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Well, if you missed the game, you'll be forgiven if you miss the replay. The Portland Trail Blazers, led by CJ McCollum, had a pretty good first half, then may as well have stayed in the locker room after halftime. They showed little teamwork or energy in the second half, while Phoenix looked like a well-oiled machine at both ends, easily pulling away from the Blazers in a laugher. In the Vegas Summer League playoff race, Phoenix gained 5.5 points to Portland's 1.5.
Blazer Report
CJ McCollum looked like a star all night, forcing the Suns to resort to double-teams to slow him down. In one game he looked like everything the Blazers hoped to have next to Damian Lillard, other than defense. 22 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 4 fouls, 4 turnovers.
Thomas Robinson had a great start, playing Robin (not Lopez) to CJ's Batman. However, he had a steep drop-off in the second half, unable to help when McCollum was well defended. 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers.
Meyers Leonard displayed a few good moments, and has clearly been working on his game, but looked a lot like the Meyers of old. Trouble rebounding, a little behind on plays, defensive miscues. You've seen it before. 9 points, 9 rebounds, 7 fouls.
Will Barton had a rough night. He struggled to stay in control. He missed boatloads of shots. His defense is still a work in progress. He had a relative concept of "team". His only shining moments were in everyone-for-themselves garbage time. He'll be seeing this performance on video, and won't enjoy it. 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 4 fouls.
Joel Freeland hit (and blocked) a few shots, but also looked similar to last season. 6 points, 3 rebounds, 6 fouls.
Victor Claver's night was incomplete. He left the game in the first quarter with a contusion to his quad. We'll have more about his status when it becomes available. It wouldn't shock me if his Summer League stint is over.
Allen Crabbe was fairly invisible, missing the majority of his shots while fading into the background. 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist.
Quarterly Report
The Blazers won the first quarter by three, as Robinson and McCollum led the starters. One point.
Neither team could score for the first half of the second quarter, then CJ led a 9-1 Blazer run to pull comfortably ahead. However, Phoenix made a late run to try to win the quarter, but only pulled to within three, giving them a tie for the quarter. Half Point.
Phoenix made a run early in the third against an ugly Blazer team, taking the lead. The Morris brothers dominated much of the quarter as the Blazers looked sluggish, missing rebound opportunities. Phoenix double-teamed CJ, and no other Blazer could make them pay. The Suns outscored the Blazers by 11. Zero points.
Phoenix continued to bust the game open in the fourth, as the Blazers looked uninspired. Phoenix looked organized and prepared. Portland looked lost. Phoenix's lead reached 13. 15. 17. Are you kidding me? While Olshey talked to NBA TV, his team gave up a 15-3 run. All he could do was laugh. At that point, the game was basically over. Zero points.
What's Next
The Blazers play tomorrow afternoon against the Los Angeles Lakers, a 3:30pm game that will be shown on NBA TV at 10pm. -- Tim