The Trail Blazers’ march to the postseason appeared to be temporarily stalled after two losses earlier this week, and it looked like Portland was careening towards a third-straight defeat before Allen Crabbe exploded in the second half of Thursday night’s victory over the Timberwolves.
Crabbe’s eight 3-pointers off the bench helped Portland erase Minnesota’s double-digit lead in the second half. At one point in the fourth quarter, the former Cal standout went on a flurry that produced 10 points in less than a minute of action.
Crabbe’s stellar shooting performance from beyond the arc tied his career-best for 3-point field goals made in a game, which earned him the honors of giving the walk-off interview on a nationally televised game.
Crabbe has had six 20-point games this season (including one 30-point performance against the Pistons), and he is averaging career-bests across the board on offense. The reserve guard has made impressive strides in his efficiency, and is shooting above 40 percent from beyond the arc for the first time since his rookie season.
The Blazers return to action on Saturday when the Jazz visit the Moda Center. Portland will be looking to maintain their slight lead over Denver in the race for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.