The Portland Trail Blazers found themselves in a tough spot Friday night at the Moda Center, falling 100-93 to the Dallas Mavericks in a crucial Western Conference Play-In race matchup. It was a game marked by turnovers, missed opportunities, and injuries, leaving the Blazers with more questions than answers.
Portland’s performance was marred by 24 turnovers and 10 missed free throws, not to mention a couple of key injuries. It was a night where the Blazers couldn’t find their rhythm, starting both the first and fourth quarters on the back foot.
“We started the game poorly with not enough sense of urgency,” Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter explained. “Offensively, we were very poor.
We didn’t make shots, turned over the ball all over. … We didn’t have it offensively.”
Despite shooting under 40% from the field, Portland still had a chance to pull off a win late in the game, thanks to a solid defensive effort. But after tying the game at 92-92 with just over two minutes left, familiar issues resurfaced. Donovan Clingan missed a key shot, Deni Avdija committed a crucial turnover, and Portland failed to make another field goal as Dallas finished on an 8-1 run.
“It’s disappointing,” Avdija admitted. “I feel like we could’ve won that game.”
Blazers forward Jerami Grant, who left the game early due to injury, echoed the sentiment. “We tried to get it back a few times. We weren’t as consistent as we should be, especially playing teams like this.”
Dallas’ rookie sensation Cooper Flagg put up 24 points, but it was Marvin Bagley III who really hurt Portland with 26 points and nine rebounds on 11-14 shooting. For the Blazers, Jrue Holiday led with 23 points, while Avdija and Grant added 20 and 19, respectively. However, no other Blazer reached double digits, and Clingan, despite grabbing 17 rebounds, had a frustrating night.
Turnovers were a glaring issue, as Portland continues to lead the NBA in this unfortunate category. The Blazers average 17.5 turnovers per game, and this game was no different, with Avdija and Clingan each committing five. The Mavs capitalized, scoring 33 points off turnovers compared to Portland’s 11.
“The turnovers,” Avdija emphasized. “The damn turnovers.”
Splitter added, “We’re showing film. We’re trying to organize. We just gotta get better.”
Adding to the Blazers’ woes, injuries struck two key players. Robert Williams III exited due to a lower back issue, and Grant went down with a non-contact right calf injury, which seems more serious. Grant is set for further testing.
“Jerami felt a pop in his calf,” Splitter said, expressing significant concern.
On top of the loss, both the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers secured wins, tightening the race. The Blazers now sit precariously in ninth place, just a half-game ahead of the Warriors and 1.5 games behind the Clippers, with only seven games left in the regular season.
“Not great,” Splitter summed up the team’s mood. “I think we all felt that we were in a growing moment, and this one hits hard.”
It was indeed a challenging night for Rip City, with the urgency for a postseason push growing ever more pressing.