Blazers avoid elimination, force a Game 5 against Spurs
The Portland Trail Blazers earned themselves a stay of execution on Monday night, finally solving the San Antonio Spurs and winning Game 4 103-92. The win cuts San Antonio's lead in the series to 3-1 and may give the Blazers some momentum as they head back on the road, but the fact remains that no team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit.
To become the first, the Blazers will need to replicate Monday exactly, when a balanced offensive attack was supplemented by a strong rebounding edge and some timely contributions from a pair of young reserves in Thomas Robinson (nine points, five rebounds) and Will Barton (17 points, six rebounds).
Star Performer
Damian Lillard may have led the way in scoring with 25 points and been the head of the snake on offense, but it was the all-around contributions of Nicolas Batum that sent the Spurs' starters to an early rest in this one. Batum scored 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds and dished a game-high eight assists.
Could he be any more underrated?
Turning Point
The first turning point was more or less at the very beginning of the game, as Portland took a 9-8 lead less than four minutes into the first quarter. Why was that significant? Because they held the lead for most of the quarter - through three games before Monday, they had led for just 33 seconds in the entire series.
From there, though, it was a late third-quarter surge that clinched things for Portland as they went on a 20-7 run in the final 5:11 of the frame. Credit Batum again, as he scored seven points in that stretch.
Highlight Reel
This game was more momentum than flashy highlights, but it wasn't without it's moments. First, Robin Lopez reminded us what the Blazers looked like for the first three games of the series:
[GIF Courtesy: @_MarcusD_, courtesy TNT]
And then Damian Lillard personified the Game 4 version of the Blazers:
Quote of the Game
"We've been living all season with guys taking midrange jump shot." - Damian Lillard, on Sunday.
"You're not going to make drastic changes." - Terry Stotts, also on Sunday.
Basically, having been outscored by 55 points through three games, the Blazers decided that they are who they are, and they were going to go out playing the style that got them this far, if that's how things shook out.
| Time | Mid-Range % of FG | Mid-Range FG% | Opp Mid-Range % of FG | Opp Mid-Range FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 30.4% | 41.1% | 28.1% | 41.8% |
| First Round | 30.7% | 41% | 12% | 45.5% |
| Games 1-3 vs. SA | 30.2% | 44.9% | 38.9% | 46.6% |
| Game 4 | 25.5% | 32% | 38.6% | 50% |
The Blazers were willing to play a mid-range heavy game on offense and invite that same mid-range heavy approach from their opponent, betting that the percentages would eventually swing their way.
That wasn't really the case Monday, with the Blazers instead leveraging a cold shooting night from the Spurs, both from long range and at the line, and a rebounding edge to secure additional possessions, but it's telling as to how they'll likely approach Game 5.
Series at a Glance
Game 1: SAS 116, POR 92 (Spurs lead 1-0)
Game 2: SAS 114, POR 97 (Spurs lead 2-0)
Game 3: SAS 118, POR 103 (Spurs lead 3-0)
Game 4: POR 103, SAS 92 (Spurs lead 3-1)
Game 5: Wednesday, May 14, TBD (TNT)
Game 6*: Friday, May 16, TBD (ESPN)
Game 7*: Monday, May 19, TBD (TNT)