Exclusive GAME# 50: HORNETS @ BLAZERS - JANUARY 31, 2017 - Quote Book

[SlyPokerDog]

HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS

On Crabbe and teammates finding him:

“They are doing a good job of finding him and getting him on the weak side. He’s moving really well without the ball. He’s finding his spots, going to the open areas. Teammates are screening well for him in our sets. I think he’s in a very good rhythm shooting the ball.”


Overall thoughts on game:

“I liked the way we played. I thought the first half we should have had a larger lead than we did. I didn’t think our decision making in transition and early offense was very good. I thought we had a lot of opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of. But I thought defensively, we were very good most of the night.”


On Lillard:

“I thought he did a good job of directing the offense, took advantage of the opportunities that he had when they were there. He didn’t force it too much. Obviously he got it to the basket when he had a favorable matchup. I don’t know how many assists he had but it seemed like he was moving the ball well too.”

 

[SlyPokerDog]

MASON PLUMLEE

“I thought it was a really good game. I thought we came out well defensively. We didn’t score for the first little stretch there but our defense was pretty good all night. They hit a lot of threes too, but overall I thought our third quarter really stretched us, got us a lead, and we finished it from there.”


What did you think about team defense as a whole?

“It was good. Like I said, beside the threes, I think we guarded pretty well – a couple blow by’s too where they got to the rim, but overall I thought it was much improved from the last time we played them.”


On winning 3 of 4 in this home stand:

“We feel good about it. We would have liked to win that Golden State game but like I said, I thought we gave ourselves a chance. You’re not seeing blowouts anymore, which I think is a major concern earlier in the season. We’re competitive and we’re playing better as of late for sure.”


On matchup vs. Dallas on Friday:

“They’re playing great. You’ve got two hot teams right now, so we’re looking forward to the matchup.”

 

[SlyPokerDog]

ALLEN CRABBE

“I feel like we got out to a good start and we didn’t look back. We had a good flow to the game. We got up big and we kind of let them back in it close to halftime and our main focus going out there and just getting that lead back up and not letting them get back in the game. The offense was really good tonight and the defense was really good as well.”


Was it good to put one away early?

“Yeah definitely. That’s what we’re striving to do. We’ve found ourselves in games up big before and let other teams back in, so that’s just us making progress, just keeping our foot on the gas not relaxing or slowing up, just making sure we put the game away and do things the right way.”


Have you made any tweaks to your shot recently?

“No. Just getting more shots up in the gym, stuff like that. I feel like that’s what it is.”


Was there any concern early with 0/8 start shooting?

“No, I mean we were getting good shots, good looks. We were missing easy shots so we just stayed with it. Our defense was really good, so that allowed us to get easy points in transition and not call a lot of plays but just play in flow. We’re really good when we’re getting in flow and everybody is moving around, setting screens for each other and making plays for each other. So it was a good night for us.”

 

[SlyPokerDog]

HEAD COACH STEVE CLIFFORD

On blending his starters with his reserve players:

“To be honest, that’s been our challenge here for like three weeks. What didn’t work, obviously, which I gave up a while ago is just having a second unit, that’s not working at all. Our starters have the sixth best plus/minus in the NBA, and then the four guys with Roy (Hibbert) are pretty good too. Except for that, we haven’t been able to find lineups that work effectively and that’s the search, that’s what we’ve got to find.”


On Jeremy Lamb coming back from injury:

“I thought it was good, at least he got some time. You can see it’s been awhile since he’s gotten to play, so it’ll help him get his timing back.”


On how Nicolas Batum has played this season:

“He’s playing really well. I think he’s on his way to a career high in scoring, rebounding, his assist/turnovers is one of the best he’s had and he’s very versatile defensively, so he guards a lot of different guys.”


On Nicolas Batum’s playmaking ability:

I think that’s one of his big strengths, which gives you versatility and it helps Kemba (Walker) a lot also.”

 

[SlyPokerDog]

MARVIN WILLIAMS


On letting the game slip away in the third quarter:

They just continued to make shots. The first time we played them I felt like we were much more aggressive on the defensive end – forcing them to take tougher shots. They did a good job this time of executing offensively, and got it pretty easy tonight.


Next game against Golden State:

It’s one of the best things about the NBA – you don’t have much time to dwell on the rough times. We have a very, very good team tomorrow night, so it might just be what we need to bring out our competitive spirit a little more.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

NICOLAS BATUM


At halftime you pulled within 6, but then what happened?

We started the first half where we should have been up at halftime. End of the first quarter we didn’t do a good job and second quarter we didn’t do a good job as well. We tried to close the gap end of the second quarter, but then they were on a good roll. I mean, they played great. They play a great game. We didn’t, and we have to move on now.


What’s the key going up against Golden State tomorrow?

It’s a great team. We have to respect them. We know what we have to do – we have to go out there and play.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Postgame Notes - Jan. 31, 2017
Portland 115, Charlotte 98
Game #50 • Home Game #24


TEAM

• The Trail Blazers are now 4-1 in their last five games overall, including a 3-1 mark on this currrent five-game home stand.

• Portland has won each of its last nine home games against Charlotte.

• The Trail Blazers limited Charlotte to 98 points, and are now 10-4 this season when holding the opposition to less than 100 points.

• Portland’s bench outscored Charlotte’s reserves by 14 points (55-41), upping the Trail Blazers record to 7-3 when Portland’s reserves outscore the opposing reserves at the Moda Center. Portland’s 55 bench points is its most since scoring 58 points at Brooklyn on Nov. 20.

• Portland outrebounded Charlotte, 51-42, including an 11-3 edge in offensive boards. Charlotte failed to record a single second-chance point (7-0).


PLAYER

• Damian Lillard scored a game-high 27 points, and has now scored at least 20 points in all 10 of his career games against the Hornets.

• Allen Crabbe scored 21 points on 5-of-10 shooting (3-6 3-PT), marking his fourth game with at least 20 points in his last 12 contests (0 such games through first 38 contests). All of Crabbe’s 20-point games this season have come in the month of January.

• Over his last four games, Allen Crabbe has averaged 16.0 points on 60.5% shooting (9-16 3-PT).

• With seven points and 11 rebounds, Mason Plumlee’s double-double streak is snapped at a career-high five straight. Plumlee has hauled in at least 10 rebounds in a season-high seven consecutive games.

• Damian Lillard (2-5 3-PT) has now made at least one 3-point field goal in a career-high 30 consecutive games. His previous career high was 26 games from Nov. 28, 2015 to Jan. 31, 2016.

• Maurice Harkless scored 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting, and has now scored in double figures in both of his games since returning from a two-game absence.

• Meyers Leonard scored 12 points, upping Portland’s record to 6-2 when he scores in double figures.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[Dougnsalem]

• Meyers Leonard scored 12 points, upping Portland’s record to 6-2 when he scores in double figures.

Well, yeah. He plays with the closers.....