The Portland Trail Blazers surrendered a season-worst 157 points Friday and allowed a season-low 77 less than 48 hours later.
Through quite the startling difference, Portland will hope it can unleash another stellar defensive effort when it hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
The Trail Blazers were annihilated 157-103 by the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday before having a complete turnaround in a 92-77 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
“I think we responded after a very poor performance against Denver,” Portland interim coach Tiago Splitter said. “(Phoenix) scored 77. “Outstanding job by the guys, just staying focused, playing hard and securing that win even though offensively we were not great.
“But I think this is how we got to construct victories from the defense and then, eventually we will hopefully take care of the ball better. But you got to win on the defensive end.”
Phoenix didn’t score more than 20 points in any period and was missing a lot of firepower in All-Star Devin Booker (right hip strain), Dillon Brooks (fractured left hand) and Grayson Allen (right knee and ankle).
Still, Portland held the Suns to 36.5% from the field and forced 23 turnovers that accounted for 24 points. Donovan Clingan had 23 points and 13 rebounds and Jerami Grant also scored 23 points.
The bad news for the Trail Blazers is that All-Star Deni Avdija reinjured his lower back in the opening minute and had to leave the game.
Avdija missed 10 of Portland’s last 16 games prior to the All-Star break due to back issues, and will miss Tuesday’s game for the same reason.
Shaedon Sharpe, Portland’s second highest scorer (21.4 points per game), will miss his seventh straight game due to a left calf strain.
Minnesota had won three games by an average of 19 points before getting drilled 135-108 by the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
The Timberwolves were without defensive standout Rudy Gobert (one-game suspension for flagrant fouls accumulation) and standout reserve Naz Reid (shoulder).
Gobert is shooting 71.7% from the field this month while averaging 13.7 and 10.9 rebounds. Reid scored 21 points two nights earlier against the Dallas Mavericks.
Minnesota allowed 33 or more points in three different quarters and allowed the 76ers to make 21 of 37 3-point shots.
“They were physical, they’re good defensively, they’re super handsy, they’re active in the gaps,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said of the 76ers. “We fought the game. We went into traffic, we didn’t get off the ball early enough.”
Anthony Edwards scored 28 points after scoring 40 two nights earlier during the 122-111 home win over the Mavericks.
Edwards is averaging 29.5 points per game, third best in the NBA.
Julius Randle had 18 points against Philadelphia but just three rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes. Finch said Randle was battling an illness.
Minnesota is 2-0 against the Trail Blazers this season, winning 118-114 in Portland on Oct. 22 and rolling to a 133-109 home victory Feb. 11.
Edwards scored 41 points in the October game while Grant had 29 for Portland. In the clash earlier this month, Randle scored 41 while Jrue Holiday had 23 for the Trail Blazers. Edwards had just 14 points.
