HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS What did you like most about assists, ball movement and offensive flow? “Well that’s it. The 20 assists in the first half, I was hoping we could get to 35 after having 20 in the first half. Just seemed like the offense really had a lot of rhythm to it. The ball was moving, guys were making shots so you have a tendency to move the ball even more and it’s fun when you’re playing like that.” What did you like about defense? “The fact that we maintained it for the most part. We got off to a slow start but I liked the way that we sustained our focus defensively. I liked the way we rebounded the ball, particularly in the first half, they didn’t get a lot of second chance opportunities. Like I said, more than anything else, we sustained it pretty consistently.” On bouncing back after tough loss last night: “I liked our demeanor because this was like Washington – we’re on the road a bunch this month and these games are that much more important. Coming off a tough loss at Golden State and going out on the road, we know the importance of the game and this game in particular. Games are getting fewer so every game means a little bit more and I think we’re going to have a good approach to it.” How would you describe upcoming trip? “Challenging.”
DAMIAN LILLARD On upcoming road trip: “I mean, our last trip was a huge trip as well. Obviously, this one is a bit shorter and top teams, so we’ve got to go out there and just be ourselves. We’ve got to compete. We’ve got to be the more grimy team, I guess. We’ve got to get out there, be on the floor for loose balls, we’ve got to defend, we’ve got to rebound, we’ve got to be together. It’s going to be a tough trip.” With a month to go, how do you feel about where team is? “I mean, I’m happy with where we are. I’m really happy with where we are mentally. We’ve dropped a few games, we weren’t down, we still showed up the next day in practice and everybody was positive. We’re really strong right now mentally. Coming off a tough loss last night, we bounced back tonight with a huge win. I like where we are going into this road trip.” On getting McCollum involved early tonight: “He was running the floor in transition so I was kicking the ball ahead to him. He hit a few shots and coming off flares and pin downs, they were losing him. So I kept hitting him because he was open and he was making shots. I saw that our ball movement and off ball things, flares and pin downs, back screens, all that stuff was what gave them trouble so all the plays I called, I tried to stick to that. We separated ourselves from them by doing that.” How good was it to see shots go in for Crabbe: “He could probably tell you better than I can, but even when he had a little bit of a shooting slump, whenever he shot the ball I think everybody on our team thought the ball was going in, but it’s a long season. You can’t shoot the way he was shooting to start the season off the entire season, so I’m glad that he had a night like this toward the end of the season so he could get back rolling.”
HEAD COACH SCOTT SKILES On the team’s scoring: “We had a few good moments very early in the game, the first five-six minutes. [The Blazers] put you in difficult positions because they cut with speed and two great guards put a lot of pressure on you. Our goal was to get the ball out of their hands as best we could early and then adjust as the game went on. But, in order to do that, they’re going to pass it to somebody and then you got to make an effort, and then another effort and another effort, and they just started driving the ball to the goal and scoring. We couldn’t get any help there. We just kind of went down from there.” On how he saw the team respond to his concerns about transition defense: “Not very well. As I said we had some decent initial efforts where we get Damian bottled up a little bit or whatever, but then when the pass would come out, we were really kind of slow to get out to the shooters and also kind of making some reads on who to get out to and who not to get out to.” On how the young guys like Aaron Gordon figure out how to play better on the second night of a back to back: “It comes from within. There’s no real secret to it. It’s just learning how to compete at this level consistently. Not being satisfied if you have a decent game. There’s a couple things right there. Knowing what you do well and going out and doing it well. That’s what the professionals do. And then knowing also there might be a night when your shot isn’t going in. Some things maybe aren’t going your way. Say ‘Well I better get 15 rebounds then’, if things aren’t going your way. We’re definitely not there yet as a group.”
AARON GORDON On struggling to win back to back games: “It’s just something we need to get over, it’s the back to backs. As a unit we need to come together, we know it’s going to be difficult on a back to back, but they played a back to back too and we need to come out with more energy, we need to come in more locked in and focused and it’s something that we just need to get over.” On playing like they won last night: “Yeah, I mean, every game counts. Especially coming down towards the end of the season. And for us to come out and perform like that is just terrible.” On how this team has responded to the call for a playoff push: “We want it. And what’s the most frustrating part about it is we’re not demonstrating it in our play. We have another one Tuesday I believe and the only thing we can do is learn from our mistakes and continue to try and fight and win that game Tuesday.”
JASON SMITH On following up their last win with a loss: “It’s very frustrating. We had a good win in Sacramento, a good quality win on the road and wanted to finish this trip a different way, but it just didn’t happen that way. Got to regroup, really take care of our bodies and listen to the training staff, and regroup for this next game.” On why this team struggles with back to back games: “I think it’s just typical with any NBA team, back to backs are tough to deal with. Any given night I’ve said, any team can come out and get you. This team especially, they’re a very, very good team. They’re in the playoff push. Two great point guards in Lillard and McCollum playing at a very high level. We just didn’t have the energy or the juice tonight.”
Postgame Notes - March 12, 2016 Portland 121, Orlando 84 Game #67 • Home Game #33 TEAM • With 17 three-pointers tonight (of 35), the Trail Blazers have set a new franchise record with eight consecutive games of 10 or more three-point field goals (7, 12/22/14 to 1/5/15). • The Trail Blazers’ 121-84 victory represents its largest of the season (32, 2/19 vs. GSW). It is also the largest in any of the 53 all-time games between the Trail Blazers and Magic. • Portland has won 13 of its past 16 home games, and is now 21-12 at the Moda Center this season. That ensures Portland a winning record at home for the ninth consecutive season. • The Trail Blazers have won 16 of their past 22 games since Jan. 23. • Portland has won four consecutive home games against the Magic (6-1 in past 7). • Portland’s 34 assists tonight represents a new season-high (29, 11/5/15 vs. MEM). The Trail Blazers had 20+ assists at halftime tonight for the first time since Nov. 12, 2014 at Denver. • The Trail Blazers shot a season-high 56.0% from the field (47-84 FG). • Portland is 19-4 when holding its opponent to less than 100 points. The Trail Blazers have won 10 consecutive games in which they limit their opponent to less than 100 points. • The Trail Blazers bench outscored Magic reserves, 60-29, and shot 23-of-35 from the field (10-16 3-PT). Over the past two games, Portland’s bench has outscored the opposing reserves by 57 points over the past two games.
PLAYER • Damian Lillard finished with 19 points and 10 assists for his 15th double-double of the season. He is the first Trail Blazers guard to record at least 15 double-doubles in a season since Rod Strickland had 33 in 1995-96. • CJ McCollum shot 2-of-6 from beyond the arc, extending his career-high streak of games with multiple three-point field goals to eight (20-39 3-PT). • Al-Farouq Aminu made three of his five shot attempts from the three-point line, and is now 10-of-19 from beyond the arc over his past four games. • Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum outscored the opposing starting backcourt (Watson/Oladipo), 37-21, marking the seventh time in the past nine games that they have done so (+86).
