Postgame Notes - April 1, 2018 Portland 113, Memphis 98 Game #77 • Home Game #40 TEAM • The Trail Blazers have clinched a playoff berth for the fifth straight season. The last time Portland went to the playoffs in five straight years was 1999-2003 (21-year streak starting in 1983). • Portland assisted on 28 of their 39 field goals while the Grizzlies recorded 20 assists on 40 field goals. • The Trail Blazers have scored at least 100 points in 20 straight games. It is the team’s longest single-season streak since Jan. 16 - April 14, 1990 (42 games, tied for team record). • Portland outscored Memphis in the paint, 46-40, and outrebounded them, 43-42. • The Trail Blazers shot 23-of-25 from the free throw line (92.0%) while the Grizzlies were 9-of-12 (75.0%). • Portland scored 43 points in the third quarter, matching the most points they have had in any quarter this season. PLAYER • Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 27 points (7-15 FG, 2-8 3-PT, 11-11 FT), three rebounds, nine assists and two steals. Lillard made at least 10 free throws for the third time in the last six games and the 17th time this season (second-most in the NBA). • CJ McCollum recorded 20 points (7-16 FG, 2-7 3-PT, 4-4 FT), four rebounds, nine assists and a season-high four steals. • Al-Farouq Aminu had 17 points (5-8 FG, 3-6 3-PT, 4-5 FT), 10 rebounds and one steal. It was Aminu’s ninth double-double of the season, which is the second-most he has had in a season in his career (10, 2012-13). • Evan Turner scored 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting (2-4 3-PT, 1-1 FT). It was the third time in the last four games that Turner has made two three-pointers. • Jusuf Nurkic finished with 10 points (4-10 FG, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and one steal. Nurkic has reached double figure scoring in nine straight games, which is the longest streak of his career. • Dillon Brooks led Memphis with 28 points (11-26 FG, 4-9 3-PT, 2-3 FT), six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS What did you think of Evan Turner tonight? “I thought he was very efficient. He had some nice post-ups. He played good defense. He moved well without the ball. I thought he had a very solid game.” Does clinching the playoffs mean anything? “It does. I told the team, one thing I like about Major League Baseball is when they clinch something, they celebrate. Unfortunately, we don’t do that as much as we probably should. Clinching the playoffs, being in the playoffs five straight years is a good accomplishment, is one of our goals at the beginning of the season. We still have some more goals to accomplish but it’s something everybody should be proud of.” Is there something to clinching playoff spot earlier this season? “Well, yes and no. You like to clinch it as soon as possible but there’s still a lot to play for. You don’t want it to be anti-climactic to clinch the playoffs. I think Houston and Golden State knew they were going to be in the playoffs a long time ago. But really, going into the season, this was one of the first goals and no matter when it happens, it happens, but we’ve got some important games coming up.” How would you evaluate your rotation without Davis and Harkless? “I thought Meyers was really good. I thought he was good in both halves. We had slippage in the second and fourth quarter with some of the guys off the bench. I’ll watch the film to see why, I thought we missed some opportunities. I wasn’t pleased in the first half. I didn’t think we played as hard as we needed to play in the first half. I think it showed in the third level that when we played at a certain level, we were a pretty good team. It was unfortunate for the guys on the bench that they struggled a little bit with scoring and some defensive plays. Until Moe and Ed come back, it might be different every time.” JUSUF NURKIC What was the emotion in the locker room after the game and clinching the playoffs? “It’s good. We know we’re not done yet but it’s always good to celebrate something. It’s a good move but we know we’re not done yet. 77 games to clinch the playoffs for us. Last year was a different stage. This year is good. Everybody feels good about it.” How much does it mean to be at this spot after fighting to make 8th seed last year? “I think everybody before the season kind of looked where we’re at and nobody expected, even fans and you guys, probably didn’t expect us to be that high. We trusted what we have and it helped through the year, solid and good enough for us. Hopefully the team is going to have everybody healthy for the playoffs, that’s our goal.” DAMIAN LILLARD On clinching playoff spot: “I think our stress level, we don’t got to go down to the wire to get a playoff spot. Now we’re just looking to stay sharp, keep doing the things that’s allowed us to have the success that we’ve had and try to finish it off and win the division, get home court.” Can you paint of a picture of locker room after game, did you celebrate/ “I mean, I wouldn’t say celebrate but we did acknowledge the fact that it’s the fifth straight year being in the playoffs. There’s teams that hasn’t been in the playoffs in five years, six years, so it’s an accomplishment and it’s something that we should I guess give ourselves a pat on the back about and acknowledge that we did that. We all shook hands and dapped each other up and all of that, but I mean, it’s more work to be done.” On winning 17 of 20, is this team better equipped for the playoffs? “I think so. I think just because the first half of the season, we weren’t how we are now but we were pretty solid. We had a lot of good moments. In the second half of the season, we’ve kind of grown into the team that we want to be. I think we are because of how we’ve sustained, like you said, 17 out of 20 games is a fourth of the season. So I think it’s happening at the right time. The way it’s happening is well equipped to have success in the playoffs – you’re getting production from everybody. The ball movement, the defense, how we’re able to put Meyers in and he’s giving us something, put Caleb in and he’s giving us something, Wade the last game in Memphis, his first time jumping out there and he’s giving us something. So we’re just dependent on a lot of guys and I think it’s a good sign for us to have some success in the playoffs.”
