Posted 04/03/2010 8:42 PM

We need Roy to step up, he has been absent lately.

Posted 04/03/2010 8:57 PM

Not the best game so far. Hopefully we can pull this one out. Win or lose, you can't feel real good about this one

Posted 04/03/2010 9:00 PM

Seriously?  Do we want to give this game away?

Posted 04/03/2010 9:10 PM

This game is like pulling teeth right now.

Posted 04/03/2010 9:25 PM

Wow, we pulled it out.  Something better change before the playoffs, or we are not going to win a first round matchup.

Posted 04/03/2010 9:27 PM

Nice to FINALLY pull away at the end. Hopefully a better performance is forthcoming against the Clippers

Posted 04/03/2010 9:27 PM

another slow start at home, but yet another conference opponent win. Hopefully we can move up a bit more for our playoff seed!

Posted 04/03/2010 9:28 PM

Great finish and that is important! We played so-so for the most part, but we woke up at just the right time and our defence tighened up and did the job. Batum, awesome night and glad to see him playing more...we need him out there.

peace out,
daddy

Posted 04/03/2010 11:35 PM

Posted By bar24bis on 04/03/2010 9:27 PM
another good start on the road, and yet another conference opponent sweep. Hopefully we can move up a bit more for our playoff seed!

Posted 04/04/2010 12:13 AM

The start was rough but at least we pulled off the W and with 4 players scoring 20+, I will definitely take that. It was nice to see them get the win so that the trash talkers behind us in the arena would shut their faces :) Batum's performance offensively and defensively kept us in the game and gave us the edge in the end. Way to go Frenchie!! P.S. I've never been more thankful for how awesome the Rose Garden is till having to sit through a game at Arco Arena. Just Sayin.

Posted 04/05/2010 11:53 AM

Post-Game Thoughts

It wasn't pretty, but all that matters is the end result, a win. After jumping out of the gate, 32-25, it looked like only a matter of time before Portland would unleash the flood gates and trounce Sacramento and it would be all over before the halftime buzzer. One problem, someone forgot to tell the bench. In less than three minutes, the entire landscape of the game was changed as the 2nd unit came in and immediately gave up a 9-0 run. Like always, the starters were able to save the sinking ship, 98-87. Do not let the 11 point victory fool you, the score wasn't indicative of how close the game actually was, even seeing the Kings taking a small lead mid-way through the 4th quarter before back to back threes from Batum and Brandon gave the Trail Blazers just enough cushion to escape Arco Arena with a W.

"We are still going need our bench to get going if we're going to make a run in the playoffs," Roy said.

I know I can't be the only person alarmed at the bench's recent play of late. Saturday night against the Kings was no different with four players seeing action (Dante,Rudy,Jerryd,Martell) and receiving only seven points of production from that group on 3-14 shooting. And its not like a lack of scoring is the only thing the 2nd unit isn't providing as they committed more turnovers, six, than created assists, three, and not one player was able to get to the foul line, which to me, means a lot of standing around the perimeter, waiting for someone else to make it happen. While the Blazer bench nearly blew a huge game, Sacramento's almost shocked the NBA as Omri Casspi out-scored our 2nd unit single handily, 15-7, and along with Ime Udoka grabbed more boards (9) than the entire Blazers second string (6). Somehow we got away with sloppy, downright terrible, bench play again, but it is not a sustainable way to win games in the NBA and could bite us in the butt down the stretch or even in the playoffs.

When four players each score 21 or more points, it's tough to single someone out, but once again, Nico Batum's star shone brightest of all last night. He did it all. When we needed a clutch three, he netted it, going 5-8 from downtown, including two in a span of a couple of minutes to regain and extend the Trail Blazers lead halfway through the 4th. All in all, it was another great shooting performance, as Nico shot 6-11 from the field and 4-4 from the charity stripe, resulting in 21 points. As good as his offensive performance was, his defense was just as impressive. Whether it was saving his teammates to the tune of three blocks or absolutely shutting down ROY favorite Tyreke Evans, Batum was everywhere. In Evans' 34 minutes of action, Nico held him to 6 points on 2-12 shooting and helped force him into turning the ball over 6 times. Its too bad we couldn't clone Batum, sure could have used him on Beno as well.

"We wanted to get length on him," McMillan said. "That matchup was good for us last time we played them, keeping him in front of us and making him shoot over the top. Normally they try and go into the post with him. In our last two games with [Batum] being on him they haven't got a lot of post-ups."

Portland is a sizzling 15-4 since the Utah debacle, yet still finds themselves sitting in the woeful 8th spot in the Western Conference, a guaranteed lock to play the defending champion Lakers in the opening round of the playoffs. There's no doubt Portland has made up ground, only one back in the loss column to the Spurs and two behind the Thunder, but it can still be frustrating, even agitating, at times for the players who have seen their play improve drastically but not see the results on the standings board. It'll be key for the Trail Blazers to simply block out what OKC and San Antonio do and just focus on playing their best basketball possible heading into the post-season. Outside of their five remaining games, one including the Thunder at the Rose Garden next week, Portland has absolutely no control over the teams in front of them, so it would be best to not even waste any time and energy scoreboard watching. The West is about as even as it has ever been. We are looking at possibly the best 8th seed in history, winning over 50 games and the Lakeshow certainly aren't the once intimidating bullies on the block anymore, showing their vulnerable side lately. Leave the scoreboard watching up to the fans and concentrate on playing up to their peak, because a Trail Blazers team clicking on all cylinders is a dangerous beast no opposition wants to tangle with.

Official Game Photos


Box Score

Highlights