BLAZERS GRADED: Chicago 115, Portland 106

Friday, December 12, 2014

Andrew R Tonry, GoLocalPDX Contributor

It was as if they were playing a different team.

Unlike the first meeting, when the Blazers beat the Bulls in November, Chicago had a lot more help with both Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol back in uniform. (Joakim Noah, however, was out.)

Rose had his best game of the year, posting a season-high 31. During the fourth quarter he continually kneecaped the Blazers' comeback attempts.

Damian Lillard notched a season-high of his own, with 35 points, as well as a season-best seven three-pointers.

The two scoring point guards went back and forth at each other during the fourth quarter. It was thrilling--top notch scorers making acrobatic, gutsy, uncanny. big-time shots.

The way they attacked--so single-mindedly, so apart from the schemes of the offense, so unstoppable--smacked of pickup ball, where the best players take over and everyone else just stops to watch.

LaMarcus Aldridge put on a similar show early. A game after going scoreless in the first half against Minnesota, he poured in an astonishing 21 points in the first quarter. After that, though, the Bulls put on the shackles and Aldridge shrunk. He scored just two points in the final period while missing his lone field goal attempt.

Aside from Lillard and Aldridge, who accounted for 70 of Portland's 106 points, the Blazers got little help. Portland's bench were outscored by Chicago's 40-15.

Friday's loss was the Portland's second straight, and first to an Eastern Conference foe. The Blazers travel immediately to Indiana, where they play the Pacers Saturday, their fifth game in seven days.

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NICOLAS BATUM: C
Like a skipping record, Batum's shooting struggles continue. He made just 1-of-5 attempts from distance, and 3-of-12 overall. He added five rebounds and five assists, but was mostly unable to slow Derrick Rose.

LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE: A-
As he is wont to do, Aldridge started out scorching hot, scoring 21 points in the first period. From there on out he cooled, adding just two points in the final period. Indeed, he got the Blazers going, but they missed him late. To be sure: 35 points on 15-24 shooting is special, but timing is everything.

ROBIN LOPEZ: C
It'd be unfair to say Lopez is in a slump, because he's not asked to score, but he hasn't put much of a stamp on the last three games. Four points, seven rebounds isn't bad, nor is it a needle-mover.

WESLEY MATTHEWS: B-
With 10 points, Matthews was the only Blazer besides Lillard and Aldridge to score in double-figures. Still, Portland could've used a lot more. Credit Chicago's Jimmy Butler, who stuck to Matthews like glue and allowed only three Matthews three-point attempts, of which he made just one.

With his first 3-pointer tonight, Wesley Matthews ties Damon Stoudamire for second on Portland’s all-time 3-pointers list (717).
— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) December 13, 2014

DAMIAN LILLARD: A
Lillard notched season-highs with 35 points and seven made three-pointers. And while the Bulls seemed to be cruising towards an assured win, Lillard refused to concede, scoring wildly down the stretch. Lillard dished out six assists and grabbed five boards--his fifth-straight game of five-or-more rebounds.

BLAZER BENCH: D
Scoring just 15 points, Portland's second unit was crushed by Chicago's 40. Steve Blake had nine of those, and he was the only Blazer bench player who had it going, Friday. Chris Kaman had just two points, Joel Freeland had four (in just four minutes), while Allen Crabbe (13 minutes) and Meyers Leonard (5) went scoreless.

KILLER TWEET:

feed lamb-arcus he likes grain and soybean meal and the living flesh of pau gasol pic.twitter.com/hANoxPgcuM
— BLOGZI WELLS (@pdxroundball) December 13, 2014