The Suns knew their start to the season would be rather complicated with three games in four days to start this 2021/22 campaign. It was confirmed last night in Portland, with a large defeat for the reigning finalists (134-105), one evening after blowing up the Lakers …
It must be said that the Blazers had recovered after their initial setback against Sacramento. Behind his triplet of exteriors, Portland took control from the first quarter, never to let go. Taking the lead after twelve minutes (30-24), the Blazers pressed the accelerator to widen the gap to +20 at the break (67-47).
Despite the efforts of Devin Booker, even those of JaVale McGee off the bench, the Suns have never been able to come back to height. Portland went it alone from start to finish, well boosted by his bench including Anfernee Simons who will score 15 of his 18 points in the second half. For his part, CJ McCollum returned 15 of his 28 points in the only 3rd quarter including a streak with 10 points in a row!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Blazers kick off their season. Defeated from the outset by the Kings, while playing at home, the Blazers opened the Billups era on a bad note. But the Suns’ reception last night helped to dispel some doubts and show a whole different face for Portland. With this first success, the Blazers can start traveling (it will be in Los Angeles to play the Clippers).
– A beginning of progress in defense? We know it and we repeat it, but Portland has its biggest work on the defensive side. Yesterday evening, we started to see some interesting sequences and some positive signs in this direction, such as these 14 lost balls by the Suns, or this domination in the rebounds (48 to 38). Or this large advantage in points scored in the counterattack (21 to 6) which attests to a better aggressiveness on this side of the field.
– Suns without juice. It’s simple, the Suns never saw the light of day in Portland. They held the first quarter (and again), before sinking completely in the second (37-23). While the Blazers young shoots were able to have some fun in the second half, with Dennis Smith Jr. even sending CJ Elleby to the alley-oop, Phoenix looked bloodless, without energy, without juice. Logical when we see their calendar not free from the start of the season.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ CJ McCollum. Best scorer of the game at 28 units, and in just under 30 minutes of play, CJ McCollum delivered a very clean score, 10/19 on shots including 6/11 on 3-pointers. Above all, and like last year, he started off very strongly at the start of the season. Because if the Blazers had lost their first game at home against the Kings, the back had already been brilliant offensively at 34 points (already at 6/11 at 3-points).
✅ Anfernee Simons. Expected like a real joker out of the bench, Anfernee Simons responded last night for the Blazers. With a very good 18 points at 7/14 on shots including 4/8 at 3 points, the young “combo” of Rip City therefore has a second game with 10 points or more to start the season on the right foot. On the bench, Damian Lillard enjoyed the show in the second half.
⛔ Chris Paul. Surprisingly discreet offensively with only 4 points scored and 5 shots attempted, Chris Paul admittedly delivered 11 assists but the Suns would probably have been more threatening with a more enterprising CP3. After two double-doubles to start his season, he was perhaps a little inside physically with this rapid sequence on the move …
⛔ Deandre Ayton. We could have evoked the case of Jae Crowder which begins this choppy season, but the Deandre Ayton file is even more important. Unhappy at not having been extended, the pivot is also starting his season very slowly and last night, he did not weigh very heavily against Jusuf Nurkic. Only 8 points and 3 rebounds, and only 6 shots attempted in 26 minutes …
THE FRESHNESS OF THE MATCH
Norman Powell’s left knee. While he had started the game on the hats of wheel, with 16 points in 12 minutes of play, Norman Powell headed straight for the locker room five minutes before halftime, with a left knee injury. The beginning of the problems for the cursed Portland? No, not yet at least. Because, at the end of the match, we learned that this injury did not seem serious.
LA STAT DU MATCH
1. This is the first victory as a coach for Chauncey Billups… who obviously did not break with the tradition of the shower in the locker room, his players willingly taking care of watering it generously.
THE FOLLOWING
Phoenix: after three games in four nights, the Suns (1-2) will be able to breathe with a next game on Wednesday, with the reception of Sacramento
Portland : the Blazers (1-1) will make their first trip of the season, to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Monday
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