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Andrew LopezESPN
NEW ORLEANS – Another night, another clutch performance from the Portland Trail Blazers, guarding Damian Lillard.
Sure, he presented another bucket to seal the game at Lillard – the 25th equalizer or field goal in the last 20 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime, most in the NBA since entering the league in 2012-13 – but the 126-124 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday and the recent stretch of success for the Blazers is more than Lillard’s individual success.
With CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins all the time, the Blazers’ six-game winning streak and eighth win in nine games is a “collective effort.”
“I think the beauty in what we do now and why it was so much fun and so special, like last season, I had a race where for 10 games I scored like 48 a game, and then the ball that I -I scored 48, 50, 60, only with great shows, but I didn’t play so great “, said Lillard.
“We didn’t get stops. We didn’t move the ball. It wasn’t as collective as it is now. … Everyone comes in and does their job. I don’t say that just to give people. I think it looks like that, because everyone comes in and does it. “Without CJ, Nurk and Zach, we won’t win these games if they aren’t as collective as they used to be.”
Lillard called each rotation player Blazers by name when he discussed how “fun” the team is this time. But, of course, it doesn’t hurt when your superstar earns 43 points and ties his career with 16 assists.
Despite the result scored by New Orleans, Lillard says he can see the Blazers’ defense – ranked 28th in defensive efficiency after Wednesday’s games – starting to return.
“I think we’re just locked in it lately,” Lillard said. “We are much sharper for longer periods of time. The teams go on the run, it happens, we will have an error here, just like every team. Tonight, I thought I played very hard, physically and intelligently defensively and they had 124 points. I think our urgency has increased. We communicate. We take a challenge. Each guy is committed to playing defense and making that effort. “
Portland coach Terry Stotts said he believes the team has improved defensively, returning to a Feb. 4 victory over Philadelphia. In the last eight games, the Blazers have the defense ranked 13th in the league.
“The numbers don’t favor us, but we’ve always had the effort,” Lillard added. “I said that at the beginning of the season. I just wasn’t always on the same page in terms of communication.”
Communication was key for Portland on Wednesday, especially as the Pelicans had a chance to tie or send the game in overtime in the final possession.
After Lillard’s lifted their blazers by two to 16.5 seconds for the final, it was obvious that the pelicans would try to bring the ball into the hands of either Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram.
“I researched some of their end-of-game pieces and they kind of mixed it up, just like the previous song they went to Zion for,” Stotts said. “You knew it would be in one of their two hands.”
The Pelicans sent the ball to Josh Hart, who gave it back to Ingram. Williamson went up to set up a screen for Ingram, but their defenders changed, putting Derrick Jones Jr. on Williamson and Robert Covington on Ingram.
Covington swallowed Ingram in the car, forcing a pass to Lonzo Ball for a depth of 3. Hart turned the ball back and found his way to Ingram in the corner. Ingram took a dribble and raised a 14-foot contested leg against Carmelo Anthony, who did not fall as Portland got the win. A team wins – using defense, that is.
“I think it’s a big win for us, but I don’t think it’s the biggest win for us this season. We played well defensively and we played well offensively. We just had to block a little more at the defensive end and that we did and I’m glad we did, “Jones said.” We will continue to learn from this victory and return to it.
“Just going on this road trip, we had the mentality to keep our streak and we will continue it. We will go out there every day and play in the right way. We know how we should play. And we just have to go out there every day. and to play the right way. As long as we do that, the sky is the limit for us. “