| 08 April 2011
Coming off a disappointing loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Portland Trail Blazers received superb efforts from forwards Nicolas Batum and Gerald Wallace to bounce back and dispose of the Utah Jazz, 98-87.
Batum, Roy aggressive as Miller’s bounce-passes pick Jazz apart
Batum, inserted in the starting lineup for the injured Marcus Camby, was very aggressive offensively, especially early in the shot-clock. He scored 13 points in the first half, with three of his five field goals coming in transition on passes from Andre Miller.
Miller, who had six first-half assists to surpass 7,000 assists and rank 14th in NBA history, fed his teammates repeatedly on bounce passes as they curled off picks towards the rim. Utah consistently had difficulty defending against this scheme, and overall struggled to keep Portland from passing efficiently, as 13 assists were handed out.
While Miller created for others, Brandon Roy created for himself to make four first-half field goals. He trusted his jumper and ability to drive, scoring nine points by halftime and playing with a tremendous amount of confidence. Anchoring an otherwise ineffective bench unit was greatly important for Portland, helping the team lead at entering the third.
Paul Millsap, bench’s energy keeps Utah within striking distance
The Jazz trailed by seven at halftime, but kept the Blazers damage to a minimum by receiving intensity on the offensive glass combined with firepower off the bench. Millsap snagged five offensive rebounds in the first half, and though they didn’t always lead to points the effort kept Portland’s possessions down and gave Utah multiple chances to trim what was a continuous deficit.
Backup center Derrick Favors and guard Earl Watson made sure Utah would hang around. Favors was very active inside, putting the wide-array of moves on display that made him so enticing as the third-overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. Watson formed the dynamic duo, excelling on the perimeter. The two combined to score 14 points on 7-10 shooting in the first half.
Portland’s wing players take over, too much for Jazz to handle
Batum picked up where he left off in the opening two quarters, while Wallace joined forces with another all-around, efficient performance. These two weren’t the only Blazers to succeed in the third quarter, as Wesley Matthews and Roy adequately spaced the floor and were rewarded for their efforts. The quartet combined to score 26 of the teams third quarter points, overwhelming the Jazz inside and out.
Portland had three three-pointers and five baskets around the rim in the quarter. They spread the Jazz’s defense thin, taking advantage of their consistent inability to close out on shooters and rotate both on the perimeter and inside. This execution offensively helped the Blazers withstand 14 third quarter points by Jazz point guard Devin Harris.
Overall, Batum, Roy, Wallace, and Matthews combined to shoot 28-46 from the field and account for 79 points.
Al Jefferson struggles and Favors is a non-factor in second half
Jefferson, Utah’s pivotal low-post presence, had a difficult time getting position against the defense of Wallace and LaMarcus Aldridge. He filled the stat-sheet with 10 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks, but shot just 4-10.
Favors nor Watson scored in the second half, and Portland did a terrific job cleaning the defensive glass, though the Jazz managed to hang around until late.
Wallace caps off magnificent performance with dominating fourth
Wallace made sure the Jazz were held in check by overpowering them offensively. The fourth quarter really exemplified the discrepancy between the two teams, with Portland clamping down defensively while letting Wallace fire at will to beat a rebuilding team.
“I’m more relaxed,” he said postgame. “Guys want me to shoot. Coaches want me to shoot. Just relax, play and have fun.”
He finished with 29 points, with 14 coming in the fourth, as Portland now prepares for battle against te Los Angeles Lakers at home.
photo: espn
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