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Trail Blazers 97 vs. Grizzlies 84 Game Thread
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  1. DHawes22
    DHawes22
    Posts: 6481

    Posted 01/24/2012 10:44 AM

    Who was the player of the game?
    LaMarcus Aldridge: 23 points, 8-13 shooting, 6 rebounds, 3 assists (3)
     27%
    Marcus Camby: 22 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 points, 2 steals, 1 assist (7)
     64%
    Gerald Wallace: 11 rebounds, 7 points, 2 steals, 1 assist (1)
     9%


    January 24, 2012
    7:00 PM | Rose Garden Arena | Portland, OR
    Trail Blazers (10-7) vs. Grizzlies (10-6)
    How quickly the season can change. Just two weeks ago the Trail Blazers were the toast the of league, leaders of the Western Conference while the Grizzlies were 3-6, not living up to expectations and dealing with the loss of their best low-post player, Zach Randolph. Fast forward to January 24 and the scripts have flipped. Portland is coming off of a disappointing 2-4 road trip and would be on the outside looking in if the postseason started today whereas Memphis is the hottest team in the league, winners of seven straight and leading the Southwest Division.

    Although this is the second game in a string of three straight for Rip City, neither team tonight should have any advantage when it comes to rest as both teams played last night. Portland took care of business at home against the Kings, winning 101-89 and Memphis rallied from 18 points down to stun the Warriors in the Bay, 91-90. The win on the road should come as no surprise to anyone as the Grizz are .500 away from the FedEx Forum -- one of only three teams in the West to hold that claim.

    Normally, the keys to beating Memphis is rebounding as Z-Bo and Gasol are a load to deal with down low. But with Zach still on the shelf for a while, Portland's attention should turn to Mike Conley. The fifth year point guard is quick as a cat and has a knack for finding an open space in the defense even if one doesn't appear to be there. The Trail Blazers have had trouble already twice this year with jitterbug guards Kyle Lowry (33 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds) and Rodney Stuckey (28 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds) who single-handily lead their respective squads past the Blazers. To disrupt his rhythm and penetration, Portland could either pick him up full court or throw different traps his way, getting the ball away from his hands.

    Game Highlights
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  1. Tobyus Sanchezo
    Tobyus Sanchezo
    Posts: 1604

    Posted 01/24/2012 11:34 AM

    Let's spray on the bear repellent thick tonight, GO BLAZERS!!
    I am a fan of playoffs in two zero one three
  1. CarlJ1
    CarlJ1
    Posts: 398

    Posted 01/24/2012 1:10 PM

    The Blazers have to take care of the ball plan and simple because the reason the Grizzles won last night is because the Warriors turn the ball over if they took care of the ball the Warriors would of blew them out so if we don't have more than 7+ turnover we should win by 8+ and hopefully Jamal will have an encore and LA gets another double-double.
    I am a fan of Respect, Loyalty, Honor & Pride the same thing the Blazer & their true fans are made of RIP CITY STAND UP!
  1. ClydeFrog
    ClydeFrog
    Posts: 975

    Posted 01/24/2012 1:40 PM

    Energy wins this game tonight. Memphis doesn't possess the most talent in the NBA but they work for it and are always getting after it. If we aren't ready to play, they'll just all over us. And with a sure-fire loss coming up tomorrow in Oakland, tonight's game becomes a near 'must-win' if we want to keep pace in the West.
    I am a fan of Watching Elliot Williams Take Flight!
  1. Blazer247
    Blazer247
    Posts: 503

    Posted 01/24/2012 3:25 PM

    There's 2 habits (bad or otherwise) that the Blazers have that could both play big factors tonight:

    1. Playing to the level of the opponent - Very much a double edged sword. In some games this can be what pushes us to the win, playing against teams that we have to respect like Lakers, Clippers, and Thunder. But against other teams (especially on road trips, it seems this season, ie Phoenix or Detroit), I feel like Portland is one of the WORST at falling for trap games. Maybe it's due to the team chemistry and comfortable vibe our players have with each other, making them more relaxed when they feel it should be an easy win, but it is a horrrrrible mental lapse to not put opponents away when you have easy opportunities. We need to learn to FINISH EVERY SINGLE GAME.

