Pelicans Sneak Past Blazers 97-95 in Game 1

Despite some fourth quarter magic, the Portland Trail Blazers dropped Game 1 of their playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night at Moda Center. The Blazers trailed almost the entire night, but managed to cut a double-digit fourth quarter deficit to a single point with under a minute remaining. They couldn’t come up with the big shot when it mattered, however, and the Pelicans eked out the 97-95 victory.

Anthony Davis had 35 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks for New Orleans, and Jrue Holiday chipped in 21 points. CJ McCollum led the Blazers with 19 points and Damian Lillard had 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Here are a few takeaway’s from tonight’s game:

• Star disparity. Lillard and McCollum combined to go just 1/15 from the field in the first half, while Davis and Holiday combined for 32 points. Things improved for Portland in the second half, but Davis and Holiday still finished with a combined 56 points to Lillard and McCollum’s 37 points.
• Playoff Rondo. Rajon Rondo again showed his knack for turning it on when the lights shine brightest. The veteran guard finished with six points, eight rebounds and a game-high 17 assists for the Pelicans, while also playing hard-nosed defense throughout the night.
• Block party. The Pelicans had 12 blocks as a team, including a key block in the final seconds by Holiday to keep the lead at three points. Davis and Nikola Mirotic each had four rejections on the night.

Box Score

Highlights

What’s Next

Game 2 will be Tuesday night at Moda Center, with a 7:30 pm PT tip-off scheduled. Stay tuned for more analysis on tonight’s game from Blazer’s Edge.