The Washington Wizards got off to a slow start in the game, having trouble solidifying strong defensive play. This proved to be costly, as the Portland Trailblazers shooting guard C.J. McCollum, point guard Damian Lillard and center Meyers Leonard led the floor in scoring and were a dominant force throughout the game.
Portland made eight of their first 11 three-point attempts and Washington just could not slow them down beyond the arch.
The Wizards did pick up major momentum in the second quarter however, elevating their game to finish 17 of 21 shooting and going on a 23–10 run. They also had 13 of their 19 first-half assists in the second quarter.
Shooting 57 percent in the first half, Washington came back to life to pull themselves out of a 17-point deficit. The team outscored the Blazers 40–27 in the second quarter, shooting 81 percent during that period. The Wizards battled back impressively then to cut the lead down to two and went into halftime with Portland leading just 59–57.
The first lead of the day for Washington came in the third quarter and, with a little over 11:00 minutes to go, the score was 60-59, Wizards.
However, Portland out-rebounded the Wizards mercilessly. With 3:00 minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Trailblazers had logged 35 rebounds to Washington’s 23. Unfortunately for Washington, their opponent made 16 three-point shots in the first three quarters of the game. They were simply on fire from the three-point line.
The Wizards were shooting around 50 percent but the breakdowns persisted in the form of continuing to be out-rebounded and out-shot from the three-point line. Portland had too many opportunities to hit second-shot attempts and Washington simply did not match the energy.
It was clear after the game that Washington’s Head Coach Randy Wittman was frustrated.
“This was another classic example of when we miss shots at the beginning of the game and we let it affect every other are of our game,” he said.
The Wizards played without forward Otto Porter who missed his third straight game. Also missing was forward Kris Humphries (his seventh consecutive game out) and center Drew Gooden, now out for his second game in a row.
Wizards guard Garrett Temple led the team with 18 points, followed by center Marcin Gortat and guard Bradley Beal with 16 points each.
This game against the Trailblazers is the fifth that Washington has lost in their last six.