| 03 March 2011
The Portland Trail Blazers let the Sacramento Kings back in by shooting poorly throughout the second half, but they stepped up late to get a much-needed victory on the road.
LaMarcus Aldridge aggressive early as Blazers offense flourishes
Following two disappointing losses, Portland played with a sense of urgency against the Kings in the first half, scoring 61 points on 49 percent shooting. For perspective, they had 49 points entering the fourth quarter against Atlanta and just 55 with over four and a half minutes left in the third against Houston.
Aldridge, after taking just 11 shots against the Rockets, had 18 field goal attempts by halftime en route to 16 points.
He was extremely aggressive, looking to do most of his damage in the post, but Kings center Samuel Dalembert made sure he wasn’t always successful by consistently forcing him to take tough shots. As a result, Aldridge missed 11 field goals in the half.
“I wasn’t shy tonight,” he said postgame.
Marcus Thornton, DeMarcus Cousins keep Kings close
Sacramento trailed by eight at half, but the deficit could have been much larger if not for the production from Cousins and recent acquisition Marcus Thornton. Like Aldridge, the duo didn’t see a shot they didn’t like, combining to shoot 10-18 for 27 points in the first two quarters.
Portland’s guards couldn’t stick with Thornton, who made a significant effort to get to the rim, while Cousins contributed with an array of inside moves.
Blazers get careless, but maintain lead
After committing only two turnovers in the first half the Blazers tallied seven in the third quarter alone, while Cousins and Thornton picked up right where they left off. Cold shooting teamed up with these miscues to keep the Kings within striking distance entering the fourth.
Aldridge couldn’t maintain the aggressiveness of Cousins and Thornton, scoring two points on 1-4 shooting in the quarter. Yet, behind Patty Mills and the steady play of Gerald Wallace, the Blazers lead was only trimmed by two heading into the final quarter.
“He’s been big for us,” said Aldridge of Wallace.
Sacramento climbs back as Portland can’t buy a basket
Aldridge was still a non-factor early in the fourth, and Portland had just three field goals over the quarter’s first six-plus minutes. Because of the Blazers inability to run an organized offense, the Kings played their tempo to regain the lead. Not surprisingly, Cousins was still behind their success, scoring or assisting on nine of their first 11 points in the quarter.
The sequence that turned the tide
The Blazers then found themselves in a back-and-forth battle, scoring at a more prolific rate but unable to stop Sacramento from answering. Then, three plays gave Portland momentum they wouldn’t lose.
Dalembert was still doing a superb job defensively on Aldridge, but with just under three minutes to play in a tie game forward Donte Green thought best to help out. This left Nicolas Batum, who had quietly been an offensive force for Portland, open from beyond the arc. Aldridge quickly noticed this, and his pass out of the double team resulted in a go-ahead three-pointer.
This was only the beginning. On Sacramento’s ensuing possession, Wesley Matthews picked Beno Udrih’s pocket and sped down-court. Wallace flanked him in transition, streaking towards the rim. A moment later he was flying through the air, catching Matthews perfect alley-oop and ferociously throwing it down.
A five-point lead was Portland’s, an advantage that wouldn’t shrink. The trio of Batum, Matthews, and Wallace that made this game-changing scene possible had a superb game, combining to score 50 points on 18-30 shooting.
Aldridge drains dagger, makes up for forgettable shooting performance
Still with only one field goal in the second half, Aldridge entered the final minute shooting 9-26 from the field. “It was a long, long night,” he said.
Nonetheless, he was their go-to guy when it counted. And he delivered, nailing a mid-range jumper for a seven-point lead.
With that, Portland put away Sacramento to get a confidence-boosting win.
photo: foxsports
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