NBA scores 2017: The Trail Blazers might care more about defense these days

Portland lost to the Warriors, but nothing’s stopping them from coming back to grab that No. 8 seed.

Jan 5, 2017, 1:00 PM UTC

NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Shouldn’t the Trail Blazers be down by more? We wondered that when Portland trailed the Warriors by seven points headed into the fourth quarter. Isn’t Golden State going to make this game a blowout? We were all thinking that when the Blazers cut the score to 108-103, just a five-point deficit with about eight minutes left in the game.

The Blazers lost in the end, falling 125-117 to the league’s best team. They were missing their best player, Damian Lillard, so the surprise wasn’t the loss, but that they lost by so little. Portland remains half a game out of the No. 8 seed in the playoffs, a far cry from the No. 5 spot they held last year. The question is, why have they regressed so far?

They looked more like the team from last season on Wednesday, even without Lillard. C.J. McCollum shouldered the scoring load, dropping a 35-point evening to follow up his 43-point showing on New Year’s Day, but the strain to score showed its effects — he attempted 31 shots and turned the ball over five times.

Lillard’s presence probably would have helped McCollum, but specifically on Wednesday, who knows how much it would have helped the team itself. Portland did score 117 points on 45 percent shooting with 12 threes and a 25-of-28 shooting performance at the free throw line, after all. Lillard is still the team’s best player, and nobody’s forgotten that because he missed a few games. On Wednesday, the Blazers just hit plenty of shots anyway without needing him.

But for one, the Blazers don’t do that often enough, not at this rate. Their offense cracks the top 10, but only barely — they’re the ninth-best squad on that end with a 106.9 offensive rating. It’s not enough to keep up with a defense that was league worst for a while and now sits as the No. 29 in the NBA. The even more fine-tuned offense against the Warriors wouldn’t hurt — it seems like Portland has the pieces to be a top-five offense, and it would win more games if it was. Ultimately, this is about the team grinding out stops, though, something that is proving difficult.

You wouldn’t think it would be this difficult. The lineup the Blazers started on Wednesday is full of average-to-good defenders — Al-Farouq Aminu, Allen Crabbe, Maurice Harkless, Mason Plumlee, and McCollum. But let’s throw out the Warriors’ 125 points, because Golden State is the least fair example in at least a decade. Do that, and you’ll see the team is actually getting better.

On Sunday, Portland won a low-scoring 95-89 affair against Minnesota. The Blazers beat Sacramento by holding them to 89, as well, right before the new year, and they held Toronto to their lowest field-goal percentage all season the game before that. Giving up 110 points to San Antonio on Dec. 30 doesn’t help, but things might be trending upwards ever so slightly.

If the defense can avoid being a total tragedy — just 20th in the league; we’d even take 22nd — then the Blazers could pick right back up at last year’s pace. No clear contender for the No. 8 seed in the West has emerged, and the Blazers could be that team.

Until then, they’re stuck with a good-not-great offense that is horrendously bad at letting people hit shots. That’s not a good combination. But while they didn’t beat the Warriors on Wednesday, they surprised them playing so close. Perhaps that’s a sign of things to come.

Giannis Antetokounmpo could be the most likable superstar we’ve ever watched

Is Antetokounmpo headed for superstardom? Well, it depends on your definition — but yes. He may already be in his fourth season, but he only turned 22 last month. He’s averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and field-goal percentages. He’s leading the Bucks in all those categories, too. He’s a 6’11 athletic anomaly who runs the point.

Antetokounmpo welcomed New York to his tour de force on Wednesday. His stop in Madison Square Garden included a contested dunk nearly from the free-throw line ...

... and the game-winning buzzer beater. You can see the swagger oozing off Antetokounmpo. His stride on that step-back jumper leaves his defender, Lance Thomas, hopeless against the aberration that Antetokounmpo is.

But Antetokounmpo is sheer fun, too. His incredible length and uncanny all-around skill set means he does something we’ve never seen before once a game. His personality — almost always smiling, so even his scowls seem amusing — is all too lovable. And Antetokounmpo’s life story is even better. Let Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins talk you through Giannis growing up over the past few years in Milwaukee. Honestly, how can you dislike someone who had to hitchhike to the arena out of money for a cab ride because he had sent it all back home to his family in Greece?

Antetokounmpo is the type of player and story that makes the NBA so fun and unique. We’re so glad to have him.

Westbrook doinked a referee on the head

The official was not amused.

Wednesday’s top performances

C.J. McCollum (35 points, nine rebounds, five assists, no Lillard)

Kevin Durant (30 points, 9-of-16 shooting, three threes, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, three blocks)

The way KD fills out a box score these days just makes us shake our heads.

Russell Westbrook (33 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists)

Westbrook now has more rebounds than assists this season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (27 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, a game winner)

Austin Rivers (28 points, 10-of-16 shooting, four rebounds, seven assists)

The Clippers are still missing Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, so Rivers was the one coming up big in the absence of Los Angeles’ two main stars.

Wednesday’s best play

Meyers Leonard — who can dunk, apparently — dunked in the vicinity of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. That’s enough for the play of the night. That’s two MVPs, you know?