The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Chicago Bulls 113-102 at the Moda Center on Sunday, and guard Scoot Henderson had his fourth straight great game.
However, his contributions resulted in a victory, unlike the previous three. Indeed, the 25 points scored by the second-year point guard were the highest he had ever scored in a Blazers victory.
Henderson smiled when he played well and won, but he continued to be critical of himself.
There are still certain aspects of the game that I can work on, and we can all do better, he remarked. All we’re trying to do is stack wins, stack days.
Henderson shot 29.9% from three-point range and 39.9% from the field going into this run of games. He flicked the switch abruptly, as if by chance.
He scored a career-high 39 points against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, starting his recent run of success. That was more points than he had scored in the team’s four prior games combined.
However, 132-114 was the Blazers’ defeat. Henderson stated after the game that he found it difficult to enjoy his evening because his focus is on leading the team to wins rather than putting up numbers.
Two nights later, in a 118-89 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Henderson finished with 16 points and six assists. He scored 21 points and dished out 11 assists on Saturday, but the Blazers fell short against the Houston Rockets 125-103.
Over the course of three games, he scored 76 points, but the team lost by a total of 69 points.
Since the Blazers chose Henderson No. 3 overall in the 2023 NBA draft, he has frequently found himself in such circumstances.
On Sunday, January 19, 2025, in Portland, Oregon, Scoot Henderson (00) of the Portland Trail Blazers shoots over Josh Giddey (3) of the Chicago Bulls during the first half of an NBA basketball game. (Photo by Amanda Loman/AP) APAP
During his rookie season, Henderson, who has had trouble shooting since joining the NBA, scored 23 points or more six times. The Blazers fell by a total of 61 points and went 0–6.
Henderson had scored 20 points or more four times going into Sunday. The Blazers lost by a total of 82 points, going 0-4.
Before Sunday, Henderson had scored 19 points in a victory over the Dallas Mavericks on December 28. That was the most points he had scored in a victory this season.
When he scores 20 points, the Blazers are 3-12 for his career. Three times as a rookie, he scored 22 points in a victory, which was his previous career high.
For Henderson, who is enjoying one of his best four-game streaks ever, helping to win with a big scoring night is a significant step. He shot 56.9% from the field and 53.3% from three-point range throughout that time, averaging 25.3 points and 7.8 assists.
He has never scored as many points in a four-game period as he did with his 101 points.
His shooting run can’t go on forever, of course. There will inevitably be bad games. He had previously experienced similarly similar streaks before succumbing to his previous struggles.
However, this present run may indicate fewer negative dips and more peaks in the future.
According to Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Scoot is beginning to become so reliable. This is beginning to slow down for him.
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Aaron J. Fentress | [email protected]|@AaronJFentress (Facebook), @AaronFentress (Instagram), and @AaronJFentress (Twitter)
