The Portland Trail Blazers (6-16) fell on Monday night to the Los Angeles Clippers (12-10) by the final score of 132-127. It is the fourth loss in a row for the Trail Blazers and their seventh out of the last ten games.
After starting the game slow, trailing by 11 points by the end of the first quarter, the Trail Blazers gained momentum and took a small lead only minutes into the third. After closing the gap, the young Blazers kept pace with the veteran Clippers, but in the end they were not able to overcome.
Anfernee Simons led the Trail Blazers with 38 points, sinking nearly 44% of his shots. He launched a whopping 23 attempts at the basket, including 11 from the three-point line where he fared slightly better, hitting more than 45%. Simons remained perfect on the season from the free-throw line, sinking a season-high 13 shots from the charity stripe.
Second-year guard Shaedon Sharpe also performed well, scoring 27 and adding six assists. He tallied up his fifth straight game with more than 20 points, continuing to establish himself as a major contributor for the Blazers.
The Clippers were led by strong performances from their veteran triumvirate of Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Paul George, who finished the game with 34, 20, and 20 points, respectively. George added eight rebounds and eight assists while Harden snagged seven and seven. It was a strong team effort by the Clippers which showcased a lot of ball movement that ultimately won them the game.
STAR OF THE GAME
There is no doubt that the star of this game, and of the Blazers roster, is Anfernee Simons. He’s been playing like an elite guard since returning to the team, and a good indicator that he understands his role is that he’s nailing all his foul shots.
For an aggressive guard who drives to the basket frequently, free throw percentage is key. If you’re going to push hard, you have to be able to sink those freebies or teams will foul you into oblivion. Simons checks that box and then some.
SURPRISE CONTRIBUTION
Since I’m still pretty new to covering the Blazers, pretty much everything surprises me right now.
However, the statistic that shines brightly to me is the 12 rebounds pulled down by center Moses Brown.
Having played in only four of the Blazers’ 22 games this season, Brown has accomplished next-to-nothing off the bench, and hasn’t tallied a single stat since before Thanksgiving. He played a relatively short 16 minutes against the Clippers but pulled down rebounds at an all-star level nonetheless.
Anyone who reads anything I’ve ever written about basketball would know that I am a fan of the old-school game where big men reign. If your team doesn’t have someone over 6’8” who can command the paint, then you’re missing a big piece of the strategy puzzle that wins consistently. At least, I think so.
It would be smart for the Trail Blazers to start giving Brown more minutes and use him when . They need defensive help and ball control so that all those guards have more opportunities to score.
BIGGEST CONCERN
With the exception of Moses Brown’s big defensive game off the bench, the Blazers were pretty thin against the Clippers in terms of chasing the ball.
The absence of Deandre Ayton can be felt in such a close loss. Ayton leads the team in rebounds, hauling down 10.8 per game—more than seven of those coming on the defensive side of the court.
Jerami Grant blocks less than a single shot every game, a paltry figure that unfortunately leads the team in one of the most important defensive stats.
The Blazers need help on defense and getting a hold of the ball more often if their rapidly-developing offensive weapons are going to be of any use. One can only hope that coach Chauncey Billups recognizes that he has an opportunity to build a team that now includes at least two players who can execute at center.
NEXT GAME
Thursday, December 14th vs. Utah Jazz
7:00pm PST
