The Portland Trail Blazers‘ amazing NBA bubble run isn’t over just yet, as they shocked the Lakers in Game 1.
Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers played themselves into the postseason with a dramatic hot streak in the NBA bubble. They brought all that momentum into Game 1 against the Lakers and it was enough to carry them to a shocking victory. Lillard, as you would expect, hit some absurd shots but he struggled at times and Carmelo Anthony, Jusuf Nurkic and CJ McCollum combined to shoot just 15-of-42 (35.7 percent). But they made all the big plays when they had to, keeping the pressure on the Lakers’ offense and coming up with timely 3s and challenges at the rim.
Portland still has a long way to go before they pull off the ultimate upset but they have to be encouraged by their ability to win an ugly game when so much wasn’t working for them.
For the Lakers, it has to be concerning that they struggled so mightily to score against a middling defense with myriad holes. Anthony Davis scored 28 points, but thanks in large part to his ability to get to the line. He was 12-of-17 from the line but just 8-of-24 from the field.
LeBron James, meanwhile, had to carry an enormous offensive load, creating essentially every good scoring opportunity for himself and his teammates. He finished with 23 points and 16 assists (and 17 rebounds for the triple-double) and the rest of the team made just nine baskets all night that he didn’t assist on. LeBron is capable of carrying this kind of load for an extended run but the whole point of Anthony Davis is that he shouldn’t have to. If they can’t get big nights from both at the same time, or have someone else chip in with some creation, their offensive ceiling is dramatically lowered.
Final
Portland Trail Blazers
100
Los Angeles Lakers
93
What else did you miss in Game 1 between the Lakers and Trail Blazers?
Turning point: Damian Lillard’s deep, deep, deep 3
The Blazers led by as many as 16 points early in the game but the Lakers chipped away started to assert control in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. With 7:21 seconds left, LeBron hit a 3 to put the Lakers up 87-81. CJ McCollum answered with a 3 of his own and on Portland’s next possession, Lillard evened it up with one of his signature deep bombs.
That shot finished the Lakers’ run, wiped away the momentum they’d built and put the game back in Portland’s control. The Blazers outscored Los Angeles 13-6 over the next six minutes but this hit was the difference-maker.
Unsung hero: Hassan Whiteside’s key stops
Hassan Whiteside played a typically sloppy and floppy game with dunks, blocks, turnovers, and defensive miscues. But he was key in that final six-minute stretch for the Blazers, coming up with two huge blocks.
The second, on LeBron, would have given the Lakers the lead if Whiteside hadn’t been able to get his hands on the ball. Instead, Lillard did his thing and a two-point deficit turned into a three-point lead.
Meme-able moment: The Lakers’ double flop
Everybody flops. Sometimes it works and your team gets an extra possession. Sometimes you fail, three seconds after one of your teammates and you live forever in digital infamy.