Tonight the Portland Trail Blazers faced a Los Angeles Clippers team intent on stopping NBA MVP candidate Damian Lillard. L.A. put two defenders on the All-Star guard as soon as he crossed halfcourt, forcing him to give up the ball to teammates. In that atmosphere, CJ McCollum and Norman Powell had a field day, scoring 24 and 32 apiece.
Normally, that would have been good news for the Blazers. Strong scoring often leads them to victory. On this night, however, their defense was historically inept. They allowed Paul George 22 points in the first period and 36 for the game.