Blazers defeat Timberwolves to start 1-0 in NBA Cup

The Portland Trail Blazers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night in the first set of NBA Cup games of the season. The Blazers came out of the gate strong and never let up, earning a 122-108 win at the Moda Center.

If you missed the first 11 games of the season and decided to watch today’s game, you would assume that the Trail Blazers are undefeated and have the best defense and three-point shooting in the league. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, but it was fun to see what this young Portland team is capable of against one of the NBA’s elite squads, which beat the Blazers by 25 points just two games ago.

The Blazers played without starting center Deandre Ayton and lost starting point guard Anfernee Simons to an injury in the first quarter. Normally these defeats would have led the team to nowhere. Tonight was an opportunity for Donovan Clingan, Delano Banton and Game MVP Rob Williams III to shine.

At the end of the day, the Blazers had a three-point percentage of 56.3%. That was the deciding factor in the game. Portland took advantage of its length and held the Timberwolves to 37% shooting from distance. In a season where wins will be difficult to come by, it was nice to see the Blazers start the NBA Cup 1-0.

Here are several factors that contribute to victory.

defense

Normally, having the biggest team in the NBA would be an advantage. If this were 1980, the Blazers would dominate every team in their path. But last time I checked, it’s 2024 and every NBA team needs to be able to defend the paint, turn it all on, and knock down high-speed three-point shots. Tonight the Blazers did all of those things very well.

Portland’s defense was swarming with NBA superstar Anthony Edwards and the rest of the Wolves’ backcourt. Toumani Camara took on the challenge of guarding his former Georgia Bulldog teammate and was a threat. Deni Avdija used his length to disrupt shooters and played out passing lanes to force steals.

When the outside defense played well, the central defense played outstandingly. The rookie Clingan set the tone early in the season by blocking a hook shot from Minnesota big man Rudy Gobert on the first play of the game. That single block proved to be a prelude to the rest of the night. Clingan played a season-high 21 minutes. His stats may not jump out at you, but the gravity he shifts to the defensive side of the field is palpable.

If Clingan led the way on defense, then Rob Williams III closed the song. Williams was simply amazing for the Blazers tonight (more on that later). He finished the night with three blocks and three steals and was able to help with switches and rebounds in traffic, collecting nine boards.

All in all, this was an outstanding defensive night for the Blazers.

The long ball

In the Blazers’ last game against the Memphis Grizzlies, they shot just 9.5% from beyond the arc. After that night, it looked like Portland would never score a three-pointer again. Apparently they just saved all the trademarks for their first NBA Cup game. The Blazers took an 18:32 lead from deep.

The way they shot these shots surprised me. They went on the offensive and looked for the open shooter. Camara and Avdija benefited from running outside the screens and demanding the ball. Shaedon Sharpe and Banton made more threes off the dribble, but they looked good without forcing the action. It’s easy to get blocked by the Timberwolves’ fullbacks, so it was encouraging to see this type of performance against them.

Lord of time

Let it sink in. Robert Williams III scored 19 points while shooting 9-10 from the field with 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks and a +13 rating in 25 minutes. Frankly, Williams looked even better on the eye test than his stats showed. He scored on several lob passes and was a vocal leader on the defensive end of the field. I know there was a lot of talk in the offseason about when (not if) Williams would be traded, but if he can stay healthy, perhaps the Trail Blazers should consider keeping him.

Finishing at the edge

The Blazers can go to the basket at any time. The speed of Scoot Henderson, the skill of Avdija, the athleticism of Sharpe and the agility of Jerami Grant make containment a real challenge for defenders. All year round the theme is over when the blazers get these casual looks.

Tonight against Rudy Gobert, Portland did a much better job of scoring on close-range attempts, drawing fouls, or passing the ball to the open man. The Blazers need to rely more on this superpower and use it to their advantage. Not only does this enable them to score easily, but it also creates an open appearance for others at the arc.

Rating on the bench

Portland’s second unit outscored the Timberwolves’ reserves 64-39.

28 of Minnesota’s bench points came from just one player, Naz Reid. Portland had a more balanced attack. Simons’ injury forced them to go to the bench early, and the experiment paid off. The Blazers have a strong, albeit young, rotation. It’s going to be hard to tank when the bench is providing balanced scoring and that kind of defensive performance every night.

Next

Box score

The Blazers face the same Timberwolves tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. in the Pacific.