Exclusive GAME# 63: WIZARDS @ BLAZERS - MARCH 4, 2020 - Quote Book

[SlyPokerDog]

Postgame Notes – March 4, 2020

Portland 125, Washington 104

Game No. 63, Home Game No. 30



TEAM

• Portland shot 42-of-81 (51.9%) from the field, while Washington was 40-of-103 (38.8%). It was Portland’s third straight game shooting better than 50% from the floor.

• Portland had four players finish with at least 20 points for the third time this season, improving to 3-0 in those games.

• The Trail Blazers finished 28-of-32 (87.5%) from the FT line, attempting at least 30 free throws for the fifth time this season.

• The Trail Blazers had 11 blocks, finishing with double-digit rejections for the eighth time this season.

• Portland outscored the Wizards on the fast break, 21-12.

• The Trail Blazers starters outscored the Washington starting five, 108-63.


PLAYER

• Carmelo Anthony led Portland with 25 points (8-13 FG, 3-5 3-PT, 6-6 FT), five rebounds, one assist and two steals over 32 minutes. It was his fifth game with at least 25 points this season.

• Hassan Whiteside finished with 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting (4-5 FT), 16 rebounds, two assists and four blocks in 35 minutes. It was his 48th double-double of the season, tied for the second most in the NBA.

• CJ McCollum scored 22 points (9-18 FG, 2-7 3-PT, 2-4 FT), to go with six rebounds, five assists and one block. It was his ninth consecutive game with at least 20 points, and eighth consecutive game with at least five assists.

• Damian Lillard had 22 points (6-12 FG, 4-7 3-PT, 6-6 FT), four rebounds, five assists two steals and one block in 32 minutes. It was his 22nd consecutive game with at least 20 points, extending the longest such streak of his career.

• Trevor Ariza had 15 points (3-5 FG, 2-4 3-PT, 7-8 FT), three rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in 34 minutes. It was his seventh game this season with at least 15 points. It was the 12th time this season that an NBA player scored at least 15 points while attempting five shots or fewer.

• Anfernee Simons had eight points (2-6 FG, 1-3 3-PT, 3-3 FT), one rebound, one steal and one block in 14 minutes off the bench.

• Bradley Beal led Washington with 29 points (10-29 FG, 4-9 3-PT, 5-6 FT), six rebounds, six assists and one steal in 38 minutes. It was his 20th straight game with at least 25 points.

• Davis Bertans scored 21 points (8-16 FG, 4-12 3-PT, 1-2 FT), to go with four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 29 minutes off the bench. It was his 15th game with at least 20 points this season.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS

On Carmelo Anthony’s performance…

“I thought he really got his rhythm in the first half. Usually I don’t play him the whole first quarter, but he had bounce, it was good to see.”

On Hassan Whiteside’s impact on the game…

“He had the same impact he always does. He rebounded, he blocked shots, he finished around the paint. He’s a presence in there. When guys drive in there, they’re looking for him.”

On the team’s defense against Bradley Beal…

“I thought Trevor (Ariza) really did a good job all night, he scored in the first half. I thought we did a good job in the first half, I mean he (Bradley Beal) still had 21, but I liked Trevor’s persistence with him, he stayed with him and made it difficult for him, and then I thought Hassan (Whiteside) did a nice job of when he did get to the basket, being able to turn.”

On Damian Lillard’s first game back…

“Sometimes he looked a little rusty, but his shot looked good, I think it seemed like he had totally recovered from his injury. I just thought it was a solid game, he didn’t try to force too much, but the game was pretty easy for him.”

On Damian Lillard playing 32 minutes…

”Well it’s always good when we don’t have to do that. He was cleared to play 35 or 36 (minutes), so I don’t know the difference between 32 and 36 minutes would’ve made that big of a difference, but anytime we can keep their minutes down I’m glad about that.”

On limiting Davis Bertans…

“He was 1 for 7 in the first half from three, so for my liking he had too many good looks. We lost in transition a few times where fortunately he missed some threes in the first half, I think that would’ve changed the complexion of the game, but he’s a good shooter, he ended up 4 for 12. Like I said it was okay but I think a lot of it was him missing shots.”

 

[SlyPokerDog]

DAMIAN LILLARD

On coming back from injury:

“I think the other day I told you I was going, I played a one-on-one, 32-minute game with one of our video dudes full court, so I knew I wouldn’t be any more tired than that, but I felt pretty good. I thought I moved pretty well. I was able to do a lot of things. I didn’t want to overdo it once I realized the kind of game we were playing. Our balance was good and we had a comfortable lead so I picked my moments to really explode and take off and cut hard and get in a stance and fight over screens, stuff like that. I didn’t feel restricted, so I felt pretty good.”


Four starters scored 22+ tonight – what does that kind of balance give you guys?

“I think it just makes us a harder team to guard. You’ve got guys screening for each other, the ball is moving, we’re executing, playing with pace, being unselfish – just being aware of what’s going on, where to be, what the right play is and actually making it on time. I thought we just had that tonight. I think when you do that, guys get high quality looks and they’re going to have a good chance to have a night like we did tonight. Obviously, that’s hard to do all the time and when you can do it, the game should look like it did tonight – a pretty strong win for us.”


You have one road game and then a bunch of home games – how do you feel about the opportunity?

