Trail Blazers Show Character in Bounce-back Win vs. Timberwolves

After Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups questioned his team’s pride Sunday following a 45-point loss to the depleted Memphis Grizzlies, the players responded Tuesday to the bell toward the title. Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Blazers played with heart and grit at home against an opponent that beat them by 25 points less than a week ago. Or as Portland forward Deni Avdija put it after the game, they “showed some character.” They also shot the hell out of the ball, going 18-32 on 3s.

The combination resulted in a resounding 122-108 win and a flashy 1-0 record in the Emirates NBA Cup.

“How you play, how hard you play and how you play together is a little bit of who we are and … what we’re building here,” Billups told reporters after the win. “Tonight we did it at a high level and we added shotmaking to it. Anytime you can get that 3-ball going, it’s going to be a beautiful game.”

The game goes to backup center Robert Williams III, who turned in a masterful performance in just his third game back after missing nearly a year with injuries. Williams made his mark in the win with 19 points on 9-10 shooting, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks.

“His rebounding, his blocked shots, his voice — he’s just so impactful,” Billups said. “You get a chance to play him 25 minutes and see what he does against one of the best teams in basketball.”

“His engine, defensively and offensively, was great,” added Avdija, who had a strong all-around game with 17 points and five assists. “I’m very happy to see him healthy and performing like that.”

While Williams played the best game, his teammates made significant contributions as seven players reached double figures. “Everybody played great,” Billups said, a far cry from the “they all suck” line he dropped 48 hours earlier. So much from Tuesday was the opposite of the embarrassing Memphis loss.

On Sunday, the Blazers shot an abysmal 4-42 on 3s. Tuesday’s 18-32 (56.3%) performance from 3 marked the highest single-game 3-point percentage in the NBA this season. In Portland’s three games before Tuesday, the Blazers made a combined 19 3s. Dalano Banton hit a hotly contested 3 at the first quarter buzzer. Avdija found her stroke (3-6 on 3s) and buried a deep 3 at the third quarter buzzer. On one play in the third quarter, Minnesota center Rudy Gobert blocked Scoot Henderson’s layup right to Toumani Camara in the corner. Camara picked it up and hit it, one of his four 3-pointers. It was that kind of night from the deep.

On Sunday, the Moda Center crowd booed their team several times, with many heading for the exits after the third quarter. On Tuesday, the home crowd roared as Williams threw down alley ups and the Blazers chased second-chance opportunities and made an extra effort on defense. Some fans still left a little early Tuesday, but this time it was because the Blazers had finished off the Timberwolves with a few minutes left on the clock.

“This is more like it!” exclaimed a Blazers fan as he exited the gate after press row with just over a minute left.

With all the change taken into account, maybe that team meeting at Monday’s practice worked after all?

Less than 24 hours after that Grizzlies loss, the team held a meeting between players and coaches at the practice facility Monday morning. Williams called it an “accountability conversation” where they tried to work through their problems by being honest with constructive criticism. Avdija thought it made a difference.

“Even if you lose, there is a way to lose,” Avdija said. “ … So we had a good chat yesterday and we came today fresh, I want to do different vibes and that’s what got us going a bit. We shared the ball, we moved it. It was very nice to see everyone play today.”

It has been 48 hours of extremes for the Blazers. After Sunday’s blowout loss made it seem like the sky was falling, Tuesday’s emphatic win acts as an immediate stabilizer. More slumps and many more losses are sure to come this season, especially as the Blazers’ 3-point shooting returns to normal. The challenge for the Blazers will be to maintain a competitive standard and avoid the steep dives.

“To be honest, we’re just in a situation right now where we feel like we’ve got our backs against the wall,” Williams said. “This is one win. Obviously, we’re thankful for it, we’re thankful for it, but we’re trying to build on what you saw tonight — the defense, playing fast, playing together is the biggest thing. So we try to maintain these principles.”

More game notes

Anfernee Simons left Tuesday’s game in the first quarter with a chest problem, the team announced on social media during the game. In the postgame press conference, Billups provided this update on Ant:

“He experienced a bit of shortness of breath a little out of nowhere and obviously we wanted to be extra careful. So we took him out. We ran some tests on him. It came back normal but further tests will be needed tomorrow. We were all happy to see him smiling in the dressing room so it felt good.”

• Donovan Clingan made his first career NBA start in the regular season. The rookie center recorded four points on 2-5 shooting, six rebounds (three offensive), one block, one steal and five fouls in 21 minutes.