That was close. The Spurs had a 17-point lead in the last five minutes, but nearly blew it. Portland missed four separate three-point attempts in the last minute that would have tied the game.
FOURTH QUARTER:
The Blazers won a game on Sunday in Dallas, so Monday night's game at the AT&T Center is their second road game in as many nights. It's showing in the second half, when Portland's shots stopped going in. The Spurs started the fourth with an 11-point lead. They were able to extend it in the first four minutes of the final frame. It was 97-82 with 7:51 to go after consecutive long shots from Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli. The second half has been different than the first, but Derrick White has been solid throughout.
The Blazers made it interesting down the home stretch, thanks to 18 points in the fourth quarter by Damian Lillard. The Blazers had a couple chances to tie it with a three in the final minute, but missed. They sent DeMar DeRozan to the foul line with a chance to ice the game, but he missed both shots.
THIRD QUARTER:
After 3, the Spurs lead 82-71.
Here come the Spurs! After a putrid first quarter and a strong second quarter, the Silver and Black grabbed a 64-62 lead midway through the third quarter. It started with the team's second three-pointer of the game, then, a little later, LaMarcus Aldridge had a higher-percentage shot.
Aldridge is still having a below-average shooting night, making 4 of his first 12 shots. But his four blocks have been key. DeMar DeRozan is cookin' in the third quarter, scoring 8 points in 7 minutes.
The Spurs started to impose their will on the Blazers in the late third quarter. Portland started missing shots, with their shooting percentage dipping to the mid-30s. The Spurs also pounced on mistakes, like this gorgeous sequence starring Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan.
DeMar DeRozan is up to 27 points through three quarters, thanks to an 18-point outburst in the third. Portland's CJ McCollum is still their leading scorer, but he had just 2 points in the third quarter. The Spurs won the period, 37-20.
SECOND QUARTER:
At halftime, the Spurs trail 51-45.
Derrick White is doing his best to keep the Spurs in it, but the Blazers are shooting the lights out. Near the midway point of the second quarter, White and the Blazers' CJ McCollum were the only players with 10 or more points. White was doing his damage near the rim, while McCollum buried a pair of three-pointers. With 4 minutes to play in the half, the Blazers led 49-37.
The Blazers' shooting cooled off considerably in the late second quarter, allowing the Spurs to get back in the game. Of course, two-way plays from DeMar DeRozan don't hurt.
Derrick White (11 points) was the only Spur to score more than ten points in the first half. DeMar DeRozan added 9, with Dejounte Murray adding 7.
The Spurs kept Damian Lillard in check. The star point guard had just 3 points on 1-of-6 shooting. Portland's CJ McCollum led all scorers in the first half with 15 points.
The Blazers attempted 18 three-pointers to the Spurs' 9, making 8, while the Spurs only made one. San Antonio is protecting the rim at the AT&T Center with 8 blocks, but need to take better care of the ball (11 turnovers).
FIRST QUARTER:
After 1, the Spurs trail, 33-19.
Welp. That wasn't good. The Spurs did not look ready for the start of the game, falling behind 19-4 before some fans even found their seats. In the first five minutes, the Spurs shot 2-of-9 from the floor and turned it over twice. Meanwhile, the Blazers made all five of their three-point attempts (while shooting just 1-of-6 from inside the arc).
Dejounte made his first shot. LaMarcus Aldridge has the other bucket, as well as two blocks, but he started 1-of-4 from the field.
The Blazers started with a 23-4 lead, but the Spurs bounced back with an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to 25-15. With a quick three-point play, Derrick White became the first Spur to reach 5 points. It took more than seven minutes.
If you're looking for a reason why the Blazers had such a good first quarter, just look at the shooting stats.
PREGAME:
Are the Spurs as good as their 2-0 record, or did they just get lucky by facing two weaker opponents to start the season? There are still 80 games left in the regular season, but we might find out a lot more about the Silver and Black Monday night.
The Portland Trail Blazers come to the AT&T Center for a 7:30 contest. They're 2-1 following a win Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks. Portland reached the Western Conference Finals in last year's playoffs, helped by the play of point guard Damian Lillard. Lillard, who is averaging 31.7 points per game through three contests, will likely be guarded by Dejounte Murray for the Spurs. That's one matchup to watch.
Another thing to watch: The Blazers' big men. Center Jusuf Nurkic will miss most of the season after a gruesome injury last season. The team brought in Hassan Whiteside in a trade with the Miami Heat, but he's still settling in with a new team. Two other post players, Pau Gasol and Zach Collins, are out for Monday's game. The only other big men on Portland's roster are Anthony Tolliver and Skal Labissiere.
In other words, the Blazers will likely use small lineups against the Spurs out of necessity. Will that mean less Trey Lyles and more DeMarre Carroll for San Antonio?
