Trail Blazers’ confidence soared after win over Denver ‘stopped the bleeding’

Several Portland Trail Blazers, including coach Chauncey Billups, said throughout the week that the team’s spirits remained high despite losing six straight games and 10 of 12 games.

But nothing lifts a team’s spirits more than a win, and Thursday’s 126-124 victory over the Denver Nuggets was a real slam dunk.

“Obviously the bleeding has definitely stopped,” Blazers guard Anfernee Simons said. “In a game like this against a good team that won a championship two years ago, being able to beat them will always boost our spirits.”

Denver, which won the NBA title in 2023, came to Portland on a three-game winning streak and was the odds-on favorite against the struggling Blazers (9-18), who allowed 52.0% shooting from the field and 44 to their previous six opponents .7% to shoot. from the three-point range.

Denver (14-11) continued that trend, shooting 54% from the field and 44.1% from distance. However, the Blazers compensated by limiting turnovers to 10 and generating 21 second-chance points, compared to nine for the Nuggets.

Portland also dished out 29 assists, tied for the fifth-most assists this season.

“We never lost confidence when we came around,” Billups said.

Although they were able to move the ball well to get good shots, they often hit the rim more than the net, especially in the fourth quarter where the Blazers only made 30% of their shots. Denver took advantage and erased a 17-point deficit to lead 122-120 with less than a minute left.

But the Blazers stuck with what had worked before, and their commitment paid off when Simons scored the game-winning goal as time expired.

“I was proud of us for hanging in there tonight and just continuing to make the right play,” Billups said.

Portland has averaged 26.4 assists over its last nine games (17th in the NBA over that span), a significant jump over its season average of 22.7 (28th).

“I think we’re getting to the point where everyone knows each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe said.

Sometimes it can be difficult for a coach to convince his team to trust strategic concepts while he is losing. The win over Denver rewarded the Blazers for continuing to stick with the process.

“This is a good endorsement for our guys to continue to play the right way, trust each other, trust the pass and whatever the results may be, but they have to play the right way,” Billups said.

After everything came together in a narrow win over a team of Denver’s caliber, the Blazers’ locker room was elated.

“Getting a dub against them can really boost our confidence,” Sharpe said.

To become a team like Denver, the Blazers have to beat teams like that. So far this season, they have quality wins over 14-12 Minnesota (twice), the LA Clippers (16-12), Atlanta Hawks (14-14), Houston Rockets (18-9) and Sacramento Kings (13-12). . 15), a playoff team last season, and now the Nuggets.

“This is the type of team we want to be,” Simons said. “That type of team that’s fighting for playoff spots.”