The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Chicago Bulls 121-112 on Thursday evening. That was no great feat in itself. The Bulls are in the throes of a tanking death-spiral, heading towards ping pong balls and not the playoffs. But with both teams shorthanded, nothing was guaranteed. Chicago, once down by 15, made a strong run late. Portland managed to hold them off in a frantic finish that gave fans their money’s worth after a game that largely didn’t.
Here are a few observations from an ugly contest that will look just fine in the standings for Portland when the season is done.
You know how some people in relationships keep “friends” in reserve, just in case the spark wears out with their crush and they need a safe spot to land? That’s exactly how the Blazers treat Jerami Grant. With Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe both sidelined, Grant became the go-to option in this game. He came through well enough with 27 points on 6-10 shooting, 3-4 from distance, 12-14 from the free-throw line. As soon as the bigger scorers get back, Grant’s role will no doubt be muted again, no doubt. But it’s nice to know he’s there when the team needs him.
Robert Williams III also had an admirable game in the absence of Donovan Clingan, who was out with illness. Williams played active, roaming defense and finished the night with 14 points, 14 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks in 23 minutes off the bench.
Portland’s defense wasn’t stellar (see next paragraph) but they did force 20 turnovers for 22 points. That helped mightily, especially in the aforementioned stretch run.
Portland’s defense has all the characteristics of a start-up restaurant built on the back of a signature dish. If you order up the right thing—in this case those same forced turnovers and the occasional tough close-out at the arc—it seems amazing. Ask for anything else and it’s an empty shell. The Blazers allowed Chicago to shoot 50% from the field this evening, spared only by 30% three-point shooting. The number of times Bulls drivers got past one, two, or even three Portland defenders was arresting. Chicago is a good offensive team, but not THAT good.
The Blazers take on the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday with an ultra-early start, 10:00 AM, Pacific.