shooting night against the Bulls on Saturday.
McCollum had been one of six players in the league to score in double-digits in all of his teams games. (The other five are Toronto’s duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Houston’s James Harden and Cleveland’s LeBron James.)
While the streak is over, it was one of many milestones McCollum has racked up in a season that’s made him the favorite to win Most Improved Player.
By The Numbers
44 — After shooting 39 percent last season on two-point shots outside of 16 feet, Lillard has shot 43.9 percent on those shots while taking nearly the identical percentage from that area according to Basketball-Reference.
9 — The Blazers allow the ninth fewest 3-point attempts in the league.
3 — Lillard and McCollum are the third-highest scoring duo in the league behind Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant and Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
The Week Ahead
Tuesday at New York Knicks (4:30 p.m., CSN): The Knicks season which began with such promise thanks to rookie Kristaps Porzingis has given way to the drama of Knicks season’s past. After the firing of Derek Fisher, whispers have begun that basketball boss Phil Jackson may have his eyes on a return to L.A.
Wednesday at Boston Celtics (4:30 p.m., CSN): Thanks to young talent and the brilliance of head coach Brad Stevens, the Celtics look to be on their way to a top-three seed in the East. And they also have four picks in the first round of next year’s draft.
Friday at Toronto Raptors (4:30 p.m., CSN): Toronto’s All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan outscored Lillard and McCollum 59-58 in a 110-103 Raptors win in Portland on Feb. 4.
Sunday at Detroit Pistons (3 p.m., CSN, NBATV): The Blazers look for revenge on the final game of their six-game road trip. The Pistons outscored the Blazers 41-11 in the fourth quarter of their Nov. 8 win in Portland.
