tlongII
12-14-2012, 10:01 AM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2012/12/blazers_98_spurs_90_damian_lillards_career-high_29.html
http://media.oregonlive.com/oregonian/photo/2012/12/11991078-standard.jpg
In a season full of ups and downs, of growing pains and signs of promise, the 2012-13 Trail Blazers’ season had lacked a signature win over an elite opponent.
Not anymore.
On Thursday, before 19,118 rocking fans at the Rose Garden and a national TV audience, the short-handed Blazers played hard, scrappy basketball and got a superb performance from rookie Damian Lillard on their way to a 98-90 win over San Antonio.
“Obviously, to get a win over San Antonio on national television is good for the team, good for everybody,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “But we still have 60 games to go.”
The Spurs (18-6) entered the game with the league’s second-best record and a league-best 11-3 road mark. But they had no answer for Lillard, who quickly put a rocky two-game stretch in the rearview mirror.
After totaling 21 points and shooting 7 for 27 from the field in his last two games, Lillard put on a tour-de-force performance Thursday, scoring a career-high 29 points in every which way – strong drives to the baskets, jumpers and three-pointers. Add in seven rebounds and six, and you have a powerful page in the case-file of testimony for the Rookie of the Year award.
“It was huge,” Blazers forward Nicolas Batum said of Lillard. “He did a great job. He did everything – scoring, passing, rebounding. He was everywhere.”
To think, Lillard picked up his second foul with 4:59 left in first quarter but was unaffected, totaling a game-high 40 minutes, 29 seconds of playing time and picking up just one other foul.
“He was pretty much unfazed by the foul trouble and played the rest of the game,” Stotts said.
Lillard didn’t just pile up stats, he made clutch plays down the stretch. After San Antonio closed its deficit to 91-88 with 2:22 on a Danny Green three-pointer, Lillard attacked the basket and finished with a nifty scoop layup with 2:03 left.
When the Spurs again closed to within three on Tim Duncan’s basket, Lillard found Batum for a three-pointer that put Portland up 96-90 with 1:08 remaining.
The Spurs didn’t score again, and Batum put a bow on the win with two free throws with 8.0 seconds left.
The Blazers have had other memorable wins, including the season-opener over the Lakers, four overtime victories, and several big comebacks. But for a start-to-finsh effort – Portland led at the end of every quarter – this one was hard to beat.
"We didn't have a lot of lulls," Stotts said.
Portland (10-12) played without starting shooting guard Wesley Matthews – who averages 16.1 points and provides stellar defense -- for the second consecutive game because an injured left hip. But the Blazers seemed to channel Matthews’ hard-hat mentality, repeatedly chasing down loose balls, fighting for rebounds and playing tough defense as they held the league's highest-scoring team to 15 points below its season average.
Lillard was the star, but he had plenty of help. Batum, still fighting a tender back that sidelined him for Monday’s win over Toronto, chipped in 11 points, eight assists and two blocks – including one of his trademark chase-downs on a Spurs fastbreak.
LaMarcus Aldridge played another strong game against his childhood idol, Duncan, getting 22 points and six rebounds. J.J. Hickson had 12 points and 12 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season.
Luke Babbitt gave the Blazers a big offensive spark off the bench, scoring 12 points and shooting 2 for 7 from three-point range. Babbitt’s shooting, Stotts said, was a big help to Lillard.
“It helps Damian out in his penetration,” Stotts said.
Despite his point guard’s great play, Stotts stiff-armed the Rookie of the Year talk, saying it’s only December, but it’s hard to deny that Lillard is setting torrid pace. Thursday’s effort was his 13th game of 20 points or more, the seventh-most of any player, rookie or otherwise, in the NBA. The Blazers’ last Rookie of the Year winner, Brandon Roy, scored 20 points more 16 times in his 57 first-year games.
"I think he's a wonderful player," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His skills are obvious, but I like his demeanor as much as I like his skills. He really plays within himself, and that doesn't mean he doesn't play hard. He's aggressive, he's not afraid of contact. ... He can shoot it, and he can drive it, and I think he works hard on D."
Lillard’s take on the high-profile, national-TV win? Typically low-key.
