The Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic, two of the worst shooting teams in the NBA, engaged in an ugly basketball game this evening in Florida. But the Blazers were up for ugly, and they thrived in it, riding a physical, swarming defense to an old-school 101-79 beatdown.
Portland guard Anfernee Simons led the Blazers with 21 points on solid efficiency. Forwards Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija chipped in 16 and 13 points, respectively. On the other side, Orlando forward Franz Wagner put up 20 points while his All-Star teammate Paolo Banchero was dreadful, going 1-14 from the field for eight points and five turnovers.
This game wasn’t about individual offensive numbers though, it was about that Trail Blazers defense that transported Orlando back to the 90s. We’ll cover that and more in the key factors that defined the win.
Stealing the Magic
It was a rough night for Orlando’s offense. The Magic shot 34.2% from the field and 24% (6-25) from behind the 3-point line while turning the ball over 22 times. The performance was partly a bug of Orlando’s dysfunctional offense, but also a feature of Portland’s disruptive defense.
Portland’s long, athletic forward corps — plus center Robert Williams III who started tonight with Deandre Ayton and Donovan Clingan out — cranked up the pressure from the tip. They swarmed Orlando ball-handlers on the perimeter and crowded players in the post. They swiped at dribbles, got hands in passing lanes and didn’t surrender easy buckets. That effort led to 14 steals and 12 blocks. Working off those steals, the Blazers’ transition offense wasn’t always pretty, but they still produced 22 points off turnovers.
Eight Blazers tallied at least one steal, and several names deserve recognition for their work on the defensive end: Toumani Camara (two steals, two blocks), Williams (four blocks, one steal), Jerami Grant (three blocks, one steal), and …
Jabari Walker
Walker deserves a special section devoted just to him for his hustle and tenacity off the bench. The third-year forward recorded a career-high five steals by halftime, before finishing the night with six steals and a block. He hounded post-entry passes and frustrated the opponent with his physicality, making good use of the five fouls he got called for. Walker also added two points and six rebounds in his 19 minutes of playing time. After largely falling out of the rotation, Walker has provided some valuable minutes and production lately with injuries on the roster.
Scoot Back to the Bench
In the midst of the best stretch of his young career, the Blazers moved second-year point guard Scoot Henderson back to the bench against Orlando. Portland head coach Chauncey Billups opted to go with serious size in the starting lineup, trotting out Simons, Avdija, Grant, Camara and Williams. As a writer who was thoroughly enjoying the recent Scootaissance and how the young guard performed with a starting role and increased utility, I didn’t love this decision. However, with Grant, Avdija, Simons and Camara all healthy for this contest, the starting lineup seems to be running out of space — not to mention Shaedon Sharpe is currently coming off the bench.
Regardless of starting lineup preferences, foul trouble kept Henderson from making any substantial impact in Orlando. In 13 minutes, he logged just four points (on 2-4 shooting), two assists, one steal and a turnover before fouling out at the 6:12 mark of the fourth quarter.
It seemed every time Henderson was settling into a rhythm, foul trouble shut it down. He picked up his fourth foul at the 3:45 mark of the second quarter, sending him to the pine. After playing just two third-quarter minutes, he picked up his fifth foul, sending him back to the bench until the fourth. Then in the fourth, he fouled out after playing just one minute.
TURBO and TOU
In the muck of this game, Deni Avdija putting his head down and storming to the basket was oftentimes the Blazers’ best way to manufacture points. His fellow forward Toumani Camara also got in on that driving action. All of Avdija’s five baskets came from inside the painted area, while all but one of Camara’s six buckets came around the rim. Camara took and made just one 3-pointer, but he continues to show improvement with his off-the-dribble game and adeptness at right-hand finishes. Camara and Avdija’s work in the paint helped Portland blast Orlando in points in the paint, 58-30.
Simons’ Hometown Cooking
Last but not least, Simons played his second consecutive good game, this time in his hometown. With the Magic shooting so poorly, the Blazers didn’t need a huge offensive performance from anybody, but they needed somebody to step up and hit shots. After scoring just one point in the first quarter, Simons rose to the occasion by scoring 21 for the game on 8-15 shooting from the field and 3-6 shooting from deep. He scored 11 of his points during a pivotal second quarter, helping the Blazers establish control and not relinquish it the rest of the way.
Up Next
The Blazers are back in action tomorrow (Friday) for another early tipoff on the road. Portland plays the Charlotte Hornets at 4 p.m. Pacific.