HEAD COACH J.B. BICKERSTAFF On the game: “Some good things. You look at the effort that Dillon Brooks put forth, his ability to score the ball, make tough shots and the toughness he played with. You look at what Ivan Rabb did, his ability to rebound the basketball, 12 or 13 boards in short minutes. Kobi Simmons played with pace and pushed it, got us some easy baskets. I think the group is willing to move and share the ball. Obviously when you’ve got a young group like that and you’re playing fast, you will turn it over some. In that third quarter we had a run of turnovers that was tough and helped them. Obviously they’re (Blazers) a good team offensively. When those other guys are making shots… I think their guards had nine assists, so they were making the right play and made us pay for it. For our guys to come back, cut the lead and force them to have to bring their starters back into the game, talks about the character of our guys and that young group. They didn’t lay down, they continued to fight, I think that’s where you start. When you’re trying to build a program and move forward, you need competitive guys and I think we’re starting on the right track.” On what he’s trying to impress upon his team about winning time: “Just the importance of the small things. The breakdowns, miscommunication on a pick and roll coverage, miscommunication on a weak side responsibility. Offensively, shot selection, the ability to make the extra pass or make the early pass, the simple play, a 50/50 ball, all those little things impact winning. You give a team that’s this good offensively an extra opportunity when you don’t get a rebound. All those little small things, those are the difference between winning and losing.” On Marc Gasol “He does a good job with those guys. He’s obviously taken an interest in Deyonta (Davis) and Ivan (Rabb). Every opportunity he gets, he’s talking to those guys, he’s helping them. You watch him on the bench, he’s cheering his guys on, so he’s showing class in a very difficult situation. We all know he’s a guy that wants to play… these circumstances are rough and he’s doing the best that he can with it.”
DILLON BROOKS On what he takes away from the game: “We made comebacks we just couldn’t get defensive stops, we’re low on guys so other guys have got to play a lot of minutes. We just had miscommunication on the low man, we were doing a great job some possessions but overall when you’re playing a playoff team, they’ve got 48 wins.” On if he was trying to break his career high in points scored: “Yeah, a little bit, my teammates were allowing me to do it. That was on me, missed two open layups but it was a great comeback to a city that you know you’ve been here for so long and it was a great way to score but a win is what we want.” On coming back to Oregon: “I always get a standing ovation which is nice. I gave all that I had for the University of Oregon, we made history and I feel like that’s why me, Jordan [Bell] or anybody on that team they show respect and it’s a great State, fans and people. They cheer for their Trailblazers and they cheer for their Oregon ducks regardless, so it feels great.” On how his life has changed in the past year: “A lot. I’ve got a lot more money but it’s a different grind, you play 40 games in about a span of eight or nine months. I’ve played 75 games already and it’s almost already been like maybe six or seven months. Around the same time and just that, flying everywhere, getting a different feel of each place, keep trying to play 30 minutes every game is tough but that’s the difference I feel from last year to this year.” On keeping his intensity up: “It’s not hard, I love playing this game and I play one way in one gear and regardless of how the season is going or who we have, I’m going to play my game. It’s just a switch every time I get on the court, it’s just business. Go out there and try to score, try to create for my teammates and that’s what I learned at Oregon, Dana Altman taught me is just keep a motor, keep it going regardless of what’s going on and pan up.”