“It’s a great opportunity. I think we’ve been in this type of position before where it’s gut check time and every little thing matters. Everybody on the roster matters – how we prepare, what our mentality is, how we’re coming into each game individually. Obviously, we want to put them together but it has to be one game at a time. After that huge win in Orlando, I thought we came into this game with a business mentality. We didn’t look at record or a home game or none of that, it was just like, alright, we’ve got one, let’s turn that to two. We got this one and now we just go on to the next game, let’s turn it to three. I think if we build like that, we’re going to find ourselves in a good stop when these 20 games or 19 games is up.”

 

[SlyPokerDog]

CARMELO ANTHONY

You were aggressive tonight – especially early:

“I was just playing basketball – just playing. Dame coming back also helps that, to spread the court and gives us another option. Just took advantage of that.


How much of an advantage does it give you to have balanced scoring from the starters?

“It’s an advantage for everybody when we’re hitting on all cylinders like that and everybody’s playing well, everybody’s feeling comfortable and confident with the style and the play and it’s done in the flow of the game. I thought everybody was very confident tonight.”


On defense against Beal (10 for 29):
“He’s one of the best – one of the best to do it. Any time we can just keep a hand – always keep a hand in his face, make him see multiple bodies, make him shoot tough shots. He’s a guy who could make those shots as well. He’ll get hot, he’s been playing extremely well since the All Star break, so we just tried to show different bodies and have somebody on him and chase him around and hope that he miss.”

 

[SlyPokerDog]

HEAD COACH SCOTT BROOKS


Thoughts on the game

“Few things, I thought with (Damian) Lillard back obviously helped. Damian is one of the best players in the league, CJ (McCollum) has been on a nice tear, (Hassan) Whiteside was a problem at the rim with his verticality. We just couldn’t score in the third quarter. We didn’t get any of our shots to fall. We got good looks from three, we didn’t make enough of them. I thought their backcourt is good, their backcourt is really good. That was the game.”


On responding offensively vs Whiteside’s presence defensively for the Blazers

“You can argue that some of them were fouls, like I did throughout the game. The other guy came in and gave them all fouls. That’s the way it was tonight. You got to be able to adjust and I don’t know if we did a great job of adjusting.”


Thoughts on Blazers defense vs Bradley Beal

“I thought Brad (Bradley Beal) got fouled all night. He got fouled all night, he got fouled on the dribble, he got fouled on the shot, he got fouled all night, and he got six free throws. That’s just the way it is, we have to game. We’ve got to do a better job of making sure that we do get those calls. I thought he got fouled throughout the night.”


Thoughts on road trip as a whole

“We competed, last night we didn’t have a good start, we came back and battled. With this team, I thought we played hard, we couldn’t get any shots to fall. We put them on the free throw line too many times. We got them in the bonus too early too with silly fouls and those are the ones you can’t complain about. Those are fouls and we did not do a good job of preventing them from getting into the bonus. They’ve got good players that have some good tricks. When they’re in the bonus they seem to always get fouls. That’s the veteran-savvy, craftiness, the gamesmanship that one day we will have.”

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Bradley Beal


Thoughts on (Trevor) Ariza’s defense tonight?


He’s a pest, that’s what he does.


How do you think you guys responded in terms of Hassan Whiteside’s defense?


I just felt like it’s impossible to be vertical the whole game. There’s a reason why the first half I shot five three’s and the second half I decided to attack. I went to the line once in the second half when I average eight to ten to twelve free-throws a game. It’s not on accident, it’s because I’m smart and intelligent to draw fouls. He wasn’t vertical on every play, I know that’s what he’s capable of doing but not on every play.


Thoughts on the road trip?


Disappointed, we had an opportunity to go at least three and one. We kind of laid an egg but we got three at home we got to get.


What did you think of having Jerome (Robinson) in the starting lineup?


He’s good, he was energetic. Coach did it the second half of last game and was loving what he seen out of him, he’s got good energy. He’s a tough competitor, it’s just getting him more acclimated with the starters and he’ll be fine.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

DAMIAN LILLARD

On coming back from injury:

“I think the other day I told you I was going, I played a one-on-one, 32-minute game with one of our video dudes full court, so I knew I wouldn’t be any more tired than that, but I felt pretty good. I thought I moved pretty well. I was able to do a lot of things. I didn’t want to overdo it once I realized the kind of game we were playing. Our balance was good and we had a comfortable lead so I picked my moments to really explode and take off and cut hard and get in a stance and fight over screens, stuff like that. I didn’t feel restricted, so I felt pretty good.”

I would've loved to have seen that. Wonder which video dude it was.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

HEAD COACH SCOTT BROOKS

“You can argue that some of them were fouls, like I did throughout the game. The other guy came in and gave them all fouls. That’s the way it was tonight. You got to be able to adjust and I don’t know if we did a great job of adjusting.”

LOL! He doesn't know Swanigan's name! Nice prep, Scotty.

 

[Darkwebs]

I would've loved to have seen that. Wonder which video dude it was.

They mentioned on the Blazers broadcast that it was a guy named Jamal. So looking at the Blazers media guide, it appears to be Jamal Gross.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

They mentioned on the Blazers broadcast that it was a guy named Jamal. So looking at the Blazers media guide, it appears to be Jamal Gross.

I wonder how good Jamal is and what was the score. That does seem a great way to train though.

 

[e_blazer]

I would've loved to have seen that. Wonder which video dude it was.

Full court against Dame? I think we can assume it wasn’t @THE HCP.

 

[hoopsjock]

I wonder how good Jamal is and what was the score. That does seem a great way to train though.

Hey Eric, how do you think @BonesJones would do one on one against Dame for 32 minutes full court?