The Blazers continue to impress this season in getting different kinds of wins. Today was one of those nights where the shots were just not there. The basket was as big as a boat last night against the 76ers, but, in Detroit, the basket had a steel lid on it. Every Blazer bucket was hard fought and, again, the defense by the Blazers was subject to question. However, somehow, the Blazers squeaked out an OT victory against the Detroit Pistons 111-109 in a game where the Blazers should not have won, honestly.

Everything that could have gone wrong for the Blazers went wrong. Last night’s game against the 76ers was a polar opposite of this one. The Blazers only shot 27% from three and were 7-for-26 on the night. Normally, that would be a recipe for disaster and to top it off, the Pistons had 68 points in the paint. Now, for how the Pistons like to play basketball, you would think this would be a win. I still do not understand how the Pistons lost control of this game. Josh Smith had 31 points on 13-for-17 shooting and 7 rebounds as he was eating up Batum on the offensive end. This was a matchup nightmare for the Blazers as the Pistons have three players that can rebound and are just huge bodies. The Blazers led by 7 after the first quarter and were down by 1 at the half after Detroit went on a tear and couldn’t miss. They were carving up the Blazers’ defense and were playing with more energy. Now, this is to be expected as the players are playing on the end of a back-to-back, but it was destructive.

Then the third quarter happened. The quarter that all Blazer fans wait for as this is usually the quarter where the Blazers take control and tighten up the defensive end, the Blazers just did more of the same. The Pistons outscored them 33-23 in the third quarter and looked to be on their way to a victory. This felt like the Dallas game as the Blazers would cut the lead to 4 and then would throw it out of bounds or just could not get a stop. The defense really has not been a strength for the Blazers in the last week and a half. We have spurts, but we do not play good defense consistently. None of the three-pointers were falling as Damian Lillard recorded a 0-for-7 from out there. Wesley Matthews was only 1-for-5 from downtown and Batum, who hit three of the seven, was 3-for-7 to finish the night. So, the defense was nonexistent for most of the game and the offense was not clicking. I guess it is time to move on and think about Cleveland right? No.

The Blazers came in to the fourth quarter with nothing to lose and staring at a 11-point deficit. If they were to do something it would have to be fast. As the quarter started, the defense finally showed up. Lillard was playing fantastic defense on Brandon Jennings down the stretch. Poking at the ball, grabbing steals, and even having an insane put-back on the offensive end, Lillard got the memo. Then Mo Williams got going and made a couple of threes to cut the deficit into single-digits. Blazer fans probably stuck around at that point. All of the sudden, the offense was moving and the Blazers were playing with a sense of purpose. They were getting physical. Aldridge was swishing shots that he had been missing all night long and the Blazers were going to the rim constantly, while playing fantastic defense on the other end. In the fourth quarter alone, Josh Smith only attempted two shots.

The game eventually got into overtime, but with some added drama. Andre Drummond, the resident rebound vaccum and muscle, was sitting on 5 fouls. I was shocked that he did not pick up a sixth at some point. You know the end result, but Blazers and Pistons went back and forth exchanging blows. Just when it looked like the Blazers might pull away, Brandon Jennings hit a fade-away three at the shot-clock buzzer to tie it at 105-105. However, the next possession by Detroit was probably the turning point. Jennings dribbled down and chucked a three-pointer, thinking he had it going and it clunked. In OT, that was big. It is all about the number of possessions in OT and Jennings just threw one away. Bad play. Tied at 109, the Blazers had the final possession. Of course, everyone cleared out for Damian. Rodney Stuckey played phenomenal defense forcing Lillard to turn and fade-away for a mid-range shot at the buzzer. Fortunately for the Blazers, it went in and sealed a game that the Blazers really should not have won. The Pistons slacked on the defensive end and for some reason the paint was open for the Blazers. It also helped that the three-pointers started falling, which makes the offense spring to life. Detroit has been bad at holding leads. Why, on Friday against Brooklyn, the Nets outscored the Pistons 31-17 in the fourth to almost win that game. Again, the Blazers had no business in winning this game, but you’ll take it.

LaMarcus Aldridge had a less-than-optimal shooting night, but still ended with 27 points on 11-for-25 shooting, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks. LA has been so good in the clutch this season and that showed tonight in the fourth quarter. The Pistons lost him on a couple of offensive possessions and he hit some wide open bread-and-butter shots of his to lessen the deficit. He also showed force by turning the corner on that left block and charging the basket. Not many people can stop that without fouling him. What more can you say that I haven’t said already? The guy is an all-star. Expect these numbers.

Batum continues to have increased offensive numbers as of late as he ended the night with 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. This was the first game I saw Batum struggle on the defensive end and can you blame him? Going up against Josh Smith as he had it going is difficult for anybody and in particular for Batum. Batum isn’t exactly the physical powerhouse that Smith is so the Pistons abused the matchup all night, except for the fourth quarter, which baffles me. Other than that, Batum continues to have solid offensive games. He has had a few graceful plays that have been mighty impressive.

Damian Lillard had an abysmal shooting night, but hit when it counted. He ended the night with 23 points on 6-for-21 shooting, 7 assists, and 3 steals. He got to the line a lot in this game. Going 11-for-12 from FT, Lillard was still able to be a factor even though he put up a J.R. Smith shooting FG% night. Lillard’s defense on Jennings in the fourth needs to be praised and it made the difference. It forced the Pistons into rushed shots or bad passes, which caused the Blazers to gain some traction late. Lillard hit the game-winner and was clutch down the stretch in OT. However, going 6-for-21 is pretty disgusting. I fully expect that to be better in the next game against Cleveland.

Well, the Blazers get a day off to rest their weary legs before taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday at 4:00 PM PST. Cleveland has been underwhelming this year to say to the least, but the Irving vs Lillard matchup should prove to be a fun one indeed. Stay tuned!