Blazers' Scoot Henderson Explains Scoring Tear

Embattled second-year Portland Trail Blazers reserve point guard Scoot Henderson has been turning his scoring up a notch of late.

After a patchy first season that saw him not even secure an All-Rookie Second Team accolade, Henderson saw himself demoted to a bench role, as Portland head coach Chauncey Billups shifted 2023-24 starting shooting guard Anfernee Simons to the starting point guard slot.

Henderson may not be particularly consistent even late into his second NBA season, but the 6-foot-2 pro can turn things on when he needs to.

Across his last five games, Henderson is averaging 18.4 points on .449/.391/.750 shooting splits, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 0.6 steals a night.

Per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, Henderson began Portland's 114-113 overtime loss to the New York Knicks shooting a bit erratically, but he had earned Billups' confidence enough that the fourth-year head coach stuck with him down the stretch of the game.

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“He started off a little rough and then he just took over the game,” said Billups, per Fentress. “He was absolutely incredible in the game, and on both sides of the ball.”

To wit, Billups stuck with Henderson for all 12 minutes of the contest's fourth quarter, despite Henderson having scored a mediocre 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 shooting from the free throw line.

In the fourth frame, Henderson led all scorers with 18 points on a red-hot 6-of-7 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 shooting from the charity stripe.

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“I’m comfortable in those situations,” Henderson said of his clutch bucket-getting in the fourth quarter. “At the end of the day, it’s basketball. I’ve worked my whole life to be in those situations. You got to be careful of what you ask for if you’re scared in those situations.”

In the subsequent overtime frame, Henderson scored just two points on 1-of-3 shooting from the field. Thanks largely to Henderson's efforts, the Trail Blazers matched the Knicks' output. Each club went 29-29 in the fourth quarter, ending the game 106-106 in regulation. A buzzer-beating Mikal Bridges triple helped New York seal the win at the end of the first overtime period.

Henderson finished with 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the floor and 6-of-10 shooting from the foul line, plus three rebounds, two assists, and steal.

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For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.