NBA 2018-19, Hits and Flops: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers came away with an easy 129-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Blazers led by 15 points at the end of the third quarter but the Cavs' cut down the lead to 10 points but then ran out of gas in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Clarkson led the Cavs' with 22 points off the bench. In fact, the Cavs' bench outscored the Blazers bench by 66-35. But the Blazers starting unit was just too good to handle on the day.
With the win, the Blazers consolidated their position in a loaded Western Conference. They have now improved to a 27-19 record and are the fourth best team in the West. They have won 19 of those games at home. On the other hand, the Cavaliers have the worst record in the NBA at this point. They have a 9-36 record and have been really struggling for consistency this season.
Let's have a look at the best and the worst players from the match:
Flop - Tristan Thompson
Tristan Thompson's game is all about effort. He is one of the best offensive rebounders in the game and is the more experienced presence in the Cavs' locker room.
For the season, Thompson averages 11.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in just 30 minutes of action. But he was totally off this game. The entire night, he struggled inside the paint and could not provide energy to spark a comeback for the Cavs.
Thompson finished the game with a meager 4 points on 2-6 shooting from the floor. He got 8 rebounds for the match but did not record either a block or a steal for the match. The Cavaliers will need him to perform with great energy if they want to get some wins this season.