    2. Settling for J's - I'm sure some people will say that this too could either help or hurt us on a given night, but I disagree. While having a reliable and consistent jumpshot is a great skill to have for any individual player (who wouldn't want to be able to spot up and score at will?), it is absolutely NOT a strategically effective way to win games or keep yourself from falling behind. If the shot goes down, yes that helps us, but no more so than another shot with a higher percentage of scoring.
    While some players (Kurt Thomas) have perfected the technique for J's and can rely on them, that's usually because they don't have the mobility or other skills needed to put themselves in a better position. If you're an outside shooter, pass around the horn to an open man. If your offense is interior, you are wayyyyyy better off trying for a layup or (any forward motion to the hoop) as it will put you in the position to draw a foul,which negates the need to make the shot at all, OR it turns your inside shot into a 3 point play.
    I know we all agree that LaMarcus has a great touch for hitting outside jumpshots. Like I said above, this is a great skill for him to have, and in the early quarters of a game it can help him establish in opponent's minds that they need to guard him close, no matter where he gets the ball. Later in the game, this will make it easier for him to push inside to the rim. But that's my point; LaMarcus' J's should NOT be relied on for his offense. Their effectiveness is as a distraction and a setup.
    Almost every time, the games where Aldridge, Wesley, Ray, and others are taking jumpshots in the 4th quarter are the games that the Blazers will lose, because they are too tired or have lost motivation to work for it. When you're desperate for your shot to fall, it's gonna fall less.

    So like ClydeFrog said, alllll the Blazers MUST come with tons of energy tonight, from the first minute to the very last. If we respect Memphis as a team that still has effective weapons, we won't be caught off guard. When we're tired in the end and want to just fire away instead of pushing to the basket, we've remember that the Grizzlies are just as tired and will be more likely to foul on defense.

    Push their defense. Push the tempo. Push it to the hoop. All 48. On to Golden State.
    I am a fan of BLAZER BASKETBALL. Not drafts, not business, not trades, not David Stern. Just BLAZER BASKETBALL.
  1. Blazer247
    Blazer247
    Posts: 503

    Posted 01/24/2012 3:30 PM

    sorry for a few typos there, and the fact that most of my posts seem to end up like short books lol.


    GOOOOOOOOOO BLAZERS!!!
    I am a fan of BLAZER BASKETBALL. Not drafts, not business, not trades, not David Stern. Just BLAZER BASKETBALL.
  1. DHawes22
    DHawes22
    Posts: 6481

    Posted 01/24/2012 10:05 PM

    What a dominating performance by our starting frontcourt. LA got us off to a great start early on and finished with a game-high 23 points. Marcus was everywhere; he shut down Marc Gasol (2-7) all while finding time to swat 5 shots and pull down 23 rebounds. We are such a devastating team when we control the glass. And finally Gerald Wallace with a Crash type game tonight. What I mean by that is 11 rebounds and 7 points won't 'Wow' anyone, but factor in he shuts down Rudy Gay, holding him to 5-15 shooting. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it: this team goes as Gerald goes. We are a Top 5 team in the NBA when we get the best out of Crash.
    I am a fan of
  1. ClydeFrog
    ClydeFrog
    Posts: 975

    Posted 01/24/2012 10:09 PM

    Went with LA. As stated above, he got off of to a hot start which seems to always be key with this team. Also of note, no player played more than 32 minutes tonight which is a beautiful statistic to see heading into the third game in as many nights.
    I am a fan of Watching Elliot Williams Take Flight!
  1. DHawes22
    DHawes22
    Posts: 6481

    Posted 01/24/2012 10:35 PM

    Here is LaMarcus' NBTV interview immediately after the game-
     
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  1. daddylogan
    daddylogan
    Posts: 187

    Posted 01/25/2012 1:01 AM

    Camby played awesome! Good solid game from all the cast...not our best yet, but playing like we did tonight will win ball games for us!

    peace out,
    daddy
    I am a fan of THE LITTLE GIANT...DAMIAN LILLARD!!!
  1. stacksfan2005
    stacksfan2005
    Posts: 302

    Posted 01/25/2012 5:43 PM

    that interview was great, i like aldridge giving camby a hard time. aldridge is a class act, i can't think of anyone better to replace the great brandon roy as the face of a franchise. camby gets POG for sure, those boards are huge and i love me some camby swats. but good play by the whole team tonight.
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