Thunder Hits Portland--Up Next Toronto

Thursday night the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled into town to take on the Blazers. This was the first home game after the Blazers successful 3-1 road trip and with OKC being a conference rival it was an important game to say the least.

Starting 5:
LaMarcus Aldridge
Marcus Camby
Nicolas Batum
Andre Miller
Brandon Roy

LaMarcus Aldridge once again was the player of the game. The beard man scored 22 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist. He shot 11-19 from the field. LaMarcus has been one of the most consistent guys on the team! Night after night he is getting the job done and in the first few minutes of the game, he was the only Blazer who scored any points at all. The only thing that I'm not too happy about was that LMA shot 0-0 from the line. I was actually shocked looking at that stat. The L-Train has been doing a much better job at getting to the line but just couldn't get there on Thursday. Brandon Roy had a nice game with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He shot 6-17 from the field and a perfect 6-6 from the line. I have to say though, this game really belonged to Nicolas Batum. Nico has been struggling to keep a rhythm so far but Thursday that rhythm finally came back. He scored 16 points alonf with 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Batum was all over the place that night working hard on both the offensive and defensive ends. Nico guarded Kevin Durant for most of the night and though KD was able to score 28 points, he was only 2-5 from beyond the arch, showing that Nicolas made Kevin go to the hoop and work for those points. It was good to see Batum really get back into the swing of things and I hope he's able to take that game and only build on it Saturday.

Box Score:

Oklahoma City won the game 107-106 in OT.

This game was won at the free throw line. Oklahoma City shot 24-26 from the line (92%) and Portland shot 16-20 (80%) with some players (cough, LMA, cough) not making it to the free throw line at all. When a game is won or lost by such a small number I always look at the free throw percentage. In a close game, free throws are HUGE. Next, I look at rebounds. Extra possessions can make or break a game. OKC out-rebounded POR by 9 (47 rebounds to our 38). The Thunder out-rebounded us on the defensive end with 32 to our 23. Those extra possessions allowed Oklahoma to break the Blazers 12 point lead and eventually take the win in OT.

Photo(s) of the Night:

The team officially announced the dedication of this season to Maurice Lucas Thursday night with Lucas' family in attendance.

Homeless Sonics mascot. 

The Blazers next take on the Toronto Raptors at the Rose Garden Saturday night.

• The Trail Blazers have won four straight games in the series, tying for Portland’s longest win streak over Toronto (2002-03). 

• Portland has swept Toronto, 2-0, each of the past two seasons. The Trail Blazers have also won the last three matchups at the 

Rose Garden with the last loss coming Dec. 22, 2006 (101-100 OT). 

• Toronto’s top two scorers (Chris Bosh, 28.0, and Hedo Turkoglu, 19.0) from last year’s season series against Portland are no longer 

with the Raptors. Andrea Bargnani (13.0) averaged the most points against Portland last season among Toronto’s returning players. 

• Four Trail Blazers averaged at least 15 points vs. the Raptors last season. Brandon Roy led the way with a 20.0 scoring average 

while LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Andre Miller each averaged 15.5 points per game. 

• Toronto’s Andrea Bargnani and Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge were selected fi rst and second overall in the 2006 NBA Draft. 

• Brandon Roy logged his fi rst career double-double on Dec. 22, 2006, against the Raptors, with 16 points and 10 rebounds to go 

along with eight assists. 

• Portland shot 51.4 percent (18-35) from 3-point range against Toronto last season. Rudy Fernandez and Nicolas Batum each 

hit six total shots from downtown in two games against the Raptors last year. 

• Portland committed only 18 turnovers against the Raptors in two meetings last season while forcing Toronto into 27 turnovers. 

• With a 105.0 scoring average against Toronto last season, Portland’s average margin of victory over the Raptors was 12.5 points 

in two games last season. 

• Toronto’s last two victories over Portland have both come in overtime. The last time Toronto won a game in regulation against the 

Trail Blazers was Feb. 12, 2006, in Toronto. 

• Marcus Camby was drafted second overall by the Toronto Raptors in 1996. Camby played 126 games in two seasons for Toronto 

while blocking a total of 360 shots. 

• Rudy Fernandez plays on the Spanish National Team with Toronto guard Jose Calderon. Calderon matched the record for assists 

by a Raptor against the Trail Blazers with 13 on Dec. 7, 2008. 

• Toronto guard Jarrett Jack posted 9.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in three seasons with the Trail Blazers from 2005-08. 

ALSO: The Portland Trail Blazers have announced that they signed C Sean Marks today to replace Fabricio Oberto who retired Thursday due to a pre-diagnosed heart condition.


Sources: Yahoo Sports Media Notes

The Enforcer 1952-2010

I wanted to make a special post to commemorate Maurice Lucas, the Enforcer.

Maurice had been battling bladder cancer and sadly lost his battle Sunday October 31, 2010. His legacy will always be remembered by the Blazer community. He was apart of the 1977-1978 championship winning team and went on to play for the Blazers for a total of five years. He was known for being a tough guy on the court but a real sweetheart off of it.

Our thoughts are prayers are with Lucas' family.

The memorial for Lucas will be held on Monday November 8 at the Memorial Colliseum where Lucas brought the NBA championship to Portland so many years ago. Doors open at 11 AM and the service starts at noon.

