The second basketball game Emmanuel Mudiay had played in more than a year was going quite well when the second-quarter clock struck zero—for him, at least. But the Trail Blazers' two-point halftime lead, apparently, didn't come close to representing their best effort team-wide.
It didn't take a spirited locker-room speech from the coaching staff or significant second-half adjustments for Portland to change that. Mudiay and his fellow veterans sent the message themselves.
Buoyed by some halftime self-reflection, the Blazers beat the LA Clippers 86-66 on Tuesday night in Las Vegas, moving to 2-0 in Summer League action. Portland outscored LA 25-15 in the third quarter, using a 13-0 run midway through the period to blow an otherwise competitive game wide open.
Mudiay, Michael Beasley, Kenneth Faried and the Blazers other veterans have been lauded for the winning, professional tone they set in mini-camp action leading up to Summer League. They brought it to the locker room on Tuesday when Portland needed it, too.
"I didn't really have to get on them; they get on themselves," coach Roy Rogers said of the summer Blazers after the game. "They knew they werent playing up to the level that they had set for themselves [in the first half]. By the time i got there they were already addressing the issues that iIwas gonna talk about. so I just cleaned up a couple things, and they went out there and played the way they're capable of playing."
Mudiay scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half to keep his somewhat sleep team awake, exhibiting the skill and guile that's made him a multi-year contributor in the NBA. He got a friendly bounce on a three, muscled his way to the cup for a finger roll in isolation and even hit a one-footed fadeaway from the elbow in ball-screen action.
Not bad for a guy who didn't play in the league last season—his choice, Mudiay reiterate during and after the game.
"For me it was just getting back acclimated. That's why i really wanted to play Summer League; I haven't played in over a year."
Fellow NBA veteran Kobi Simmons spearheaded Portland's dominant second half, especially in transition, finishing with a team-high 15 points. Antonio Blakeney, another guard with experience in the league, followed up his 27-point performance in the opener with 12 points.
Greg Brown didn't play in the first half, a decision made before the game to give others on the roster playing time. He made a quick impact when he got on the floor, canning a pair of threes and grabbing four rebounds. Brown had nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, netting a team-best +18 plus-minus in 14 minutes.
Portland is back in action at Summer League on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. (PST) against the Indiana Pacers.
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