“I think it's a steppingstone for us,” he said. “It shows that we can compete with the top teams. We just have to keep it going and do it against teams that aren't like the Spurs, that aren't the top teams.”
http://media.oregonlive.com/oregonian/photo/2012/12/11991078-standard.jpg
In a season full of ups and downs, of growing pains and signs of promise, the 2012-13 Trail Blazers’ season had lacked a signature win over an elite opponent.
Not anymore.
On Thursday, before 19,118 rocking fans at the Rose Garden and a national TV audience, the short-handed Blazers played hard, scrappy basketball and got a superb performance from rookie Damian Lillard on their way to a 98-90 win over San Antonio.
“Obviously, to get a win over San Antonio on national television is good for the team, good for everybody,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “But we still have 60 games to go.”
The Spurs (18-6) entered the game with the league’s second-best record and a league-best 11-3 road mark. But they had no answer for Lillard, who quickly put a rocky two-game stretch in the rearview mirror.
After totaling 21 points and shooting 7 for 27 from the field in his last two games, Lillard put on a tour-de-force performance Thursday, scoring a career-high 29 points in every which way – strong drives to the baskets, jumpers and three-pointers. Add in seven rebounds and six, and you have a powerful page in the case-file of testimony for the Rookie of the Year award.
“It was huge,” Blazers forward Nicolas Batum said of Lillard. “He did a great job. He did everything – scoring, passing, rebounding. He was everywhere.”
To think, Lillard picked up his second foul with 4:59 left in first quarter but was unaffected, totaling a game-high 40 minutes, 29 seconds of playing time and picking up just one other foul.
“He was pretty much unfazed by the foul trouble and played the rest of the game,” Stotts said.
Lillard didn’t just pile up stats, he made clutch plays down the stretch. After San Antonio closed its deficit to 91-88 with 2:22 on a Danny Green three-pointer, Lillard attacked the basket and finished with a nifty scoop layup with 2:03 left.
When the Spurs again closed to within three on Tim Duncan’s basket, Lillard found Batum for a three-pointer that put Portland up 96-90 with 1:08 remaining.
The Spurs didn’t score again, and Batum put a bow on the win with two free throws with 8.0 seconds left.
The Blazers have had other memorable wins, including the season-opener over the Lakers, four overtime victories, and several big comebacks. But for a start-to-finsh effort – Portland led at the end of every quarter – this one was hard to beat.
"We didn't have a lot of lulls," Stotts said.
Portland (10-12) played without starting shooting guard Wesley Matthews – who averages 16.1 points and provides stellar defense -- for the second consecutive game because an injured left hip. But the Blazers seemed to channel Matthews’ hard-hat mentality, repeatedly chasing down loose balls, fighting for rebounds and playing tough defense as they held the league's highest-scoring team to 15 points below its season average.
Lillard was the star, but he had plenty of help. Batum, still fighting a tender back that sidelined him for Monday’s win over Toronto, chipped in 11 points, eight assists and two blocks – including one of his trademark chase-downs on a Spurs fastbreak.
LaMarcus Aldridge played another strong game against his childhood idol, Duncan, getting 22 points and six rebounds. J.J. Hickson had 12 points and 12 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season.
Luke Babbitt gave the Blazers a big offensive spark off the bench, scoring 12 points and shooting 2 for 7 from three-point range. Babbitt’s shooting, Stotts said, was a big help to Lillard.
“It helps Damian out in his penetration,” Stotts said.
Despite his point guard’s great play, Stotts stiff-armed the Rookie of the Year talk, saying it’s only December, but it’s hard to deny that Lillard is setting torrid pace. Thursday’s effort was his 13th game of 20 points or more, the seventh-most of any player, rookie or otherwise, in the NBA. The Blazers’ last Rookie of the Year winner, Brandon Roy, scored 20 points more 16 times in his 57 first-year games.
"I think he's a wonderful player," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His skills are obvious, but I like his demeanor as much as I like his skills. He really plays within himself, and that doesn't mean he doesn't play hard. He's aggressive, he's not afraid of contact. ... He can shoot it, and he can drive it, and I think he works hard on D."
Lillard’s take on the high-profile, national-TV win? Typically low-key.
“I think it's a steppingstone for us,” he said. “It shows that we can compete with the top teams. We just have to keep it going and do it against teams that aren't like the Spurs, that aren't the top teams.”