Feb. 18 1952 - Oct. 31, 2010

The Enforcer

Chicago Fears the Beard--Up Next Milwaukee

The Blazers have had a spectacular start to the 2010-2011 season going 3-0 for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. Yesterday, the Blazers travelled to the windy city to try and boost that streak to 4-0.

Starting Five:
LaMarcus Aldridge
Nicolas Batum
Marcus Camby
Andre Miller
Brandon Roy

The high scorer of the night and all other recognition goes to none other than LaMarcus Aldridge (and his beard, I'm a fan). LMA came close to a career high and double-double with 33 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot. The man was nearly flawless. He was perfect from the free throw line shooting 9-9 and  12-19 from the field. LaMarcus was the absolute leader of this team last night. We struggled out of the gate but LaMarcus caught fire and never slowed down. Brandon Roy had an extremely slow start but still finished the game with 17 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Roy shot 4-12 from the field and 0-2 from beyond the arch. In the bronze position for the night was rookie, Armon Johnson with 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Johnson, who had family present at this game, was a surprising spark late in the 4th quarter. Nate took the starters out, flew the white flag and put in the rookies with 4 minutes to go. Johnson led that rookie unit to bring the Chicago lead down to 9 with an 8-0 run. The run was cut short but it made this loss a little less painful knowing our rookies were the type to go out there and try and make something happen.

Box Score:

The Blazers came out slow and tired in the first half. The Bulls were able to kill us on transition and get easy lay-ins and buckets but what was the real dagger was field goal shooting. The Bulls  shot a steady 60% from the field to our 41% and a big 38% from 3-pt range to our shocking 0%. Luol Deng was huge for the Bulls win with a career high 40 points, shooting 14-19 from the field and 3-5 from beyond the arch. The Blazers lost the game 110-98.

Photo of the Night:

Thankfully Gibson forgot which way the hoop was on this play.

The Blazers next travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks tonight! Tip off is at 8 PM EST, 5 PM PST.

• Portland and Milwaukee split last year’s season series,1-1, with each team winning at home. 

• The Trail Blazers have won six of the past seven meetings. 

• Portland had won fi ve straight against Milwaukee until the Bucks’ double-overtime win, 108-101, Dec. 12, 2009, in Milwaukee. 

• Portland has defeated Milwaukee in four straight meetings at the Rose Garden. The Trail Blazers have won 15 of the last 22 games between 

the teams overall. 

• Milwaukee’s last two wins over Portland have come in overtime. The Bucks’ last win in regulation over the Trail Blazers came on March 20, 

2006, 100-93, in Portland. 

• Nate McMillan became the second-youngest NBA coach in the last 20 years to reach 350 career wins after a 96-84 victory at Milwaukee on 

March 21, 2009 (Jeff Van Gundy). 

• LaMarcus Aldridge averaged 26 points per game in two contests against Milwaukee last season to lead Portland while playing 

an average of 45 minutes per game. Brandon Roy added 22.5 points per game against the Bucks in 2009-10. 

• Marcus Camby did not play against Milwaukee last season as Portland’s games against the Bucks were before Camby was traded to the 

Trail Blazers. The Los Angeles Clippers’ games against the Bucks came after Camby was traded to Portland. 

• Portland shot 49.1 percent from the fi eld in two contests against Milwaukee last season. The Bucks shot 47.5 percent from the 

fl oor and 41.7 percent from 3-point range against Portland in 2009-10. 

• Each team turned the ball over 29 times in last year’s matchups. 

• The Trail Blazers attempted 60 free throws during last year’s season series while Milwaukee attempted 42. Andre Miller shot a 

series-high 18  total free-throw attempts during the meetings. 

• Wesley Matthews played at the Bradley Center during his collegiate career at Marquette. 

• Milwaukee Head Coach Scott Skiles is 10-13 (.435) in his career vs. the Trail Blazers as coach of Phoenix, Chicago and Milwaukee. 

• Bucks assistant coach Joe Wolf played 21 games for Portland during the 1992-93 season, averaging 2.5 points and 2.1 rebounds. 

• Joel Przybilla played for the Milwaukee Bucks from 2000-03. Przybilla totaled 141 games played with averages of 1.9 points and 3.6 rebounds 

before being traded to Atlanta during the 2003-04 season. 


Sources: Photo-Yahoo Sports Notes-Blazers Media Notes

Pre-Season Comes to a Close with Opening Night Around the Corner

Tonight the Blazers faces the Denver Nuggets in the last game of pre-season. Marcus Camby who had rarely played this pre-season was finally back to help lead the Blazers to a win.


Box Score:











Brandon Roy was on point tonight and was the team's high scorer with a whopping 23 points, the most he's scored all pre-season. He also contributed 3 rebounds and 2 assists to the mix. I have to say this was the Brandon Roy we've been waiting for. He was cutting to the basket, drawing the fouls and distributing the ball. The RoyBot has been pretty quiet this pre-season but he showed tonight he's been saving it all for the regular season. Marcus Camby made quite a contribution tonight as well with 8 points and 17 rebounds! Camby was all over the place diving and scrapping for the ball. He showed some serious hustle and it's clear how lucky we are to have him. LaMarcus put up a near double double with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. LaMarcus has been one of my favorite improvements so far. One of the biggest pet peeves associated with the L-Train is that he always settles for the fade away jump shot rather than battling for position and getting to the hoop. This pre-season we've seen a major improvement in LMA's game down low, he gets to the basket and he gets to the line. He shot 4-6 from the line tonight and it looked good. I'm really excited to see him continue to progress.

