How the Blazers Faired at All-Star Weekend

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Andrew R Tonry, GoLocalPDX Contributor

The NBA All-Star weekend has passed and soon it shall be forgotten. But before sweeping from our memories the undistinguished pointlessness of it all and get to the real meat of the NBA's stretch run, here's the Blazers faired in New York:

WESLEY MATTHEWS
Having to shoot first the talent-rich three-point contest could've been viewed as a detriment, but Matthews set a high bar. He tallied 22 points, which left him a single basket shy of making the final round. Whether or not Matthews would've stood a chance against Stephen Curry's astounding 13-consecutive makes on the way to 27 points is another matter. But Matthews' fourth-place finish in such a loaded field is nothing to scoff at.

LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE
Aldridge got the start, but he wasn't on the court in the final minutes as coach Steve Kerr opted to go small--not like it would've made much difference, as the no-resistance All-Star game never really reached a fevered pitch. Despite being a player who admits that his non-dunking, rarely-flashy style is a poor fit for All-Star highlight reels, Aldridge was able to steal the spotlight for a few possessions. After halftime he scored the West's first eight points in a span that saw him make a jumper, and two three's, one of which was a nifty dribble-pull up on the break (Aldridge normally shoots only set three-pointers in the regular season). On the night he finished with 18 points and made four three's. It was his most distinguished All-Star performance to date.

LaMarcus Aldridge's 18 points tonight tie for second-most by a Trail Blazer in an All-Star Game (22-Drexler, 1992; 18-Roy, 2008).
— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) February 16, 2015

DAMIAN LILLARD
After Lillard was passed over not once but twice, it would've been gratifying to see him go off, gunning for MVP. Instead, the honors went to another guard wearing the number '0' on his jersey, Russell Westbrook. Lillard, who played only 16 minutes, wasn't quite so explosive. But he, like Aldridge, did garner attention in hitting back-to-back three's. For the rest of the night though, his shot was off. Lillard finished 4-of-12 from the field, 3-of-9 from deep, good for 11 poitnts. He was also part of one of the game's more ignominious moments, as he was blocked at the basket by Carmelo Anthony. Indeed, in a game that featured little to no defense otherwise, Lillard was understandably miffed.