Video: Stotts Cites Lack of Rhythm in Detroit

The Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Detroit Pistons Saturday night despite Enes Kanter’s best efforts to keep the team competitive after a brutal first quarter. Kanter lodged a double-double with 20 points and 15 rebounds, as did Maurice Harkless with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Despite these performances, the Blazers struggled to find a rhythm on offense. Coach Terry Stotts spoke about the team’s rough outing in Detroit after the game.

Here is the video from Stotts’ press conference.

• Stotts noted that both teams struggled in the first quarter, and that neither team had much momentum, while the Blazers failed to capitalize on opportunities to build a bigger lead.
• He praised Enes Kanter’s post play, stating that Kanter did a “fantastic job of doing a lot of dirty work.” Kanter played a total of 34 minutes for the Blazers against Detroit.
• In responding to a question about Damian Lillard’s playing time, Stotts commented that an extra minute doesn’t make a lot of difference to either Lillard or his teammates, and that he can’t manage minutes based on a fear of player injury.
• Stotts concluded that the Blazers ended up “searching for points” down the stretch, especially in the face of Detroit’s aggressive defense on Lillard’s pick and roll.

With only six games remaining in the regular season, finding and maintaining momentum could be a critical issue for this Blazers team. The team will look to bounce back against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday in Minneapolis.