The Blazers went on to win 90 - 83. It was such a great game and can only give the Blazers positive momentum going into Tuesday's season opener game against Phoenix. We battled the Nuggets and really gave them a run for their money. What I liked best about the play tonight was that we made the Nuggets earn their points sending them to the line 28 times and we contested everything. Defense was a big factor tonight as the Blazers walked away with 7 steals and 5 blocked shots.

Photo of the Night:

Doin' Work.

The Blazers next play the Phoenix Suns in the regular season opener, Tuesday 7 PM at the Rose Garden! It's going to be a great game and a great season so be sure to get yourself some tickets!

•  Phoenix ousted Portland from the 2010 NBA Playoffs with a 4-2 series win in the First Round. The Suns outscored the Trail Blazers, 103.3-93.0, in the series, shooting 47.2 percent from the field while holding Portland to just 43.0 percent shooting. 

•  The Trail Blazers won the 2009-10 regular season series between the teams, 2-1, with all three games decided by seven points or fewer. Portland’s win was its first in the season series against Phoenix since 1999-2000 (3-1). 

•  The winning team has scored 100-plus points in 20 of the last 22 regular season 

games in the series. 

•  In three 2009-10 games between the teams, Portland shot 46.1 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from 3-point range, while Phoenix shot 44.6 percent and 37.9 percent, respectively. 

• The Suns committed 41 turnovers in the three head-to-head matchups last season to the Blazers’ 26 (averages of 13.7 and 8.7 per game, respectively). Portland held a 22-11 advantage in steals and a 19-6 edge in blocks during the three meetings.

Pre-Season BEGINS! (And so does Blazer Nation Blog 2.0!)

Pre-Season has begun! This past Monday the Blazers faced the Los Angeles Clippers in their first game of the pre-season. It was a highly anticipated game for both sides considering it was Clippers' Blake Griffin's official NBA debut and after all the buzz that has been circulating around Wesley Matthews Jr (and a certain Spanish player, for different reasons of course) it was the fans' first opportunity to see what Junior had to offer in an official game setting.


Box Score Courtesy of TrailBlazers.com:

Both teams started at a similar pace, tied 12-12 with about 5 minutes left in the first but the Blazers proceeded to run and never let go. LaMarcus got the party started with a nasty one handed put back dunk. He ended the game with 17 points, 2 assists and 7 rebounds. Can we just take a moment to praise the L Train? My main man was not only knocking down his signature fade away shots but getting into the paint and to the hoop. Aldridge shot 5-6 from the line and 6-12 from the field. I really enjoyed what I saw from him on Monday and only hope it keeps gettin' better.


Now, let's talk Wes Matthews! In his Blazer debut, Matthews shot 3-8 from beyond the arch and 4-9 from the field leading the Blazers in scoring with 20 points. Upon his entrance into the game, Wes was received with a standing ovation and a roar of cheers from the crowd and it only got louder when he exited. His performance at fan fest made me excited but after  his performance against the Clippers I just can not wait to see him in the regular season. His defense and perimeter offense were extremely impressive. It'll be exciting to watch his stats throughout the season.


Lastly, we will discuss a certain Spaniard. No matter what opinion you have had or still have on Rudy, you must agree that his play was extremely impressive. He looked like the Rudy of the old Spanish Armada days cutting to the basket, looking for the assist and knocking down the threes. Rudy shot 5-6 from beyond the arch scoring 15 points for the game. He entered the game to an assortment of boos, Ruuuuuuuudys and cheers but upon his exit all that could be heard where cheers. If Rudy can keep playing at this level I think the doubters will become fewer and fewer. 


The Blazers cruised to a 115 - 86 win over the Clippers. Overall it was a great opener to the pre-season. We got to see a little something from all of our rookies, Elliot Williams was the only Blazer to not score. We saw a more intense and focused defense. The Blazers forced the Clippers to a shot clock violation on more than one possession and were deflecting passes and fighting for the ball. It was a great game to see.

Photo of the Game:

In short, it really hits the nail on the head....or ball on the head I suppose. This photo came after Nico's MONSTROUS dunk.

The Blazers next fly to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz on Thursday. The game can be heard on 95.5 the game if you  are in the Portland area or you can chat along side Blazer fans on TrailBlazers.com. Now, the notes!

•  Utah owns a 12-6 edge over Portland in preseason meetings. The Trail Blazers have not won in three preseason games in Salt Lake City, all since 2006. 

•  The Jazz swept last year’s regular season series, 4-0, marking its first win in the series with Portland since 2005-06 (also a 4-0 sweep). Utah won by an average of 11.0 points (106.3-95.3) in the four games, the widest margin against Portland of any NBA team last season. The Jazz shot 54.9% from the field (40.0% 3-PT) , the best mark of any Trail Blazers opponent in 2009-10, while limiting Portland to 39.5% shooting (27.2% 3-PT) in the 2009-10 series. 

