Blazers Squeak Past Jazz, Snap Losing Streak

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Andrew R Tonry, GoLocalPDX Contributor

BLAZERS 92, JAZZ 89

It wasn't pretty.

On the contrary: it was pretty ugly.

But the Blazers put snapped their five-game losing streak, squeaking by the Jazz in Utah, Wednesday, 92-89.

Indeed, it was tense, and the Blazers nearly succumbed. They trailed by as many as 11 in the fourth quarter, and regained the lead only in the final minute.

And while LaMarcus Aldridge returned from a sprained index finger--underscoring the importance of the game--it was Damian Lillard who did the most to bring the Blazers back.

In the fourth, Lillard scored 13 of Portland's 37 points. He was also assisted on three buckets, including critical back-to-back three's from Dorrell Wright.

The victory allowed Portland to exhale, but does little to reestablish their confidence.

Against the Jazz, who were without their leading scorer Gordon Hayward, Portland managed merely 12 points in the opening quarter, a season low. Besides the 37 point outburst in the fourth quarter, the Blazers' offense looked futile as they twice failed to top 20 points in a quarter. They shot 42% from the field and 26% from three.

Regardless of how it came about though, the victory is important for Portland, who had given up significant ground to the Thunder in recent weeks. (Oklahoma City, who played the Spurs, also lost Wednesday. They remain four games behind the Blazers.)

And though Wednesday's win allows the Blazers--and their fans--to back from the panic button for the moment, the next few games remain of the utmost importance in securing the Northwest Division.

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B	LaMarcus Aldridge After sitting out Tuesday against the Warriors with an injured, Aldridge returned Wednesday, perhaps before he was ready, but knowing the team couldn't afford another loss. He started slow, scoring four point in the first half, but got going as the game went along. He finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and four turnovers--again, perhaps because that finger is making it difficult to secure the ball.
B-	Allen Crabbe Call it a coincidence, but the Blazers are 8-0 when Crabbe gets the starting nod. He made his first bucket, a three, and finished with eight points and five boards in 30 minutes. All in all, a pretty decent performance for the inexperienced player--and hey, the results speak for themselves.
C-	Robin Lopez Another tough game for Lopez, who saw a lot of bunnies roll in-and-out. He played only 22 minutes, finishing with four points and six boards. In the end, with or without Lopez, Utah's front line of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors owned the paint.
D+	Arron Afflalo Afflalo almost seems invisible. It's getting to the point where his newness is no long an excuse. He's not making baskets, and his defense leaves much to be desired. Wednesday he finished with 7 points, and missed all three of his tries from downtown.
B	Damian Lillard It was a poor shooting night for Lillard, who made just 6-of-16 attempts from the field and 1-of-6 from downtown. Still, he managed to bring the Blazers back. He did it mostly from the line, where he made all 10 free throws, and by setting up his teammates. Lillard's 12 assists tied a career-high. He also added 23 points.
B+	Dorell Wright Wright gave the Blazers a huge scoring boost of the bench, Wednesday. His back-to-back three's in the beginning of the fourth quarter gave the Blazers a significant shot of momentum, and quickly closed the gap. He finished with 15 points and five boards in 27 minutes.