Mike Richman here, the host of the daily Locked On Blazers podcast, with your daily Locked On Blazers newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Blazers and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Trail Blazers Beat Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks ... Again
Jan 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) and guard Anfernee Simons (1) looks on in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. | Benny Sieu/Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Portland Trail Blazers pulled off an entertaining 105-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, showcasing their resilience and clutch performance. Anfernee Simons led the charge with a game-high 28 points, including a crucial and-one layup in the final seconds that sealed the deal.
Portland won the game on the strength of the late Simons bucket (more on that below) and two defensive stops in the final 20 seconds. But they did an admirable job against Bucks all-world forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, namely keeping off the free throw line. The Greek Freak, who averages 11 free throw attempts per game, was limited to just four in this contest. This defensive effort was crucial in securing the win, as the Bucks only attempted nine free throws as a team, well shy of their season average of 21.5. Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara were crucial in the defensive effort against Antetokounmpo, and old friend Damian Lillard, who finished with a very pedestrian line of 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting.
Okay, let’s talk about the go-ahead bucket from Simons.
The game-winning sequence came with about 30 seconds left. After Giannis hit two free throws to give Milwaukee the lead, the Blazers had a chance to respond. They ran a play with multiple off-ball actions, engaging all players on the court. This created just enough distraction for Simons to blow past his defender and finish a tough left-handed layup while drawing the foul.
This play design was a refreshing change from the isolation-heavy offense we’ve seen at times this season, and the relentless matchup-hunting the Blazers tried for most of crunch time.
Portland spent much of the final three minutes trying to run screen actions up high to get Lillard isolated on Simons and let Simons attack his mentor, a celebrated poor defender, one-one-one. But it didn’t really lead to much success. It chewed some clock and lead to one decent shot at the rim and three jumpers without much advantage created.
So with the game on the line the Blazers ran a play that involved two off ball screens while Simons dribbled at the top of the key. As Deandre Ayton and Camara went to set screens for their teammates rising up from the opposite corners, Simons attacked the basket. The off-ball defenders were engaged enough to create a driving lane and the help defense was half a step late.
The play itself wasn’t just designed as eye-candy to let Simons attack. But just creating a situation where the help defenders had to pay attention to anything other than the ball gave Simons enough time and space to break off the play and get his. The concept worked even if the Blazers didn’t really run the action all the way through its design. More of that in the future would be a nice development.
Jan 4, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) greets Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) before a game at Frost Bank Center. | Scott Wachter/Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Casting a cursory eye up and down the standings this weekend, I noticed some appearances that made me take a second look. This went for teams for climbing and sliding. So, I’m introducing a potentially recurring feature called “Monday movers”, highlighting teams jostling and jockeying in the standings, likely bound to get more contentious as the season goes on.
San Antonio Spurs
What a thrill it must be for long-suffering Spurs fans to take a glance at the West’s top 10 and see their team there, after so many seasons spent hanging around the bottom of the conference. What a thrill it was for me, too!
It’s not all because of Victor Wembanyama, but the phenom did hit two milestones this weekend: he played his 100th NBA game and he turned 21. His in-game numbers are similarly worth celebrating.
He’s the first player since Shaquille O’Neal to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds before turning 21, and the 7th player in the last 45 years to score over 2,200 points (he’s scored 2,278) through his first 100 games. Other than Bill Walton and Brad Daugherty, Wembanyama’s the only other 7-foot center with 385+ assists before turning 21, though their first 100 games. He’s also put up more threes than Steph Curry did, with 225 to Curry’s 200 through their first 100 games.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Rumor The latest trade rumors suggest the Portland Trail Blazers might be considering moving Anfernee Simons. Discussions revolve around potential contract implications and strategic decisions by Joe Cronin and Chauncey Billups. (Blazer’s Edge)
Preview The Trail Blazers will take on the Pistons at the Little Caesars Arena at 7:00 PM ET. Read the preview.(NBA)
Trades The Jimmy Butler vs. Heat saga escalated quickly: Here’s what we know. (ESPN)
Biz Amazon adds Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki to its inaugural studio coverage for the 2025-2026 season. (The Athletic)
Jan 5, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Utah Jazz guard Brice Sensabaugh (28) is interviewed by Seg Media reporter, Lauren Green following a game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images | Russell Lansford/Russell Lansford-Imagn Images
One of the most intriguing developments on Sunday came from the Utah Jazz, where rookie Brice Sensabaugh has suddenly burst onto the scene with a scoring explosion.
Sensabaugh dropped 27 points against the Orlando Magic, following up a 34-point performance in his previous outing. That’s a staggering 61 points over two games for a player who had been largely off the fantasy radar. His usage rate has skyrocketed to over 30% in these contests, and he’s been scorching hot from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 17 three-point attempts.
However, before we rush to add Sensabaugh in all leagues, it’s crucial to examine the context of his breakout. The Jazz were missing several key players, including Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson. This opened up a significant opportunity for Sensabaugh to showcase his scoring prowess.
The sustainability of Sensabaugh’s production is questionable. His three-point shooting percentage is bound to regress, and when the Jazz get healthier, his minutes and usage are likely to decrease. That said, he’s shown enough to warrant consideration as a streaming option in deeper leagues, particularly when Utah is shorthanded.
Click the button below for more insights, including another Thunder player to keep an eye on for your fantasy roster.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Blazers podcasts.
Deni Avdija Is Finding His Rhythm But Trail Blazers Lose in Memphis The good news: Deni Avdija is finding his footing. The bad news: Pretty much everything else.
Anfernee Simons Delivers in the Clutch as Trail Blazers Get Bounce Back Win in Houston Anfernee Simons scored 15 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and the Trail Blazers avenged an ugly loss on Friday night with a clutch win over the same Houston Rockets on Saturday.
Can the Trail Blazers Follow The Houston Rockets Rebuild Path? | Game Preview with Locked On Rockets A crossover edition of the show with Jackson Gatlin of Locked On Rockets, previewing the Trail Blazers two games against the Rockets on Friday and Saturday.
