The Portland Trail Blazers came into Tuesday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves short on players and without expectations, especially after a 45-point blowout against the Memphis Grizzlies in their last outing. Surprise, surprise. Although starting center Deandre Ayton had to withdraw from the match due to a sprained finger and starting guard Anfernee Simons would follow shortly after, huge contributions from Dalano Banton, Robert Williams III, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara would lead Portland to a decisive (and unexpected) 122 -108 win.

Banton scored 12 points with 5 assists and 2 blocks in 23 minutes, filling in as point guard for the missing Simons. Scoot Henderson attacked the rim strongly, adding 14 points and 3 steals in 20 minutes. Williams shot 9-10 from the floor for 19 points and 9 boards. Avdija added 17 points and 5 assists and Camara 14.

The Blazers shot 18-32, 56.3% from beyond the arc in this one, clearly their strongest performance of the season from distance.

Here’s how the game went.

First quarter

Both teams played fairly active defense at the start of the match. Blocked shots and turnovers were the order of the day early. Of course, that was to the advantage of the Blazers and their depleted offense. You can’t trail a game by 20 points if the opponent only scores 20 points per period.

As the quarter progressed, the Blazers started hitting threes. That was a good sign, because it’s really the only way they stay competitive in games. The marksmanship came with doubly bad news. Anfernee Simons went to the locker room with an unknown injury. (It would turn out to be a chest problem and he would not return.) Scoot Henderson, his replacement, made three errors in a very short space of time. With Deandre Ayton already sidelined with a sprained finger, Portland’s bed remained under the sheets.

Dalano Banton and Robert Williams III helped the Blazers finish the quarter strong at point and center, respectively. A pair of late threes for the ‘Wolves kept them alive, but a Banton three on the horn put Portland up 28-17. They shot 6-11 from distance. Tree.

Second quarter

Banton continued to stroke threes as the second period began. The Blazers’ composite lineup also continued to force turnovers. That kept the pressure on Minnesota, which started connecting on its own. It was a dogfight, but the eleven points the ‘Wolves gave the Blazers in the first quarter certainly helped.

Banton and Deni Avdija continued to run the offense in the absence of Portland’s standard point guards. Williams also put up some impressive scores on the inside, with a pair of dunks courtesy of Banton lobs in the halfcourt. The point production slowed a bit and Minnesota continued to drain threes, cutting the lead to single digits, but Portland maintained its integrity. They led by 8-9 points for most of the quarter. went into halftime with a 60-53 lead. Hooray for the unsung bench, especially Banton and Williams.

Third quarter

The Blazers’ backcourt and Robert Williams III played lob-o-rama as the second half began. Rudy Gobert played in the intermediate areas and came out to try to stop Scoot Henderson and other drivers, who he assumed would just shoot. Not so. Passes to King Robert III resulted in a bevy of dunks. That kept Portland solid even as Minnesota continued to score from distance.

Portland’s own sick, sick three-point shooting continued as well. For Henderson, spreading the court with 65% accuracy from the arc was like putting a piece of cheese in front of a mouse. He rushed to the rim and converted layups with abandon. Towards evening, Avdija hit a three at the buzzer, echoing Banton’s from the first. Portland led 93-74 after three.

Fourth quarter

All good things must come to an end. Portland’s shooting streak died as the fourth quarter began. Unable to buy a bucket, the Blazers settled for forcing turnovers and making the Timberwolves work hard for rebounds. It didn’t allow them to easily cruise to victory, but it kept the separation on the scoreboard wide enough that the match never looked in doubt. Minnesota got dunks, inside shots and free throws in the fourth, but they never ran long enough to close the gap. A little scoring from veteran Jerami Grant, a little defense, and the game was sealed.

The win puts the Blazers at 1-0 in the race for the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup.

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Box score

The Blazers will host the same Timberwolves, Pacific tomorrow night at 7 p.m.