A lesson in defeat: Blazers gain ‘1st taste of playoffs’ in NBA Cup loss to Spurs

As Deni Avdija pondered his late-game free throw misses, his teammates’ ice-cold long-range shooting and the Portland Trail Blazers’ shaky rebounding and turnover-prone offense, he was soothed by a surprising thought.

It’s all part of the process.

The Blazers squandered a chance to reach the knockout round of the NBA Cup, falling 112-105 to the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night at the Moda Center.

But the way Avdija sees it, this young and growing team gained more in defeat than perhaps it ever could have in victory.

“I feel like it was kind of like a first taste of a playoff game,” Avdija said. “I know I’m not experienced. A lot of the guys are not experienced yet. And I feel like it was a good test for us … I think it was a disappointing loss, but it was a good loss for us to learn (from), because we’re going to be in those positions in the future and I feel like it’s good for us. Obviously we wanted to win, but definitely a good test for us for years to come.”

There was certainly a lot to learn from.

The Blazers’ defensive rebounding was abysmal, allowing San Antonio to corral 20 offensive rebounds and generate 19 second-chance points. The Blazers’ defense was inconsistent, allowing the Spurs’ starting backcourt to score 60 points. The Blazers’ three-point shooting was frigid, laboring through a 9-for-36 night. And the Blazers coughed up the ball 18 times, which led to 21 San Antonio points.

In many ways, Portland (8-11) was pancaked by its own style, succumbing to a talented team that played hard, played fast, chased offensive rebounds and forced turnovers.

San Antonio (12-5) point guard De’Aaron Fox finished with 37 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals and shooting guard Devin Vassell recorded 23 points. Nine different Spurs recorded an offensive rebound, while seven different Spurs snatched a steal.

“I think there’s a lot of things that we did wrong,” said Blazers forward Toumani Camara, who went 2 for 11 from three-point range. “We didn’t box out the way we were supposed to early on. We had a lot of stupid turnovers. We missed a lot of free throws. We missed a lot of open shots. And I think we were quiet towards the second half and kind of let down a little bit too early, in my opinion.”

So, yeah, there were basketball lessons scattered everywhere at the Moda Center. Lessons about boxing out, about taking care of the ball, about valuing possessions, about playing smart. The intensity was elevated more than a standard November Wednesday night in the NBA, since there were NBA Cup implications, and a rebuilding team didn’t answer the challenge.

“It’s a different loss,” Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter said. “We’re out of the tournament. But there’s a lot of young guys on our team and they’re learning how to win and how to compete in those moments, every possession.”

The Blazers had their chances in a game that featured 12 lead changes and eight ties. But the Spurs’ backcourt was too prolific, their effort too dominant and their defense too stingy. By the fourth quarter, when the Blazers tried to mount a late challenge, they ran out of steam, managing just 16 points on 29% shooting.

Avdija was brilliant most of the night, finishing with 37 points, eight assists and six rebounds. But he committed six turnovers, inexplicably made just 2 of 8 free throws in the final period and didn’t have much offensive help.

The starting forward made 12 of 19 shots, including 5 of 9 three-pointers — his teammates made 25 of 68 shots (37%), including 4 of 28 threes (14%).

In the end, it cost the Blazers a chance at the knockout round of the NBA Cup, which seemed an impossibility before the season. Portland was trying to advance out of West Group C, a five-team cluster so stacked, it had been dubbed the “Group of Death.” After stunning the Denver Nuggets on Halloween and edging the Golden State Warriors last week in San Francisco, the Blazers were just one win away from moving on.

Instead, they were given a lesson about playoff-like basketball and how far they are from being ready to rise to such a moment.

“I think we’re down a lot of bodies, but a lot of players are stepping up and I’m so happy to see the competitiveness, the next-man-up mentality,” Avdija said. “As I said, we’re not experienced in playoff yet, but I definitely can see the potential of this team. We’re so young, man. It’s so fun. Even if we lose, it’s just fun playing with the guys.

“I don’t feel like we’re getting destroyed like I’ve experienced in years’ past. We’re fighting. Everybody wants to win. Everybody’s on a string. That’s what makes this team special. We’re losing because we’re learning and we’re growing.”