| 28 February 2011
Gerald Wallace, making his debut after being traded from the Charlotte Bobcats, and Andre Miller were extremely active throughout for the Portland Trail Blazers. Their teammates didn’t follow suit until it was too late, as the Blazers dug too deep a hole to ultimately spell defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks.
Blazers play like a tired team
This being their third game in five nights, with the previous two going into overtime, Portland looked like a team in need of a break. They hung with the Hawks early, as neither team could really get going offensively, but quarter-ending runs by Atlanta severely hurt the Blazers.
The Hawks, which got to the foul-line frequently, played unselfish basketball, and stifled the Blazers defensively, finished the first quarter a 7-2 spurt then capped off an excellent second quarter by scoring 21 of the final 30 points to hold a 12-point advantage at intermission.
Portland scored only 36 points in the first 24 minutes. They were outplayed in every aspect, as Atlanta shot better, rebounded at a more frequent rate, and lived at the free-throw line, all advantages a testament to their activity and an exemplification of the Blazers sluggishness at home.
Wallace proves his worth
After receiving a standing ovation upon entering the game with just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter, the 6’8” 28-year-old they call Crash showed Portland what he can bring to the table. He didn’t shoot well, being nervous and foreign to the Blazers offensive scheme, but was aggressive on both ends, affecting shots, forcing turnovers, drawing charges, and crashing the offensive boards.
It took him all of five seconds to grab his first rebound, and from then on he was as energetic as possible. He missed seven of nine first-half field goal attempts, and was 4-12 overall for nine points in 29 minutes, but his point-total, one block, five rebounds, and two steals don't begin to tell the story.
Zaza Pachulia, Hawks crush Blazers on glass
The offensive rebounds were nearly equal, 15 to 14 in Atlanta’s favor, but the Hawks managed to grab 15 more rebounds than the Blazers in all. This was due to Pachulia’s presence and Portland’s continuous cold shooting.
Pachulia made a significant impact, especially early, snatching boards often surrounded by a few cemented Blazers. He had eight rebounds in the first half, including four offensive, and ended with 12, six on each end.
That Portland’s shooting percentage remained in the 30s throughout played a pivotal role in Atlanta’s domination, misses often leading to the Hawks running of a well-oiled transition offense.
Abysmal third quarter dooms Blazers
Portland scored 13 points in the third quarter, only six over the final seven minutes, and had a field goal drought of nearly seven minutes.
LaMarcus Aldridge, having sat with injury while also battling foul trouble, was unable to get into a first-half groove, and his once-in-a-blue-moon ineffectiveness carried over into a third quarter in which the Blazers scored this measly total. They had seven turnovers and missed 13 of 16 field goals, with Atlanta's tenacious defense playing a large role.
Production of Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson fuel Hawks
Atlanta turned the ball over a season-high 24 times, but steady scoring from Crawford and Johnson made up for their mistakes. Fifty-five points were scored by the duo, 18 on three-pointers and 11 from the free-throw line. Both had their inside-outside game working, being aggressive when need be while also hurting Portland considerably from the perimeter.
Portland went on a 16-2 run late, but Crawford stopped their rally by hitting a three-pointer with 1:36 left, capping off his excellent evening at the office to give Atlanta a well-deserved victory.
photo: espn
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
