Struggling Trail Blazers gear up for surging Spurs (Dec 23, 2016)
PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Trail Blazers could use a get-well card type of opponent, but no such luck.
The Trail Blazers, who have lost four straight and eight of their last nine outings, play host to the streaking San Antonio Spurs Friday night at Moda Center.
In a 96-95 loss on Wednesday night, Portland (13-18) gave up 62 first-half points to a Dallas team that came in averaging an NBA-low 94.1 points per game, and with a 1-13 record in road games.
Dallas scored only 36 second-half points on .342 shooting, including 1 for 17 from 3-point range. That didn't provide much solace for Portland coach Terry Stotts, who didn't mince words afterward.
"We didn't play hard enough in the first half to win a game," Stotts said. "We didn't play with enough passion, enough heart. Dallas played well, but to give up 62 in the first half against the lowest-scoring team in the league? It's unacceptable.
"We just didn't do it. I'm not going to take any consolation or anything else about how we played the second half. It was nice we came back, but the first half was unacceptable."
The biggest reason for Portland's recent slide has been defense. The Blazers rank among the bottom six in the NBA in opponents' scoring, opponents' field-goal percentage and opponents' 3-point percentage. They have given up 120 points 10 times, including four of the last six games.
Five times this season, the opposition has scored 100 points through the first three quarters against Portland. That has happened on only 14 other occasions throughout the league this season.
After starting the 2015-16 season with an 11-20 record, the Blazers turned things around, going 33-18 the rest of the way en route to finish with a 44-38 mark that got them the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Stotts was asked why he thinks the Blazers can become a better defensive team the rest of this season.
"Primarily because we did it last year," he said. "We have most of the same guys. Because we've done it before with the same group, we feel like we can do it. We haven't gotten there yet. We're a long way from there.
"But I've been with these guys for a long time. I know their character and desire. It's not like they're laying down. It's not like they're not playing hard. All those things combined will help us figure it out."
San Antonio brings a 22-6 record into Moda Center after seeing its five-game win streak snapped Thursday night at Staples Center by the Los Angeles Clippers. The Spurs' success is in no small part thanks to a bench anchored for former Trail Blazer guard Patty Mills, who has come off the bench to serve as the Spurs' No. 4 scorer at 11.3 points per game.
"Reminds me of the way Patty played during our last championship season (2013-14)," Spurs assistant coach Ime Udoka told the Portland Tribune. "He had (foot) surgery that year and has struggled to get back, but the way he's playing now, he's doing everything we could ask for."
Joining Mills on San Antonio's second unit are veteran Manu Ginobili, second-year guard Jonathon Simmons and free agent front-liners David Lee and Dewayne Dedmon.
"We feel like we have an advantage every night with our bench, and that starts with Patty," Udoka says. "It's a different bench than we had a year ago, in a good way. We're a little surprised with how quickly Lee and Dedmon have caught on. This group brings more pace, more energy, more athleticism."