•  Utah’s four-game winning streak against Portland is the longest current winning run against the Trail Blazers of any Western Conference opponent, and the second longest of any NBA opponent (Cleveland, six). 

•  Portland dominated the offensive glass against Utah last season, accruing a 66-35 advantage in the category in four games. 

•  The Jazz carried a 117-71 edge in assists during four series games between the teams in the 2009-10 regular season. 

•  Brandon Roy’s 21.0 points (14-28 FG) in two games vs. Utah led all Trail Blazers in scoring vs. the Jazz in 2009-10. LaMarcus Aldridge added 20.3 points and 8.8 rebounds while playing in all four contests against the Jazz last year. 

•  Wesley Matthews averaged 9.0 points (11-21 FG) and 3.5 rebounds in four games against Portland as a member of the Jazz last season. 

•  Deron Williams led all current Jazz players in the 2009-10 series with Portland by averaging 19.8 points and 11.8 assists in the four regular season meetings. 

•  As a member of the Timberwolves, Al Jefferson led Minnesota with 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in four games against Portland in 2009-10. 

•  LaMarcus Aldridge scored a career-high 36 points (12-17 FG) in Utah’s win over the Trail Blazers on Dec. 31, 2007, which snapped Portland’s 13-game win streak. 

•  Utah forward Demetris Nichols was originally selected by Portland with the 53rd pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, before the Trail Blazers traded his draft rights to New York. Nichols also participated on Portland’s 2010 NBA Summer League team.

Lastly, I want to apologize for the complete LACK of posts over the off season. I've been taking classes and have had very limited time to blog but I am hoping to continue blogging about all the games this season! Thanks for sticking with me Nation! Let's go Blazers!!

Photo: Yahoo Sports 

Rip City Uprise -- Playoffs 2010

Games 1 & 2 in Phoenix have passes and so far the Suns and Blazers split the series 1 - 1. Portland made a big steal in capturing game 1 but left game 2 to a Phoenix win in a lackluster effort from the Blazers.

Game 1 we saw the Blazers team that has a real shot at moving forward in the playoffs. We saw phenomenal performances from Andre Miller, Jerryd Bayless, LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. We saw ball movement, defense and a sense of urgency that led to the Portland win. Going into game one practically everyone (besides Blazer fans) was expecting a Phoenix sweep, what with B Roy being out,  and Portland showed heart and proved them wrong. Guys stepped up and earned that W.

Box Score:

Game 2 was a different story. There was no ball movement, lackluster defense and no sense of urgency. Phoenix killed us with the double team on LaMarcus and denying Andre Miller the ball. It was an ugly game. Aldridge had such a weak night that he sat for most of the 4th quarter while our "clean up crew" (rookies) came out and put in more effort than we had seen all game. Martell Webster was one of very few, if any, bright spots. He gave everything he had all the way through the end and put up nice numbers, 16 points and 5 rebounds.

Box Score:

The Blazers next travel back home to face the Suns at the Rose Garden for games 3 & 4. Game 3 is Thursday at 7 PM PST on NBATV and Game 4 is Saturday at 1:30 PM PST on NBATV.

**IMPORTANT**
If you're attending game 3 on Thursday, be sure to WEAR RED in support of the Blazers!! We'll be trying to Red Out the Rose Garden to welcome home our team! Be sure to pass the news along and spread the word so we can have a sea of red in the crowd!

Blazers Playoff Fate is Sealed and Fan Appreciation Night Results in a Loss

Tonight was Fan Appreciation Night at the Rose Garden to commemorate the final game of the regular season and honor all the fans who have made the RG one of the most dangerous places for teams to play in in the NBA. Tonight also sealed the Blazers' playoff fates with the San Antonio loss to Dallas and a Phoenix win over Utah.

Prior to the game, the Spurs loss to the Mavericks giving Blazers the 6th seed in the playoffs! We clinched 6th which, when you think about it, is absolutely crazy considering everything this team has been through this season. Knowing this, Nate McMillan decided to rest Marcus Camby and Andre Miller only played a couple minutes to keep his consecutive game streak alive. LaMarcus Aldridge was also out for tonight's game with a stomach flu bug. This meant a lot of guys who don't normally see minutes saw a lot of time on the court. The most significant of these was Jeff Pendergraph, who was tonight's top player with a career high 23 points shooting 11-15 from the field, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Pendergraph was definitely 'A Little Bit' Crazy tonight, in the first half alone he had something like 3 or 4 monstrous dunks. Jeff wasn't the only one to feel the heat tonight, Marty Party was in full swing tonight with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Dante INFERNO Cunningham also made a big contribution in the first half, before having to sit out due to a stomach bug during halftime, with 13 points, 11 boards, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot. I'm also proud to announce that Patty Mills got some considerable playing time and contributed 11 points shooting 4 - 8 from the field and 2 - 3 from the arch, 1 rebound and 2 assists.

Here's A Look At The Rest of the Box Score:

This game was definitely not the high note of the season but considering that our "second string" players (so to speak) were playing for us we did pretty damn good. The Blazers did end up losing tonight 122 - 116 but they fought hard and didn't just roll over when technically they could have. Jeff Pendergraph showed what he's capable of and gave a huge boost to the team coming off the bench and we saw some great things from Dante and Patty Mills, the future of this team. One of the biggest things I saw tonight though, was smiles. Smiles from EVERYONE. Every fan, every player and every coach. Tonight was about winning or losing it was about having fun, playing some basketball and celebrating the fact that we are going to the playoffs.

