Fan Collapses as Blazers Dismantle Mavericks

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Friday, November 07, 2014

Andrew R Tonry, GoLocalPDX Contributor

After a nip-and-tuck first half, Portland beat Dallas senseless in the third quarter, though celebrations were subdued when a fan collapsed.

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TURNING POINT: Portland's dominant third quarter. In all five games of this young season the Mavericks have struggled after intermission. Thursday was no different. The Blazers applied defensive clamps while setting their own offense free. Draining 5-of-10 attempts from deep, Portland outscored Dallas a whopping 35-16 in the quarter. After the run it became evident in Dallas' body language: their gooses were cooked.

MVP: Nicolas Batum. While LaMarcus Aldridge scored a game-high 20 points, Batum affected every aspect as he neared a triple-double with eight points, nine assists and nine rebounds in just 29 minutes of play. If the benches hadn't been cleared on account of the blowout he'd have likely got it with ease.

GRAVY TRAIN: Portland's bench more than hold their own. The Blazers' second unit scored 42 points and, just as important, afforded the starters a relative night off. No Blazer played more than Damian Lillard's 32 minutes. 

CONFIDENCE BUILDER: CJ McCollum's three three-pointers. After seeming to fall from coach Terry Stott's rotation, McCollum made the most of the early nod, Thursday. The second year player came in and drilled two back-to-back three's in the second quarter. Add another in the fourth, plus a couple trips to the line, and McCollum finished with 13 points. More important: he looked ready, able, and confident.

SOBERING MOMENT: A fan collapsed in the stands. As Portland's decimation of Dallas delighted the Moda Center faithful a female spectator in the lower bowl went down, casting a hushed pall in the arena as paramedics appeared, performing chest compressions and CPR before taking her out on a stretcher en route to the hospital. It was a heavy, rattling moment and the game paused accordingly. An unusual feeling in pro sports to be sure, the gravity was captured on the faces of the players.

SWEET TWEET:

OH YEAH--MEYERS LEONARD DID THIS:

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