The Portland Trail Blazers team at McArthur Court Thursday night had several similarities with the college team that typically uses the arena.
Whether it was scoring 44 points during the first three quarters, playing a mix of young players or having an off night shooting, the rebuilding Trail Blazers lost 92-73 to the Utah Jazz.
Afterward, the struggling Trail Blazers, losers of three of their last four games, tried to make sense of what appears to be a difficult season with less than two weeks before its Nov. 2 opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“It’s still preseason, but I think once the regular season starts and we’re still losing like this, it’s going to hurt me,” said Ruben Patterson, a seven-year NBA veteran and one of few experienced players on the Portland roster.
Trailing at one point by 33 points, Portland, following the calming presence of point guard Jarrett Jack, trimmed the lead to within 20 early in the fourth quarter. Jack led several efficient plays on offense, running a fast break and feeding teammate Viktor Khryapa for a layup and a three-point play during the fourth quarter.
All this from a guy Portland Coach Nate McMillan said he didn’t expect to play today. Jack played in three previous games, averaging 18.6 minutes per game. McMillan wanted to give the other point guards competing for the starting position, Steve Blake and Sebastian Telfair, some extra playing time during the preseason.
Blake and Telfair had so-so performances; the latter scored four points and making three turnovers in 18 minutes.
Jack came in and matched up against Utah point guard Deron Williams, and Jack had six points and four assists in his fourth-quarter appearance. Just last spring, Jack and Williams were standouts at the college level. The 6-foot-3 Jack guided Georgia Tech, and Williams ran last season’s No. 1 Illinois.
“Me and Deron have been playing against each other for a long time,” Jack said. “To go up against somebody you grew up playing against, it was just great for me.”
Rookies take time to adjust to the rigors of NBA life, and McMillan was happy with Jack’s performance, McMillan said.
“Tonight, he came and played very aggressive,” McMillan said. Williams first came into the game six minutes into the second quarter. During his first play on offense, Williams split two Trail Blazer defenders, stopping at the free-throw line and hitting a jumper. He finished with 12 points and two assists, showing a deft shooting touch alongside his standout passing ability.
For many of the Trail Blazers, playing before a smaller crowd in McArthur Court was an adjustment from playing in front of NBA crowds of more than 15,000 people.
“You have to take the same approach like if it was a sold-out arena,” Jack said. “If you really enjoy this game and love this game, you (are) going to go out there and play hard whether there’s 100 people in the stands or zero.”
The Trail Blazers initially struggled to start the game, falling behind early to a shorthanded Jazz team. Power forward Carlos Boozer, who averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game last season, sat out with a strained left hamstring. Matt Harpring did not play for personal reasons.
The Utah Jazz players who did participate made the difference with efficient play and strong performances from Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur and Williams. Kirilenko missed 41 games last season after averaging 16 points and eight rebounds a game in 2003-04.
He showed little rust, playing with a face mask and taking advantage of the playmaking of Milt Palacio and Keith McLeod, who had five assists and four assists, respectively.
The Jazz opened the first quarter
10-2 with layups by Kirilenko and Brown before McMillan called his first timeout. Utah capped the first quarter with a Kris Humphries dunk for a three-point play.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers struggled as Darius Miles shot 1-for-10 in the first quarter. He finished 2-for-17 with seven points.
McMillan said Miles didn’t disappoint him.
“He has to find his rhythm,” McMillan said. “We are going to need him and Zach (Randolph) to create some points for us. That’s part of those guys getting into the gym and working on their game and us getting those guys the shots they need.”
Randolph is recovering from offseason knee surgery and only played 10 minutes, scoring four points. Last season, Randolph led the Trail Blazers with 19 points and 10 rebounds per game before a knee injury cut his season to 46 games. McMillan said a trainer told him in the second half that Randolph’s knee was bothering him.
In the second quarter, the Jazz extended its lead to 47-29 by halftime. It boosted its lead to 75-44 at the end of the third quarter.
The experience of playing in a losing situation, although discouraging, can help this young Trail Blazers team, McMillan said.
“We are getting drilled here in preseason,” McMillan said. “We’re not close but … what we’re trying to do is make sure that we continue to compete and not throw in the towel or quit regardless of the situation.”
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