Portland Trail Blazers

Displeased with his team’s lack of discipline and intensity during a humbling first half against an Eastern Conference elite, the Portland Trail Blazers’ head coach characterized his team’s approach as being “too robotic.” In an ironic twist that perfectly captured the game of basketball, he would have to settle for “well-oiled machine” over the ensuing half. 72 hours removed from upstaging a similarly-successful interconference talent on their home floor, the Blazers lived up to their literal name once more, storming back from a 16-point hole after appearing overmatched over the game’s first three-and-a-half quarters. The deck was shuffled to Shaedon Sharpe as the Blazers’ lead dog on this night, as the infinitely-gifted sophomore put forth 29 points (on a pristine 11-of-15 shooting), 10 rebounds, five assists, and four 3-pointers — the youngest Blazer to produce a 25-10-5 statline — particularly through a sizzling post-halftime demonstration. Connected enough defensively to force the Cleveland Cavaliers into a half-quarter-long scoring drought, Portland paired it with an offensive barrage that encouraged six different double-digit scorers. Tested by a campaign defined by youth and inexperience, the late-November stretch served as a potential glimpse into the Blazers’ full-strength capabilities.