Tonight, the Portland Trail Blazers looked like the team that beat the Houston Rockets in round one. The Blazers put up a huge fight for their season tonight, beating San Antonio 103-92. Though, Damian Lillard had a game high 25 points, Will Barton was the real star for the Blazers. Barton finished the matchup with 17 points and 6 rebounds off of the bench. Nicolas Batum was also instrumental in the Blazers win , scoring 14 points, grabbing 14 boards, and dishing out 8 assists.

What the Blazers did right:

The third quarter was huge for the Blazers. Nicolas Batum started off the Blazer run with a 4 point play, followed by a triple, followed by a Lillard three. Will Barton also exploded in the quarter, scoring a bench playoff high 17 points. Barton shot 7/13 from the field including a triple to seal the game. The Blazers outscored San Antonio 35-20 in the quarter.

Will Barton saved the game for the Blazers. Will Barton has received limited time during the playoffs, however he has played excellently in that time. Blazers head coach Terry Stotts decided to give Barton an opportunity tonight, after Mo Williams announced that he wouldn’t play in the game. Barton did not disappoint. In 30 minutes, he scored 17 points, as well as grabbing 6 rebounds.  

Thomas Robinson was also a spark off of the bench for the Blazers. Robinson played stellar defense against the Spurs, as well as recording 9 points. Robinson has also been a key part in Stotts’ plan to give his starters a rest.

All five starters played extremely well in the game. Lillard scored 25, Batum finished with a double-double, and Aldridge cashed in on 8 of 16 attempts, scoring 19. Wesley Matthews also played well, scoring 10 points and adding 8 rebounds. Robin Lopez played better tonight than he has all season, scoring 9 points, as well as recording 12 rebounds. If the Blazers starters keep up their stellar play, there is a possibility that they could bring the series back to rip city for game 6.

What the Blazers did wrong:

The only thing that the Blazers made a mistake on in this game was CJ McCollum. McCollum has hardly stepped foot on the court all year, and Stotts decided to test him out in the hardest environment possible. McCollum wasn’t ready for the intensity of the game, and was removed after shooting 0/4.

What the Spurs did right:

Yet again, the Spurs bench played excellently. The Spurs had balanced scoring throughout the game, and went deep into their bench. The Spurs bench played the majority of the fourth quarter, bringing the Blazer lead as low as 10. Boris Diaw scored 12 points, Mils scored 10, and Belinelli scored 8. The Spurs bench was not the problem for Popovich in this game.

What the Spurs did Wrong:

Manu Ginobili was utterly horrible in this game. He finished the game with 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 20 minutes.

Tony Parker and Tim Duncan combined for a total of 26 points, 3 assists, and 9 rebounds. The Spurs all-stars need to step up their game if they want to rest before the next series. Parker was shut down on defense, while Duncan made his game forgettable.

The Spurs gave up the game early. The Spurs rested their starters for almost the entirety of the 4th quarter. Their bench, however, brought the game to 10 points with a minute left. If the Spurs had played their starters in the quarter, there may have been an opportunity for a game winning run.

Spurs lead series 3-1*

*Blazers attempting to become the first team in history to come back from a 3-0 deficit.