Recap: Raptors Shut Down Blazers, 114-106

The Blazers looked better, but the result was the same. Despite a rough night for Damian Lillard, Portland kept things close for a while before falling 114-106 to the Toronto Raptors. The Blazers, losers of 6 of their last 7, now leave on a six-game midwest road trip.

Box Score

• Welcome back, Rodney. A rested Hood came alive, hitting not only from three, but also using the three-point threat to sneak in for midrange jumpers. Toronto struggled to stop him all night. He led the Blazers with 25 points on 9-15 shooting.
• Welcome back, energy. For the first time in seemingly weeks, the Blazers brought energy at both ends, causing problems for the Raptors. Could this be related to the Blazers first start for the highly-energetic Nas Little? Perhaps. But it was a welcome change. It just wasn’t enough, because...
• Toronto simply got it done. The Raptors stayed close all game, then picked it up late, locking down the defense, and taking advantage of offensive mismatches, strong rebounding, and well-placed assists. Pascal Siakam’s 36 points were a backbreaker.
• Not Damian’s night. Lillard shot 2-12 for 9 points, the first time since 2016 that he didn’t score in double digits. None of Lillard’s usual magic was seen, as he looked noticeably tired on this 5th game in 7 nights.

The Blazers leave for their six-game road trip, starting with a date in San Antonio Saturday night.