Pictures I Took From the Game Tonight:

Rip City Uprise -- Playoffs 2010

Portland clinched the 6th seed and with a Phoenix win against Utah tonight, we will be facing the Suns in the first round of the playoffs. Here's a look at the first round schedule:

Game 1: Sunday, April 18th
Portland at Phoenix
7:30pm on ESPN

Game 2: Tuesday, April 20th
Portland at Phoenix
7:00pm on TNT

Game 3: Thursday,  April 22nd
Phoenix at Portland
7:00pm on NBATV

Game 4: Saturday,  April 24th
Phoenix at Portland  
1:30pm on TNT

Game 5 (if necessary): Monday, April 26th
Portland at Phoenix
TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday,  April 29th
Phoenix at Portland
TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday,  May 1st
Portland at Phoenix
TBD 

I think we can all start breathing a little easier now that we know what we're up against. Phoenix is not going to be an easy match-up by any means but I think we are true contenders in this series. This match-up is going to be a "battle of tempos" according to Nate McMillan and he couldn't be more correct. Phoenix is going to run and pull the screen and roll like there's no tomorrow. The Blazers are going to need to rest and rejuvenate themselves and really prepare mentally for this match. I think we can shock the world and go far in these playoffs if we come prepared. If we win this series, Portland will face the winner of the Dallas v. San Antonio series which would be so exciting to see if Portland could possibly go all the way to the Western Conference finals! I know we can go far if we play like a team, so let's go and show the world we're capable of greatness Portland!

Portland Seals OKC's Fate & Golden State @ The Rose Garden -- A Preview

Unfortunately, I did not get to see the POR vs. OKC game live (seeing as I was laughing with Conan O' Brien in Eugene) BUT what I did see, I LOVED. Don't get me wrong, I love Brandon Roy and he is the undisputed leader of this team but this season at least, it seems this team plays more like a TEAM when Brandon goes down, like something clicks and a new sense of urgency is instilled and everyone plays up the level they're capable of. When I say everyone, in the OKC game's case, I mean Marcus Camby. Say what you want about missing Travis and Steve (I still do) but the Camby trade had to be the best move we made this year. I truly believe that if Camby was not on this team, we wouldn't be looking forward to a possible 6th seed berth in the playoffs, or the playoffs at all for that matter. Camby went for an incredible 30 points on 12-16 from the field, 13 rebounds and 3 steals. He lead this team to the win and will hopefully lead us to even more wins in the post season and beyond. Portland's win over OKC also sealed the Thunder's fate in the playoffs as they are now locked in the 8th seed and will meet the Lakers in the first round.

Here's A Look At The Rest of the Box Score:

Photo of the Night:

MAR-CUS CAMBY *clapclap* *clapclapclap*

*If you'd like to hear the audio of the Rose Garden going CRAZY and chanting Marcus' name, please listen and download it HERE

The Blazers next game is their last regular season game and it's against the Golden State Warriors at the Rose Garden. It is Fan Night so those of you who, like me, will be in attendance be sure to bring the energy and make it loud to celebrate this great season and our playoff berth! 

                                       Probable Starters:

Portland Trail Blazers:                                    Golden State Warriors:

  LaMarcus Aldridge                                           Corey Maggette

    Nicolas Batum                                                Anthony Tolliver

   Marcus Camby                                                  Ronny Turiaf

  Rudy Fernandez*                                                Monta Ellis

    Andre Miller                                                    Stephen Curry

* -- Rudy is getting the start in place of Brandon Roy who is out with a knee injury

• Golden State has won 13 of the past 19 games in the series. Already with a 2-1 series lead, the Trail Blazers are a win Wednesday away from their first series win since 2002- 03, when they earned a 4-0 sweep. 

• Portland has won each of the last four games against Golden State at the Rose Garden.

• The Warriors had won nine straight meetings in Oakland before the Trail Blazers gained a 27-9 advantage in the fourth quarter in a come-from-behind win, 110-105, on March 11. 

• The Trail Blazers have earned a 141-109 rebounding edge, including a 52-33 margin on the offensive glass, in three meetings between the teams this season.

• In three series contests, Brandon Roy leads Portland with 31.7 points per game (32- 55 FG). Andre Miller has added 17.3 points per contest. 

• Portland has closed the season at home against Golden State three times before, compiling a 2-1 record in those contests. The teams last met in a regular season finale on April 18, 2007, a victory for the Warriors, 120-98.

• Golden State won last season’s series, 2-1, with the home team winning all three contests. 

• The winning team has scored more than 100 points in each of the last 13 games in the series. Both teams averaged better than 105 points per game (Portland, 105.7; Golden State, 105.3) in three meetings last year.

• The Trail Blazers earned a 125-112 rebounding advantage, including a 46-34 edge on the offensive glass, in three series games in 2008-09. Portland outscored Golden State in the paint, 144-110. 

• The Warriors gained 30 points on the Trail Blazers in three games by shooting 90-for- 100 (90.0%) from the free throw line last year. Portland went 60-for-77 (77.9%).

