Portland, OR — With the NBA regular season coming to a close in the upcoming weeks every win matters for teams still in playoff contention. The San Antonio Spurs were able to keep their playoff hopes alive behind Dejounte Murray’s 28 points, they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in a 133-96 victory.
Early on the Trail Blazers led the Spurs 9-2, however, Portland saw their lead quickly disappear. A Devin Vassell three assisted by Jakob Poeltl sparked a 25-4 scoring run for the Spurs.
San Antonio’s excellent shooting was a big reason for their early lead. The Spurs were unstoppable from deep shooting 64% from three-point range giving them a 45-27 lead at the finish of the opening quarter.
The Trail Blazers would rally midway through the second quarter and go on an 11-2 run cutting their deficit to 13. However, they were never able to get within 10 points due to the Spurs incredible shooting for the remainder of the second quarter.
San Antonio shot the lights out hitting a franchise-record 13 threes in the half. The Spurs would continue to dominate Portland for the remainder of the quarter holding an 81-53 lead at the break.
The Spurs would control the entire second half and come away with an easy victory. Multiple players on San Antonio had a good scoring night with Keldon Johnson finishing with 26 PTS, and Jakob Poeltl and Devin Vassell both scoring 16.
Murray Continues to Shine
Murray came into this game scorching hot not missing a single shot in the first half. Murray finished the opening two quarters with 20 PTS, 7 AST, 5 REB on a perfect 7-7 from the field.
Murray’s hot night continued into the second half as he finished the game with 28 PTS.
Murray has been on an absolute tear since the month of February the young guard has averaged 24.3 PTS, 9.7 AST, 8.1 REB, and 2.2 SPG. This has come off of an efficient 48% shooting from the field and 84% on his free throw shooting.
Murray has certainly been having a breakout season making his first all-star appearance earlier this year. With the Spurs, only one game behind the New Orleans Pelicans, Murray’s terrific play could be the key in getting San Antonio into the playoffs.
Portland’s Struggles Continue
After trading CJ McCollum and losing Damian Lillard to a season-ending abdominal injury the Portland Trail Blazers have struggled in the second half of the season.
The Trail Blazers are now 2-11 in their last 13 games. A large reason for their struggle could be their defensive play this season.
Portland’s opponents are averaging 114 PPG placing the Trail Blazers 27th in the NBA defensive rankings.
With a 27-44 record Portland still has a chance to sneak into the playoffs. However, for that to happen they must improve on the defensive end.
What’s Next
The San Antonio Spurs will look to stay in the win column in a game in New Orleans to face off the Pelicans on Saturday, March 26 at 4 p.m. CST.
The Portland Trail Blazers will try to end their losing streak with a game versus the Houston Rockets on Friday, March 25 at 7 p.m. PST.
