Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe could not duplicate Wednesday’s career night during Friday’s win at the Brooklyn Nets.
But he might have if the game had been closer.
Sharpe scored 25 points during the 121-102 win at the Nets, but that included playing just over three minutes in the fourth quarter.
His efforts, which included 14 points in the first quarter, helped put the game out of reach by early in the final quarter. During Wednesday’s 129-121 win at Washington, Sharpe scored a career-high 36 points, with 12 coming in the fourth quarter.
Point production aside, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said the third-year guard impressed him by again playing aggressively at both ends of the court.
“I love when Shaedon is aggressive like that, and he’s on the attack,” Billups told reporters at the Barclays Center. “But I also loved his defensive pressure on the ball. His playmaking when they blitzed. He was ready for all of it and he had an answer for all of it. I thought Shaedon had a very well-rounded game.”
Sharpe went 9 of 14 from the field and hit 4 of 6 three-pointers against the Nets. He began the game by hitting his first seven shots from the field.
His 61 combined points against the Wizards and Nets are the most he has scored in consecutive games since November. On Nov. 13, Sharpe scored 33 points in a home win over Minnesota and then four nights later came back with 32 in a win against Atlanta.
Portland Trail Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe (17) shoots over Brooklyn Nets’ Killian Hayes (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) APAP
Sharpe credited his focus on defense for his offense.
“I think today I started off with defense again,” Sharpe told reporters. “Like I said last game, I think defense really carries over to offense. But my whole goal was just trying to attack.”
Billups said he loves Sharpe’s aggressiveness when he’s focused, especially on defense, where he has played much better recently.
“Knowing that his length and his strength, he can be impactful, he can be disruptive,” Billups said. “He’s not gonna be like Toumani (Camara). But he can be like Shaedon. And I’ve seen him be a really good defender. We’re all seeing it right now. Exactly what you’re seeing is what I’ve been asking of him.”
Sharpe’s lack of focus on defense caused Billups to remove him from the starting lineup in January. Sharpe and Kris Murray started Friday night in place of Deni Avdija (quad) and Jerami Grant (knee), both out with injuries.
That placed added pressure on Sharpe to come through. He credited his hard work in improving defensively for his performance.
“I think it’s just watching film off the court,” Sharpe said. “Taking a minute to see what the other team has planned and how they play.”
The Blazers (27-33) play at the Cleveland Cavaliers at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
— Aaron Fentress | [email protected] | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)
