Blazers vs Cavaliers: 9 Things We Saw

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

Andrew R Tonry, GoLocalPDX Contributor

The Garbage Men

The Trail Blazers weathered Cleveland's scortching start to thump the Cavaliers, 101-82, at the Moda Center Tuesday.

THAT WAS: A roller coaster. Cleveland came out bombing, making their first 10 shots. But the cart suddenly flew off the track. The rest of the way the Cavaliers went 21-of-75 from the field. It's also worth a mention that while the Cavs couldn't miss the Trail Blazers stuck in it. Cleveland's 10th-straight bucket provided only a four point lead.

TURNING POINT: Portland's 12-4 run to begin the third quarter. After the intermission the Trail Blazers returned with a dizzying punch the from which the Cavaliers never recovered.

MVP: Damian Lillard. The three-game shooting slump is suddenly a distant memory. Lillard was marvelous on both ends. He piled up 27 points, drained five three's, grabbed six boards, dished out seven assists while pestering the defensive lanes.

THE GRAVY TRAIN: Robin Lopez's offensive outburst. RoLo rarely scores, and when he does it's like playing with house money. His 19 points Tuesday were one short of his most as a Trail Blazer. A little more expected--though no less integral--were Lopez's defensive contributions, including six rebounds, three steals, a block and general hustling frustration of the Cavs' front line.

GARBAGE MEN: LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were a mess. Neither got going, and neither seemed on the same same page. Making just 4-of-12 attempts, James finished with just 11 points, his lowest regular season total since October of 2007. Irving was even worse. He made just 3-of-17 tries to finish with nine. As the Blazers pulled away--and even before the outcome was certain--James' seemingly lagging effort/engagement came into question:

LeBron's interest in this game tonight is preseason-esque.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) November 5, 2014

THE CHANGE UP: Will Barton and Thomas Robinson getting the call. For the second game in a row coach Terry Stotts inserted Barton and Robinson early. After solid performances against Golden State, perhaps Stotts is going with the latest hot hands. Or he's seen something he doesn't like in C.J. McCollum, who seemed to earn rotation time during the preseason. But then again, maybe McCollum excelled precisely because of the preseason's lack of pressure. Either way, when Barton got the nod to check-in first, McCollum's expression on the bench was smoldering. And for his part, Barton again did well, providing instant, overconfident offense. Robinson, meanwhile, may have to do more to retain his minutes, as injuries to Meyers Leonard and Joel Freeland have given Stotts little choice.

KEEPING IT REAL: Portland's cohesion was equaled by Cleveland's bumbling. While the Trail Blazers hummed in total for the first time this season, the Cavaliers, after a hot start, totally fell to pieces. While Portland deserves credit, Cleveland too must shoulder the blame. At times--when passes flew to no one and the offense hiccuped--the Cavaliers resembled strangers in a pickup game.

FASHION FAUX PAS:

Here is @aldridge_12 and @Dame_Lillard jerseys for tomorrow night. #PORvsCLE #RipCity pic.twitter.com/AQNUjEldhj
— Blazers Equipment (@RipCityEQ) November 4, 2014

KILLER TWEET:

look guys all I'm saying is that maybe it isn't a coincidence that Robin Lopez has 17 points so far on the day Oregon legalizes weed
— BLOGZI WELLS (@pdxroundball) November 5, 2014