Really, really quiet night for Williams. If this were a close game or a loss, his grade would probably look much worse. But truthfully, they just didn’t need him — though he did show up late just to put the final nail in the coffin, hitting a layup from his belt to put the Nets back up 20.
I think he feels comfortable in Portland. Not hitting outside shots, but getting to the rim constantly and creating defensive havoc.
He’s trying to get that midrange jumper clicking since he’s joined the rotation but took his a step or two too far out tonight.
Whenever it seemed like the Blazers might be cutting a lead down in the second and third quarter, Lopez hit them with a barrage of interior buckets or a long-range jumper to quell the opposing noise. All-Star caliber game.
He is so good at taking advantage of everyone, including and especially himself.
Corner 3 machine.
One note about Brooks: in his senior year in college he was ridiculously efficient on open jumpers, even for “open jumper” standards. He hit two in rhythm tonight. Hilarious to watch in the fourth quarter because he was just having so much fun, until it stopped being funny and the Nets needed to bring the starters back in.
REGGIE EVANS CAREER BEAR GAME. THE 20-20 EXPERIENCE LIVE IN PORTLAND. I didn’t give anyone else an A+, even if they deserved it, because Reggie deserved one all to himself tonight.
Reggie Evans scored 21 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in the first three quarters and finished the night with a new career high in rebounds and tying his career high scoring. He did it in surprisingly sustainable ways — he didn’t bring the ball down on offensive rebounds or in the restricted area, restricted himself solely to at-the-rim layups, and didn’t force shots through double-teams. Reggie Evans outrebounded the entire Trailblazers team in the first half and only had one fewer rebound than the Blazers after three. Reggie Evans hit an and-one because what the hell, Reggie Evans. I haven’t seen every game of Reggie Evans’s career, but this was the best game of Reggie Evans’s career. It’s almost a shame that it wasn’t at home in Brooklyn so we could hear the MVP chants.
I wrote during the third quarter that Evans would have to eat his own beard to lose his A+. BEARD INTACT. A+ INTACT. REGINALD JAMAAL EVANS, OBSERVED.
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