• Brandon Roy led the Trail Blazers with 26.0 points (58.0% FG, 6-9 3-PT), 5.3 assists and 2.67 steals (tied) in three games against the Warriors last season. 

• Portland committed 56 turnovers, including a season-high 23 in Oakland on Feb. 12, while Golden State tallied 47 turnovers in three meetings last season.

• Warriors Head Coach Don Nelson has coached more games vs. the Trail Blazers than any other active NBA head coach (52-54). 

• Golden State television broadcaster Jim Barnett played in Portland’s inaugural season in 1970-71, averaging a team second-best 18.5 points per game.

Let's go get that 51st win to close out a great season Portland!!

Picture: Yahoo! Sports

Blazers at Staples Center -- A Preview

Tonight the Blazers have traveled back to the city of Angels and the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Lakers, one of Portland's biggest rivals. This game brings a huge pivotal moment in the Blazers' season as it could very well tell the tale of the post season. With a San Antonio win last night, Portland is going to have to fight that much harder to obtain the 7th seed so we could very well see a POR/LAL match up in the first round.

• The Lakers have won five straight contests between the teams in Los Angeles and 14 of the past 16. Portland’s last road win in the series came on Feb. 21, 2007 (112-108). • The Trail Blazers earned a 107-98 victory in the first game of the series Jan. 8 in the Rose City behind Brandon Roy’s 32 points (9-11 FG, 13-14 FT). Portland never trailed, leading by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter.

• Portland had defeated the Lakers in nine straight meetings at the Rose Garden before L.A. earned a 99-82 win on Feb. 6 in a game played without injured stars Brandon Roy and Kobe Bryant. The Lakers carried a 47-30 rebounding margin, including a career-high tying 22 boards by Lamar Odom, and a 48-22 advantage in points in the paint.
• Portland and the L.A. Lakers meet just three times this year, as the Lakers are one of two teams the Trail Blazers visit only once (San Antonio). Portland’s only trip to STAPLES Center to face the Lakers on Sunday marks its final road contest of the season. • The Trail Blazers and Lakers split last year’s series, with each game going to the home team. Portland won by 12.5 points per game at the Rose Garden, while Los Angeles outscored Portland by 17.0 points in two games at STAPLES Center.
• In four meetings last season, the Lakers outshot the Trail Blazers, 46.0% to 41.1%, from the floor. Los Angeles bested Portland from the foul line, 80.5% to 67.3%. • Brandon Roy led Portland with 21.7 points, 6.0 assists and 1.67 steals in his three games vs. the Lakers last season.
• Rudy Fernandez and the Lakers’ Pau Gasol were the two leading scorers on the Spanish National Team’s silver medal performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, falling to Nate McMillan and the United States in the championship game. • Lakers radio broadcaster Mychal Thompson played seven seasons for the Trail Blazers from 1978-86, averaging 16.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.39 blocks in 551 games.

                           Probable Starters:

    Portland:                                                      Los Angeles:

LaMarcus Aldridge                                              Ron Artest

   Nicolas Batum                                                 Lamar Odom

   Marcus Camby                                                    Pau Gasol

   Andre Miller                                                  Shannon Brown*

    Brandon Roy                                                    Derek Fisher

* - Shannon Brown would be starting in place of Kobe Bryant, who's been out the past couple games for his finger, but he is probable for tonight's game.

In our last game against Dallas, we allowed their physicality and the officiating determine the outcome. If we want to come away with a win tonight, we need to really battle the Lakers and come out with urgency. The Lakers have really been struggling as of late with the loss of Andrew Bynum and if we battle down low and play the level of basketball this team is not only capable of but has proven this season, we can come away with one of the biggest wins of the season. 

Go get it Portland!! 

LA Clippers Preview

Tonight the Blazers are in the city of angels to take on the Los Angeles Clippers! It'll be a night of reunions as Portland will take on ex-Blazers Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw for the first time since they were traded.  Marcus Camby, center, will also be taking on his old team for the first time in a Blazers uniform.

•  Portland has won five of the past six games and eight of the last 10 against the L.A. Clippers, including three straight wins at the Rose Garden. The Trail Blazers had beaten the Clippers in Los Angeles in four consecutive meetings before the Clippers earned a 105-95 victory the last time the teams met in Los Angeles on Jan. 4.

•  The Trail Blazers lead this season’s series, 2-1, with the home team winning each game. Both teams have shot better than 50.0% from the floor (Portland, 50.2%; L.A. Clippers, 51.6%). Martell Webster leads all players in the series with 22.7 points in three contests, including a career-high tying 28 points (9-13 FG, 7-11 3-PT) Feb. 16 in Portland.
•  In the first three games of the series, Portland has accumulated a 28-18 advantage in steals, turning the ball over 38 times while forcing 52 Clippers turnovers.
•  The Trail Blazers bested the Clippers, 3-1, in the 2008-09 series, Portland’s second straight series win over the Clippers and 18th since they moved to Los Angeles in 1984-85.
•  In four contests last season, the Trail Blazers outscored the Clippers, 107.0-91.8, and shot 48.7% from the floor while holding Los Angeles to 41.8% shooting.
•  The Trail Blazers acquired Marcus Camby from the L.A. Clippers in exchange for Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw and cash considerations on Feb. 16. Camby averaged 8.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.00 blocks against Portland in two meetings before the trade. In 269 games as a Trail Blazer, Blake averaged 8.9 points and 4.7 assists, while Outlaw posted averages of 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 377 games with Portland.
•  Andre Miller played with the L.A. Clippers in 2002-03, averaging 13.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.24 steals in 80 contests.
•  Clippers forward/center Brian Skinner played 27 games for Portland in 2005-06, averaging 3.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 19.1 minutes.

