Tonight's game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings was not pretty. The Blazers often looked like they were mired in mud - the toll of a brutal March travel schedule still showing its effects. Despite that, they pulled out a gutty 115-107 win on the back of yeoman's work around the rim. A 19-3 advantage on the offensive glass gave the Blazers a decisive 26-9 lead in second chance points.
One play exemplified the importance of the rebounding discrepancy: With under four minutes to go the Blazers crossed halfcourt with a seven point lead. After 56 seconds, and three failed scoring chances, they finished off the Kings with a CJ McCollum three-pointer that pushed the lead to double figures for the first time all night. Despite a late three-point barrage, Sacramento would not seriously challenge again.
With many of the Blazers playing tired, Moe Harkless' high-energy stood out. Harkless finished the game with 20 points and 16 rebounds, seven of them offensive. As Blazer's Edge writer Dan Marang pointed out on Twitter, he scored 11 second chance points, more than the Kings' entire team.
. @moe_harkless had more 2nd chance points than the entire @SacramentoKings tonite- 11 to 9. #Blazers #RipCity https://t.co/mNkAvW3LsK
— Dan Marang (@DMarang) April 6, 2016
Harkless also had the sequence of the night with back to back dunks to end the third quarter: