Portland Trail Blazers: 3 Takeaways From Game 2 Loss To Warriors
What are some takeaways from the Portland Trail Blazers’ rough Game 2 loss to the Golden State Warriors?
The Portland Trail Blazers had a rough Game 2 to say the least. The team couldn’t replicate the production of Game 1’s first three quarters and lost 110-81 to the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night. The Warriors now lead the series 2-0.
The game was brutal, but people learn from their defeats all the time. So here are a few takeaways from Wednesday’s loss.
Portland’s Offense Couldn’t Find The Spark
The power was out on Wednesday night for the Portland offense. The team shot 33.3 percent (30-for-90) from the field and 20.6 percent (7-for-34) from beyond the arc. That was their worst night from the field since shooting 30.3 percent in their Mar. 14 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum couldn’t get things going. After combining for 75 points in Game 1, the duo were only able to muster 23 points.
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Lillard had a little rhythm in the first quarter, scoring 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting. But he would only score two more points on 1-for-9 shooting the rest of the way. McCollum, on the other hand, never got in the flow. He finished the night with 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting.
The two also combined for nine turnovers (Lillard with four, McCollum with five) in Game 2 after giving up seven in Game 1. The Blazers had 18 turnovers while only dishing out 17 assists.
With the duo struggling, Maurice Harkless was the Blazers’ leading scorer. He put up 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting. The Warriors likely decided it was better to be beat by Harkless than by Lillard and McCollum.
Al-Farouq Aminu and Shabazz Napier were the only two players to shoot over 40 percent. Aminu went 4-for-7 from the field for none points. Napier scored 10 points on 3-for-6 shooting. All of Napier’s points came in the second half once the game was out of reach.
The Warriors delivered on their promise to contain Lillard and McCollum earlier in Game 2 than they did in Game 1. While players like Aminu and Maurice Harkless attempted to step up, the Blazers simply weren’t the same without their offensive engine running.
Portland Is Sorely Missing Their Bosnian Beast
Jusuf Nurkic continues to sit, still recovering from his right leg fibular fracture. In the long term, it’s better for him to take all the time he needs to get back on the court. The stakes are low for Portland, as they simply look to play spoiler to the top-seeded Warriors. Rushing him onto the floor for this series would be foolish.
Still, his presence is sorely missed on the court. That fact was made clearer by Golden State’s post production in Game 2.
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The Warriors finished Wednesday with 50 points in the paint. This outdid their Game 1 post output of 44 points.
But the big story was the scoring at the center position for the Warriors. JaVale McGee scored 15 points off the bench and made all seven of his field goal attempts. Zaza Pachulia added 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting. Those combined 25 points are 13 above their collective season average.
Their gameplan was to simply body players like Aminu, Harkless, Meyers Leonard, and Noah Vonleh, and get position inside all night. Eight of McGee’s 15 points came off of alley-oops. Meanwhile, Pachulia simply got positional advantage on his four made layups and was dared to make an uncontested jump shot on his fifth made basket.
The Trail Blazers simply don’t have an answer for these two without Jusuf Nurkic. If Nurkic remains sidelined, McGee and Pachulia will continue to be viable offensive options for Golden State.
Home Cooking Could Make A Difference
The scene now shifts to Game 3 in Portland on Saturday. Despite the bleak nature of Game 2, the next game in a playoff series always gives new hope for a better performance.
Damian Lillard held this outlook when he spoke with the media following Game 2.
"“When a team like them gets going offensively, and you’re not executing on your offensive end, then it’s just going to be an uphill battle. They got away from us, and we made it harder on ourselves. But after I thought about that, I reminded myself that it’s a series and points don’t carry over. So you can’t get too low or too emotional about the game we had tonight.”"
Portland showed late in the season that it can compartmentalize games and make adjustments in order to be competitive their next time on the floor. It was this ability that saw them lose to the Utah Jazz on Apr. 4 in Salt Lake City, and then turn around and beat them on Apr. 8 in Portland. The Blazers don’t automatically back down just because they’re hit in the mouth.
It also helps that the next two games will be at home. The Trail Blazers went 25-16 at home this season. That record includes wins over the Jazz, Houston Rockets, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Teams are always more comfortable in their own confines. So if the Blazers are able to turn things around and get a win during one of the next two Moda Center games, it wouldn’t be too surprising.
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The big question, however, will be how? Will Lillard and McCollum find their rhythm again? Can the rest of the team continue to step up their production? Will Jusuf Nurkic make his return in this series? We won’t know the answers to those questions until Saturday night.