The Clippers have lost 5 straight and 15 of their last 17 games. Whereas the Blazers are coming in fresh off a win in Sacramento on Saturday. Keeping momentum will be the kicker of this game. The Blazers tend to play down/up to the level of whoever their playing and if they give the Clippers any shred of hope tonight they can kiss a W goodbye. Since the trade deadline the Clippers have had some big wins and with Kaman, Gordon and Blakey holding them down they are definitely capable of coming out strong. I think with the looming threat of playoff positioning in mind though, B Roy won't let Portland come out with anything less than a win.

It'll be interesting to see how things play out with Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw though, (I have heard from a reputable source that Outlaw might now be playing tonight, which is fine with me. It'll hurt to see him suit up against us) seeing as to how close they were with all members of this team (sans Marcus Camby and Travis Diener of course).  Hopefully we come and strong and have a big win tonight!

----

I know it's been awhile, and instead of clogging up the page with a bunch of re-caps I'll just recommend that you check out the sites linked in the sidebar for some excellent analysis and post/pre game articles!

LAKER NATION --- APRIL FOOLS

*EDIT*
hah, got you good. Not gonna lie, changing my twitter layout was the most painful part but I love a good April Fools joke on the internet, I always love going to Google and seeing what kind of joke they play. But never fear Blazer fans, I have not gone to the dark side. I still hate the Lakers and live for the Blazers !

It's Laker Nation from now on y'all.


I loved my stint with the Blazers but hot damn I love my Lakers more.


It's been hard this past year suppressing my love for all things Lakers, Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest especially.


I'm working on a new layout and banner so the temporary one above will have to do for the time being.


We had a good run Blazer Nation but LAKER NATION IS WHERE IT'S AT!!


GO LAKERS!!!

Blazers Feel the Heat in the Valley of the Sun

Sunday night, the Blazers traveled to Phoenix, Arizona to meet with the Phoenix Suns. The western conference playoff race is tighter than ever and a win tonight was necessary for both sides to secure positions going into the off season. The Blazers were coming into this game on a 5-game winning streak.

Starting Five:

LaMarcus Aldridge
Marcus Camby
Nicolas Batum
Andre Miller
Brandon Roy

Top honors go to Andre Miller for this game. He was one point off top scorer territory but still tallied a near double double with 22 points, 9 assists and 3 rebounds. Dre quite literally carried this team throughout this game. When things seemed dismal, Miller put his head down, penetrated the paint and got to the line. He looked like he was on the brink of another 50 point game for most of the game. It's amazing watching Andre push through games, when they call him Iron Man they literally mean it. The guy gets battered and bruised, rolls at least one ankle twenty times a game and still walked out to the court and gets things done for this team. To everyone, including myself, who doubted this guy I hope you are all smacking yourselves upside the head as I am doing now. Brandon Roy was the high scorer of the night with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists. It was a Roy Bot kinda night where Brandon did what he could to keep the Blazers within reach of a win. He still didn't seem 100% though continuing some of the sloppy play that plagued the team against Washington.

Here's a Look at the Rest of the Box Score:

This game wasn't horrible by any means but it wasn't great. The Blazers came out of the gate slow and just couldn't overtake the Suns in the first half. Luckily we were able to keep pace with Phoenix only allowing them 47 points and tying them to end the half. The second half we started to finally see some energy from Portland and they were able to take a marginal lead but Phoenix rallied back with a vengeance and we just couldn't fully contain them. The Suns introduced a  zone defense and completely shut our key players down. We couldn't get to the paint so it became 'Settle for Crappy Js Time!' Free Throws and confusion lost this game. We shot 72.9% (21-29) from the line and many of those misses came at crucial times in the game. The Suns' defense completely threw our guys off their game, sloppiness ensued and players started to frantically throw jumpers up. Their were chances to win this game but the Blazers just didn't capitalize on them. They ended up losing the game 93 - 87.

Photo of the Night:

Andre blocking an Amar'e dunk. Wait...Whaaaaat?

The Blazers next fly back home to welcome the Dallas Mavericks at the Rose Garden on Thursday. This game will be aired on CSN and TNT, tip off at 7:30 PM PST.

•  Portland leads the series, 2-0, with both games contested in Dallas. The Trail Blazers have won twice in Dallas for the first season since 1998-99. One more win over the Mavericks would also give Portland its first series win over Dallas since 1998-99 (3-0). 

•  Andre Miller scored a career-high 52 points (22-31 FG), tied for the second-highest total in Trail Blazers history, in leading Portland to a 114-112 overtime win in Dallas in the last meeting on Jan. 30. Portland shot 53.5% (46-86) from the floor. 

•  Dallas had won 11 straight home contests over the Trail Blazers (Portland’s longest active road losing streak at the time), before Portland earned an 85-81 win in Dallas on Dec. 22 in the first series meeting between the teams. The Mavericks led in the fourth quarter by as many as seven points, but Portland used a 27-16 edge in the final period to claim the victory. 

