Notebook: Trail Blazers End Homestand Perfect With Blowout Win Over Cavaliers

The Trail Blazers finish their week-long homestand perfect with a blowout victory over the Cavaliers at Moda Center on Friday night.

Notes, observations and analysis from the Portland Trail Blazers' blowout 129-110 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night at Moda Center.

• The Blazers essentially had this game won less than halfway through the first quarter. Portland opened up a 22-4 lead on Enes Kanter's free throws with 6:03 left, and the overall tenor of the action made that eye-popping discrepancy seem earned by both teams. From the opening tip, it was clear the Blazers' starters were operating with the type of speed and precision that Cleveland's would never match. 
• Another factor contributing to Cleveland's ugly two-way play early: How much better J.B. Bickerstaff's team looked immediately after Jarrett Allen replaced Drummond. On Friday, thankfully, Allen's box-score numbers supported the fact he's a far superior player to an extent they normally don't. The eye test made that painfully clear against the Blazers, too. It'll be beneficial for both the Cavaliers and Drummond when he's playing elsewhere after the trade deadline.
• A shocking aspect of Portland's early binge on the scoreboard? It included not a single made three-pointer. The Blazers attempted just two threes in the game's first 10 minutes, content to make hay at the rim against a scrambled, confused Cleveland defense. Their third try from deep was their first make, when Carmelo Anthony found himself wide open in the corner after setting a side ball screen for Damian Lillard.
• These jaw-dropping non-dunks from Derrick Jones Jr. came within 90 seconds of each another on the game clock. Goodness.

• Another behemoth opposing center, another huge rebounding effort from Enes Kanter. Drummond is one of the few players in basketball who could make a legitimate claim he's a better offensive rebounder than Kanter. You wouldn't have known it on Friday, when Kanter outdid him 7-1 on the offensive glass and limited Drummond to just a single rebound in the first half altogether.
• Anfernee Simons, fresh off three straight double-digit scoring games, is playing with more confidence than he ever has in his NBA career. He did most of his damage against Cleveland when the game was out of reach, highlighting his innate deep shooting ability off the bounce. But Simons made quick, confident decisions in the halfcourt all game long, a welcome trend for his development that seems to have some staying power.
• Gary Trent Jr. poured in a casual team-high of 26 points while shooting 8-of-12 from the field. Maybe most encouraging for the Blazers is that his production mostly came in the flow of the offense. Well, this absolutely filthy in-out dribble and finger-roll finish on Drummond certainly augurs well for Trent's game, too.

• It would be remiss to bypass Anthony scoring at least 20 points for the fifth time in six games. The Cavaliers, like most all teams for the last couple decades when 'Melo is in this shooting groove, just had no good matchup for him in the post.

Next up: Sunday at Dallas Mavericks, 4:30 p.m. (PST)