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

Thompson didn't have a great outing in Portland

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.

Flop - Colin Sexton:

Sexton is having a mixed year for the lowly Cavs

Colin Sexton was selected as the eighth overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has been having a mixed rookie season with some great performances and some poor ones.

In this game, Sexton ended with 11 points and just 1 assist. He failed to involve his teammates or create open shots for them. He also shot 5-11 from the field. Being a proper facilitator has been a problem for Sexton this season.

Although, he has been good as a scorer this season as he has scored 14.6 points per game on 39% shooting from beyond the arc and 87% shooting from the FT line. But his playmaking skills need to improve, being the point guard for his team. He is averaging only 2.8 assists per game for the season.

With LeBron James joining the Lakers, Sexton and another possible high pick in next year's draft are the Cavaliers biggest hopes.

Hit - Jusuf Nurkic:

Jusuf Nurkic with an

all-round

performance

The Blazers center recorded the first triple-double of his career in the match. He was a force throughout the contest and completed the triple-double in just 28 minutes of playing time.

Nurkic recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists for the match to go along with 5 blocks. This was a complete performance from Nurkic who has been putting in some stellar performances in recent games for the Blazers. For his last assist, Nurkic passed the ball to Damian Lillard on the perimeter who splashed a three to give Nurkic his triple-double.

He is having another great season for the Blazers. He has been averaging a double-double for the season, scoring 14.8 points and grabbing 10.4 rebounds per game. The Blazers look like a well-oiled machine both from inside and outside and Nurkic has become one of the critical members for the Blazers this season.

Hit - Damian Lillard:

Damian Lillard was locked in from the start

Damian Lillard was the best player playing tonight and he ended with the best performance of the match.

Lillard opened the match with two three-pointers to set the ball rolling for his team and finished the match with 33 points and 6 assists on a very efficient 11-19 shooting from the floor, 4-6 from beyond the arc and 7-7 from the FT line. Lillard was scoring buckets from everywhere on the court to lead his team to victory.

He is also averaging 26.2 points and 6.1 assists per game for the season and has been having another elite season for the Blazers. The Blazers are firmly in the mix for playoff contention in the Western Conference and Lillard's superstar displays in each game have propelled them to a comfortable position. The Portland Trail Blazers heavily rely on Lillard and will rely on his scoring outburst in every game they play.