•  In the two meetings between the teams this season, the Trail Blazers are shooting 47.3% from the field while limiting the Mavericks to 43.2% field goal shooting. Dallas has passed out 44 assists to Portland’s 30 assists in two contests. The Trail Blazers have posted a 16-8 margin in steals. 

•  In 2008-09, Dallas swept the season series (three games) for the fourth time in the last five seasons, accounting for the only four sweeps by the Mavericks in series history. 

•  The Mavericks outscored the Trail Blazers, 99.7.0-94.0, and outrebounded Portland, 40.0-35.3, in last year’s series. Dallas won all three games by single digits. 

•  Dallas Head Coach Rick Carlisle was an assistant coach of the Trail Blazers for three seasons under P.J. Carlesimo from 1994-97. Carlisle is 10-7 (.588) in his head coaching career against Portland. 

•  Dallas’ Matt Carroll played 13 games for Portland in 2003-04, averaging 1.0 points in 3.7 minutes. 

•  Martell Webster and Mavericks guard Jason Terry are cousins.

(Pictures: Yahoo! Sports)

Blazers Get a Lucky Win Against Washington

Friday night, the Blazers welcomed the Washington Wizards to the Rose Garden. This was Portland's first game after a long four day rest, so it was important for the Blazers to come out strong and get back into game time rhythm.

Starting Five:

LaMarcus Aldridge
Marcus Camby
Nicolas Batum
Andre Miller
Brandon Roy

This game was ugly soooo let's just take a quick look at our top scorers. LaMarcus Aldridge tallied another double-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot. LMA shot 6 - 17 from the field and 7 - 10 from the line, two of those made free throws came at the end of the game when the Blazers were down two. Not really much to say about the performance from LMA (or anyone else for that matter). It was mediocre, which is interesting to say when the guy got a double double, but it really was. The Wizards defense completely threw LMA and others off their game and even though shots were contested, they weren't contested enough to result in LMA and B Roy shooting a combined 10 - 35 from the field. Which brings us to Brandon, Roy tallied 14 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. True, two of those points came off a buzzer beating, game winner but I'm going to agree with Roy when he said, "If we play like this against Phoenix on Sunday, they'll destroy us." Too true B Roy, too true. For his 34th birthday, Andre Miller also tallied 14 points in his 600th conescutive game in the NBA. He also added 2 rebounds and 3 assists. The referees also celebrated Dre's b-day by giving him the wonderful present of a technical foul!

Here's a look at the rest of the box score:

I won't bore/make you sick with long details from this game. We all know the Blazers don't do well with long breaks and that was evident Friday night. The players would never own up to it, but let's face it these guys were out of rhythm, out of sync, out of everything. The team shot a dismal 32% from the field, 16.7% from 3-pt range and tallied a total of 10 assists for the entire game. We were extremely lucky that the Wizards played the same caliber of basketball.

Photo of the night:

BRoy: "PHEW, we got lucky."

The Blazers next travel to Phoenix, AZ to take on former Blazer, Channing Frye and his Phoenix Suns on Sunday, tip-off t 7:30 PM PST on KGW channel 8.

•  Portland has won four straight games in the series for the first time since a four-game win streak March 25-Dec. 5, 1999.
•  The winning team has scored 100-plus points in 20 of the last 21 games in the series.
•  The Trail Blazers lead this season’s series, 2-0, clinching a series win with Sunday’s contest being the last meeting between the teams this year. Portland will win the season series for the first time since 1999-2000, while a win Sunday would give the Trail Blazers their first sweep of the Suns since 1998-99 (three games).
•  In two 2009-10 series games between the teams, Portland is shooting 51.6% from the field and 44.8% from three-point range, while Phoenix has shot 47.5% and 41.9%, respectively.
•  The Trail Blazers won in Phoenix, 108-101, on Feb. 10 for the first time since Feb. 4, 2004, snapping a nine-game road losing streak in the series.
•  Portland and Phoenix split last season’s series, with the home team winning all four games. Portland scored 110.3 points per game while allowing 109.3 points, both highs for the Trail Blazers in a Western Conference series last season.
•  In 2008-09, Portland earned its first home sweep of Phoenix since 1998-99.

For Old Time's Sake:

1. Crash The Boards: As of late we've struggled with allowing the other team second chances by giving them the offensive board. Between Lopez and Stoudemire, PHX has tough guys who will scrap down low for the boards so we need our Marcuses tonight: LMA & Camby, crashing those boards.
2. Contain the perimeter: Phoenix has hot shooters. Remember that guy who used to sit on our bench, Channing Frye? That kid can shoot and so can Steve Nash, Richardson and others. Basically, if we give too many open looks for their shooters we'll be looking at a tough comeback and/or a big fat L.
3. Contain the paint: We tend to give too many points in the paint and that could be a serious problem tonight. Amar'e Stoudemire is coming off a season high game with 44 points. The guy is strong and can muscle his way to the hoop if you give him position down low. Not to mention, Dante Cunningham was last to posterize him so I'm sure he'll be looking for some pay back if Dante sees any minutes.

 (Pictures: Yahoo! Sports)