Rookie Scoot Henderson produced his first double-double en route to a career performance on Thursday to lead the Portland Trail Blazers in a loss to the Utah Jazz.
Henderson recorded a team-high 23 points, 10 assists, two rebounds and one steal in the 122-114 loss at the Moda Center. He finished 9-of-21 from the field, including 2-of-7 from 3-point range, in 35 minutes off the bench.
The third pick became the first rookie this season to record at least 20 points and 10 assists in a game. He was aggressive throughout, resulting in easy baskets or looks for his teammates.
“It felt good, I guess,” Henderson said. “It is still a loss, and that’s what we’re trying to do: Win games. It felt good to be out there and be comfortable, but other than that, it is still a loss.”
Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups turned to the second unit extensively in the contest after sensing a lull from his starting group. They held a 66-36 advantage in bench scoring, but their starters were outscored 86-48.
“I think tonight was just one of those nights, honestly,” Henderson said. “As a team, everybody knows we didn’t play as well as (we wanted to). We got the shots we wanted; defense-wise, our effort wasn’t there. We didn’t have any fight at some points of the game.”
Henderson logged his ninth appearance since missing nearly three weeks with an ankle injury. He has scored in double figures in three straight games and is averaging 12.1 points, 4.7 assists and three rebounds on 37.2% shooting from the field since returning.
After an inconsistent start this season, Henderson appears to be finding a groove on the court and that has resulted in some of his best performances to date.
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