The Portland Trail Blazers played three quarters of decent, spirited basketball against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night. They scored on the run, showed some scrappy defense, and got the most out of their role players. Unfortunately, that 36-minute stretch came after a first quarter in which they got blown out 44-14. Instead of fighting for a victory, Portland expended their energy trying to make the scoreboard not look so bad. It didn’t work. The Blazers lost 128-91. They’re now carrying a 15-39 record into NBA All-Star Weekend, 2024.
For the second straight night, Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 34 points.