TREANDING:Trail Blazers get overpowered by bulls in the fourth quarter.

At the Moda Center on Sunday night, the Portland Trail Blazers took on the Chicago Bulls, another young, inconsistent club. The home crowd, youth, and agility did not save the Blazers from losing to their opponents 104-96. The Blazers finished the game with a pitiful 40.5% shooting percentage from the field as Chicago outran, outhustled, and outdefended Portland.

Portland persisted and managed to keep the score tight, briefly grabbing the lead in the second half. In case you were not present during the events, our quarterly summary is available here. Here are some more important elements and players from the match after that.

Simons Anfernee Yin Yang
This excursion revealed Anfernee Simons’s dual personalities.

When it comes to elegance and grace, no player wearing Portland’s uniform compares to Simons when it comes to three-point shooting. His release happens instantly and is almost unstoppable. The ball consistently approaches the rim. His soft touch gives it a fair chance to drop even if it doesn’t swoosh. Simons’ deep shots, which show a mother welcoming her college student at the entrance, are welcomed by the rim.

When Simons tries to drive, the exact opposite occurs. There is no separation gained by him. Due to his height, he usually has a disadvantage when facing a lone defender and is, at best, at a neutral advantage when facing assistance. He can’t absorb contact and still finish because of his bulk. Nor does he possess any clever insider tactics or left-right agility. He’s generally traveling in a straight line, but as he approaches the rim, he’s frantically attempting to figure out how to get up a shot. It isn’t functioning. Simons had to choose between getting destroyed or shooting deep as Chicago easily shut down his interior play.

Ant became an assist man to get around the Bulls’ incessant double teams and lack of daylight. Tonight he totaled eight. Though some were unstable, the ball managed to arrive.

Despite the disjointed nature of the game, Simons also assumed control of the game in the fourth quarter after the Blazers fell behind. He wanted his side to maintain a competitive game. He flicked a switch and went from difficult night to hot quarter.

Ultimately, he scored 11 points on 4/15 from the field, including 2–7 from beyond the arc. It was insufficient.

One of the better subtext stories of the season is seeing Simons try to navigate the attention defenses are paying him and adjust his game accordingly. Pay attention.

Utility Scorer Jerami Grant With an average of 21.1 points per game, Grant trails Simons in the team’s scoring column. Although we’ve stated again that he isn’t a legitimate #1 option, it’s time to recognize his value. One of the few Blazers who can play well almost anyplace the ball is put in his hands is Grant. Although his attempts from mid-range are not very attractive, you shouldn’t shoot from there very often. Grant has confidence when making his three-point shot, driving to the hoop, and finishing from either side of the court. He is also a quick shooter. We ought to value the creases that lead to defenses more.

Simons should be crowded, opponents should back off of Scoot Henderson, and Matisse Thybulle should be mostly disregarded. There is no long ball threat in Deandre Ayton. It’s not a mainline scorer, Jabari Walker. Malcolm Brogdon and Jerami Grant are the two Blazers that have the ability to make opposing teams reevaluate their strategy. Grant is by far the more powerful of the two.

Grant scored 24 points tonight on 5-12 shooting, including 1-6 from behind the arc. While not excellent, his 13–16 free throw percentage more than made up for it. He finds a way somehow. He grabbed 7 rebounds as well.

Savin’ Ayton in the Game
After a dull first half, Deandre Ayton looked to be gone, but he suddenly began playing like the number one choice in an NBA Draft. He made four baskets in the middle of the court during the third quarter. The Blazers bricked almost everything from the sidelines to the top of the arc, making that their most valuable real estate of the evening. For a minute at least, Deandre stood like a lighthouse, preventing his squad from capitulating.

Against the Bulls, Ayton finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds on 9 of 12 shots. The only starter with a shooting % that wasn’t horrendous was him.

Chicago Breaking
The Bulls brazenly ran on Portland tonight. The Blazers were forced to eat a deep-dish point pizza, and they were warned not to get up from the table until they had finished it. It was difficult to give up a 15–4 lead to the opposition in transition.

I’ll never understand this about this year’s team. Regaining defensive position requires forethought, practice, and quickness. They’re not old. They are full of vitality. Why do they frequently blow out during the break?

Tonight, Scooting Scoot Henderson produced a few of stunning mid-range floaters. These paintings by Rembrandt are incomparable. Keep an eye out for his offense.

Henderson was the only guard for the Blazers who made an effort to alter the game’s tempo while he was on the court. He drove the ball down the floor, forcing Chicago to make a run for it. Four colleagues followed inevitably behind him. Once more, why? That kind of play ought to be contagious, right?

Henderson finished with four points and four assists in his 22 minutes.

Captured Away from the Stage
However, enthusiasm and energy aren’t necessarily positive. The Blazers were repeatedly exposed for over-pursuing the ball and under-reacting on the weak side when playing halfcourt defense. All they had to do was flip the ball to the other side when Portland attempted to contain Chicago’s danger on one end of the court. They would discover a mismatch, an additional attacking player, and hardly any movement to address it. Whatever the nomenclature, Portland ended up looking like a matador playing bulls.

This also occurs at the top, when defenders apply pressure or go for steals. Another puzzling observation is that Portland defenders appear to deactivate as the ball passes them, either by remaining outside the play’s radius or by following at a semi-trot. Not to mention the lame excuse of trying to smuggle in an uncontested layup following a miss. It sounds like the Portland defense players are speaking with the imperial British nobility’s accent: “Well done, sir! It wouldn’t be fair to undermine such a hard work by getting in the way of your scoring chances. We will shortly refight this duel!

The worst part is that Portland’s pursuing defense only caused five turnovers from the Bulls this evening. After turnovers, they allowed up a 17–7 disadvantage in points. Oh no.

In Need of Help?
Chicago’s offensive statistics for the evening—27 assists on 42 completed baskets—combine all of these defensive failings. Portland can close if they have just one target to protect. They won’t impede if you pass the ball to them.

Just a guess: you’re going to lose if you let the opposing team pass easily in the halfcourt and run freely in transition. They’ll make a lot of shots.

Do You Need Assistance?
All of these defensive lapses are combined in Chicago’s offensive statistics for the game, which include 27 assists on 42 made baskets. If Portland has only one target to defend, they can close. If you pass the ball to them, they will not obstruct.

I’ll venture to say that if you allow the other team to run wild in transition and pass the ball easily in the halfcourt, you’re going to lose. They will take numerous shots.

Next Boxscore Up

Never rest for the tired. Tomorrow night at the Moda Center, the Blazers take on the Philadelphia 76’ers, with a 7:00 PM Pacific start. Embiid Joel. Ayton Deandre. Watch what transpires.