The shorthanded Trail Blazers took on the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat at Moda Center in Portland on Saturday night. Ever since the Damian Lillard trade in the Summer of 2023, every time the Blazers play the Heat, it feels like there is some extra motivation to play well. Tyler Herro, now the offensive focal point, took it upon himself to show Rip City what they could have had if Joe Cronin had made the trade for him. Herro finished the game with 32 points going 7-14 from three point range.
The Blazers had opportunities to challenge the Heat, but the difference in three-point shooting was too much to overcome. Miami shot 19-44 (43%) from deep while Portland shot 13-45 (28%). One of the reasons for that high percentage from Miami was the fact they racked up 31 assists, making life a lot easier on their shooters. Portland had to work a lot harder for their looks from deep.
All in all, the Blazers played well considering they were shorthanded. In order to better understand what happened tonight, let’s take a look at five points of analysis.
MVP of the Game
The Blazers were down 18 points at halftime. If it weren’t for Anfernee Simons, they may have been blown off the court. Simons was simply spectacular, scoring 17 of his team-high 28 points in the third quarter alone. The Blazers started to run some offense as well, which helped to free up Simons for open looks from the three-point line.
Ant also attempted his first free throws in three games. It was good to see him attacking the hoop and getting the calls. It wasn’t a great team performance, but Simons’ third quarter was electric and kept the Blazers in the game.
The Long Ball
In a nutshell, the reason Portland lost to Miami tonight was because of three-point shooting. The Heat, who rank in the top ten for three-pointers made and 12th for three-point percentage, leaned into their strength and used it to easily defeat the Trail Blazers. Portland, who ranks in the bottom five for both three pointers made and percentage, needed to punch above their weight if they were going to keep pace from deep.
The Heat used a lot of screening action to get their shooters open. The Blazers actually played okay defense and contested most of the shots, but it wasn’t enough to make the Miami shooters uncomfortable. Length wasn’t the problem for the Blazers. Fighting over screens and not losing the corner shooter did them in.
On the other side, the Blazers took one more three-pointer than the Heat, but shot only 29%, a bad trend that has continued all season. This game is a prime example that no matter how good of a shooter you are, the team still has to run plays to get those shooters open. The Blazers ran better sets in the third quarter after having time to adjust, but recording only 24 assists won’t get the job done.
Man to Man Defense
Missing Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III, and Deandre Ayton dealt a tough blow on the defensive end for the Blazers, but the team stepped up and played hard tonight against the sharpshooting Heat. Donovan Clingan anchored the middle and played well against Bam Adebayo, altering shots at the rim.
Camara was his normal disruptive self on defense and hustled for every loose ball. His play seemed to inspire Kris Murray. Murray had one block. His aggression on defense and picking up full court stood out to me. Murray has the physical tools to be an above-average defender in the NBA. Tonight, especially towards the end of the third quarter, he was able to make an impact on that end of the floor and help bring the Blazers back in the game.
Small Ball Lineup
For the final four minutes of the second quarter, Coach Billups experimented with a small-ball lineup that featured Deni Avdija at the center spot with Camara and Murray at the forward positions. It was a lineup I have been waiting to see. Once the Heat took Adebayo off the floor, it felt like a chance for Portland to gain an advantage. Ultimately the experiment showed mixed results. Miami was able to extend their lead, but it was good to see Portland being able to switch everything on defense and showcase more speed on rotations and flexibility on offense, threatening with five outside shooters.
Never Giving Up
Over the past two seasons, the Blazers have seen deficits turn into Grand Canyon losses. Nobody wants to lose by 60+ points, but sadly it has happened a few times since the end of the Lillard era. Tonight, it was good to see the team bounce back in the third quarter and respond to Miami’s challenge. Young teams can be susceptible to being blown out, but judging by the way the team came out in the third quarter, that was not on their mind.
The Blazers did two simple things in the third quarter to get back in the game. First, they started to run double teams at Herro and Adebayo. This caught the Heat off guard and forced them to rush on offense. Second, they took care of the ball. 11 turnovers in the first half was a recipe for disaster, so taking care of the ball was a must if the team was going to make a comeback. The Blazers finished with 16 turnovers.
Making halftime adjustments tonight and executing them on the court was a win for the Trail Blazers.
Up Next
The Blazers will welcome the Brooklyn Nets to the Moda Center at 7:00 PM, Pacific on Tuesday night.
