The Portland Trail Blazers fell to the Pelicans in Game 2, falling behind 2-0 in the first round series. Here are a few takeaways from the loss.
The Portland Trail Blazers couldn’t even the score at home Tuesday night, falling 111-102 to the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 2 of their first round series.
The game had its intrigue with eight ties and 14 lead changes. However, the Pelicans asserted control for much of the second half. New Orleans set that tone with a 21-4 run over a 6:32 stretch of the third quarter. Anthony Davis led the way with 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting during the run. The Pels led 79-68 by the end of the surge.
Portland had to spend the following 13 minutes crawling back into the game. They managed to outscore New Orleans 32-20 over that span. Maurice Harkless capped the run with a corner 3-pointer that put the Blazers ahead 100-99 with 3:20 remaining in the fourth.
But the Pelicans pulled away in the clutch. The visitors knocked down three consecutive 3-pointers and grabbed four offensive rebounds over the next 2:42 to secure the victory.
Jrue Holiday led New Orleans with 33 points and nine assists. Anthony Davis added 22 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. He did so even without scoring in the fourth quarter. Nikola Mirotic finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Meanwhile, “Playoff” Rajon Rondo was on full display as he had 16 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
C.J. McCollum paced Portland with 22 points and six assists. Damian Lillard struggled again, but still managed to muster up 17 points. Al-Farouq Aminu had 14 points and 15 rebounds. Jusuf Nurkic (13 points), Zach Collins (12) and Maurice Harkless (11) also had double-digit scoring nights.
The Blazers find themselves down 0-2 in the series with two games coming up on the road. What are some takeaways from Portland’s rough Game 2 loss?