Portland Trail Blazers Let One Slip Away Versus Charlotte Hornets

The Portland Trail Blazers had their possibilities Tuesday night time versus the Charlotte Hornets on the Moda Center.

They got here out scorching and constructed a lead as giant as 19 within the second quarter. They fought to fend off the Hornets for a lot of the night time after which traded punches in a back-and-forth dogfight in crunch time. In the top, the Blazers discovered themselves on the incorrect facet of a irritating 103-101 loss that had coaches, gamers and followers desirous about turnovers, rebounding, missed layups and defective late-game execution.

“Everything was under our control,” Blazers ahead Toumani Camara stated. “I feel like we had some stupid turnovers, couldn’t make shots, but you know that happens. [We could’ve] controlled the pace a little bit better. I feel like we let them kinda creep up on us a little too easily. I feel like we didn’t really put up a fight like we should’ve. All the little things, with those rebounds, turnovers and making the easy play, easy read.”

With the rating hanging on the stability of 1 or two possessions throughout profitable time, the Blazers missed three agonizing layups. Two of these got here within the remaining two minutes when Portland had possibilities to create a 3-point cushion. The blown alternatives had been compounded by three consecutive turnovers with lower than a minute and a half left. On one essential miscue, Blazers ahead Jerami Grant barreled into Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel for a cost whereas driving baseline with 12.8 seconds left — a bang-bang name as Portland trailed 99-98.

“I pump-faked, went in, looked at the shot clock,” Grant stated concerning the play. “I probably rushed it, probably should’ve taken a [midrange jumper]make it a little easier.”

The third and deadly turnover got here on the following play. After two Charlotte free throws made the rating 101-98, the Blazers known as timeout with an opportunity to tie the sport with 9 seconds on the clock. Inbounding from side-out, Camara threw the move to Blazers All-Star Deni Avdija, warding off Charlotte ahead Miles Bridges on the near-baseline. But Camara led Avdija too far, and the ball flew out of bounds as Avdija tumbled to the bottom. The Blazers and the house crowd had been in search of a whistle on Bridges for presumably pulling on Avdija, nevertheless it did not come.

“It’s so marginal,” Avdija stated concerning the contact on the play. “It’s a close game. It’s intense. I’m not going to sit here and cry about that call. I’ve gotta take responsibility. I’ve gotta do a better job of getting open.”

Two Charlotte free throws on the following possession iced it, and the ending undid what had been shaping as much as be a rousing efficiency by Portland— on Blazer’s Edge Night, no less! Outside of that late turnover, Grant performed lights out on offense, scoring a game-high 24 factors and three 3s on 7-10 capturing. Avdija regarded like his All-Star self for the second straight recreation after getting back from damage, producing 18 factors and 7 assists. Portland guard Scoot Henderson additionally performed nicely for the second consecutive recreation, registering 17 factors and 5 3-pointers off the bench (though he performed solely 19 minutes).

The Blazers contained the Hornets offensive assault, holding Charlotte to beneath 40% capturing from the sector and the 3-point line. But Charlotte ahead Brandon Miller broke free for 23 factors, guard LaMelo Ball scored 12 of his 14 within the fourth, and the Hornets beat Portland 16-10 on the offensive glass. That manufacturing, plus the late-game miscues, proved an excessive amount of for the Blazers to beat.

“The effort was there,” Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter stated. “We played hard… Sometimes little details, you lose the game. They won in the margins.”

While the Hornets now stand at simply .500 on the season, they have been one of many hottest groups within the NBA since New Year’s, they usually clocked Portland by double digits when the groups met two weeks in the past. So, Tuesday’s matchup represented an amazing alternative for the Blazers to notch a win in opposition to a top quality opponent, a feat they have not achieved a lot since their head-turning scorching streak in January. Looking larger image, post-All-Star break was purported to be the Blazers’ time. Playing one of many league’s cushiest remaining schedules with necessary Play-In positioning inside attain, a surge within the standings appeared nearly sure. Instead, even with the rarity of a comparatively wholesome roster on Tuesday, it amounted to a different disappointment as Portland has stumbled to a 4-6 file because the break — achieved in by the identical points which have plagued all of them season: turnovers, defensive rebounding, 3-point capturing, late-game inbound performs.

“There’s a lot of things that we need to focus on,” Camara stated. “There’s little details that kind of slip away from us. I feel like our intensity on going to the offensive glass or boxing out, all the things like that. It’s been hurting us all year. It’s nothing new. So, as long as we don’t change those things, we’re not going to win games at a higher rate.”

The loss dropped the Blazers to a 31-35 file as they continue to be within the tenth spot within the Western Conference standings. They’re nonetheless simply 1.5 video games behind the Ninth-place Golden State Warriors and two video games behind the Los Angeles Clippers in that all-important eighth spot. Even although issues have not gone in response to plan currently, with 16 video games left, the Blazers nonetheless have time to make that late-season push.

“We’ve got the players to do it. We’ve just gotta come together,” Grant stated. “Now that mostly everyone’s healthy, we should be able to string together some wins in these upcoming weeks.”

Avdija admitted losses like this one sting extra contemplating the late stage of the season and the postseason race. But he additionally took encouragement from components of the staff’s displaying and did not really feel a must overreact to a loss in opposition to a scorching staff that would’ve gone both means. If you are a fan careworn about Play-In positioning and scouring the league standings each morning, simply know Portland’s All-Star is not.

“I know it’s important to finish ninth or eighth or seventh,” Avdija stated. “But on the finish of the day, I imagine in us. Even if we’re tenth, and we gotta play two video games and win two video games, I imagine in us. Obviously, you need to have a better path, however I do not take a look at my telephone and be like… ‘Oh, are we gonna play seven or eight?’ It would not matter. I imagine within the staff. I imagine in us. And no matter challenges we’re gonna have forward, we’re gonna beat ’em.”