Trail Blazers 102 Vs. Bulls 94 Game Thread - I Am A Trail Blazers Fan - Message Boards - Team

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DHawes22
Posts: 6476

Posted 11/16/2012 10:18 AM

November 18th, 2012
6:00 PM | Rose Garden Arena | Portland, OR
Trail Blazers (4-5) Vs Bulls (5-4)

What To Watch For
Win The Battle Up Front
Without Derrick Rose, the Bulls now rely on their frontcourt to shoulder the bulk of the scoring load. Their top three scorers, Luol Deng (19.1), Joakim Noah (16) and Carlos Boozer (13.4), do a lot of damage not only in the paint but from mid-range as well. It will be important for the Trail Blazers frontcourt to make the aforementioned Bulls play both ends of the court. This means Nicolas Batum needs to be aggressive, attacking Deng off the dribble, forcing the issue and picking up a few fouls on Chicago's leading scorer. As for the Blazer bigs, it's imperative that LaMarcus Aldridge and JJ Hickson clean up the defensive rebounds. A missed shot for Chicago is nothing more than an offensive strategy with Noah and Boozer down low, hustling for every loose ball. The key to winning the battle up front is securing those rebounds, pushing the tempo, and looking for easy points in transition.

Big Game Dame
Kirk Hinrich is a scrappy defender but Damian Lillard should be able to use his quickness to either get separation on his jump shot or get into the lane. But the key will be if Lillard makes the right decision once he's in traffic. At times this year he's made the wrong call, forcing up a tough lay-up instead of kicking it out. If he's able to draw defenders and find teammates for easy buckets, the Trail Blazers should have no problems. Another way Lillard can hurt the Chicago defense is in the pick-and-roll game. Get the Bulls' bigs out on the perimeter and make them decide if they want to follow Lillard or stick with a shooter like Aldridge. The more the Chicago frontcourt has to work on defense, the better.

Trail Blazers Vs Bulls Game Highlights

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Tobyus Sanchezo
Posts: 1600

Posted 11/17/2012 7:04 PM
Joakim Noah is playing very good basketball right now. The Bulls get contributions from everyone who plays. Nate Robinson is an early candidate for Most Improved player. Boozer and Deng have caused us headaches in the past. Blazers need to jump out the gate early in this game. The Bulls can really grind teams down.

I am a fan of playoffs in two zero one three

Tobyus Sanchezo
Posts: 1600

Posted 11/17/2012 10:25 PM
I totally jinxed Noah. He went 0-6 tonight against the Clippers.

whoops

I am a fan of playoffs in two zero one three

riverman
Posts: 1098

Posted 11/18/2012 9:32 AM
I just hope our momentum builds from the Houston game and we build a big lead by halftime and get our bench a chance to be productive. Leonard is going to learn from playing Noah. Wes should handle Deng defensively. Still hoping for that double digit performance by a bench player. Sometimes forget that almost every game Lillard and Leonard are facing pt guards or centers for the first time. So far so good and let's get to 500!

I am a fan of A team that plays like Tower of Power on a big stage on a good night

D Licious
Posts: 183

Posted 11/18/2012 3:28 PM
We got this!! Bulls similar team no one to defend the rim that scares anyone we should be able to score but can we defend... we defend and rebound we win

Inleash Sic Nic!! Go 88

I am a fan of Billy Ray Bates

Blazer247
Posts: 503

Posted 11/18/2012 4:47 PM
The faster we play tonight, the better our chances...

The more we run tonight, the better our chances...

Rebound and get out on the break to wear down their bigs, pass the ball and get high% buckets to limit turnovers and avoid their dangerous defenders, this game will be OURS.

LETS DO THIS RIP CITY! GO BLAZERS!

I am a fan of BLAZER BASKETBALL. Not drafts, not business, not trades, not David Stern. Just BLAZER BASKETBALL.

Siccolo
Posts: 839

Posted 11/18/2012 7:10 PM
We just played a great half of basketball. If we can keep up that play we will go on to win. If we play like that every game then we will win a lot of games this season.

LA playing great. He is shooting jumpers BUT, if he is scoring an we are winning I have NO problem. Also he is rebounding well from what I see.

The team is playing well on defense. Causing turnovers, grabbing boards, locking the paint. Very interesting to see us switch in and out the zone D. It worked out there so nice job by the coaching staff.

Ronnie price doing work out there. Scoring that three, making smart choices and playing nice D. Liked what I saw out of Will Barton, he didn't shoot well but I liked his confidence. He is moving well without the ball too. Leonard got in to foul trouble- Hated to see that offensive call on Noah lol.

Lillard is playing like an all star. Making very smart moves vs a good defender in Hinrich. His shot selection is much better than past games. That final possession was GREAT! I haven't looked at any stats yet cause the half just got done but from a watchers point we played VERY good.
Keep up this level of play through the second half Blazers!!!!

GO RIP CITY!

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Siccolo
Posts: 839

Posted 11/18/2012 7:44 PM
Tough third.. offensive execution was main problem.
When starters when out and Jeffreis couldn't score we had problems.
We have to shoot better this 4th and win this. We cant let this one slip out of our hands late again. GO BLAZERS

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postedbailblazers
Posts: 165

Posted 11/18/2012 9:11 PM
Nice finish against a competitive team! Looking good. Great to see some performances emerging from our bench.

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riverman
Posts: 1098

Posted 11/18/2012 9:13 PM
Ronnie Price gets our first double digit game from the bench..great to see. Jeffries and Sasha made some really good plays and I was glad to see Stotts give Barton a bit of rope to get some really needed experience on the court. He made some boneheaded plays but didn't stop trying. Wesley Mathews is an amazing asset to this team. Great win and we're back at 500!

I am a fan of A team that plays like Tower of Power on a big stage on a good night

Tobyus Sanchezo
Posts: 1600

Posted 11/18/2012 10:18 PM
Dunk it everytime Lillard, don't let the grumpy Bulls tell you otherwise. I was watching WGN and their terrific broadcaster Stacy King said it best. If you don't like it, then get someone back there and guard him.

I am a fan of playoffs in two zero one three

Siccolo
Posts: 839

Posted 11/18/2012 10:50 PM
I was watching on WGN too
I AGREE COMPLETELY

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D_pickett
Posts: 608

Posted 11/18/2012 11:53 PM
Dunking it was a rookie move... but if that's gonna be Damian's notable "rookie mistake," groovy. Maybe it just shows that he's back to the 1960's gritty pro basketball... you know? The guys that played until the final horn?

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Blazer247
Posts: 503

Posted 11/19/2012 1:59 AM
Nothing at all wrong with Dame's "Rookie" Dunk at the end, and here's why:

The only time that you show the opponent the respect of dribbling it out is when your opponent is walking off the floor before the clock, or at the very least, when the opponent is no longer trying to defend you and play the game. If they are physically admitting you won, than fine, you won.

But, that is not what the Bulls did tonight! Like Tobyus mentioned, Stacey King said something about 'if you don't like it, then guard him' and while Chicago's D may not have been as active in the closing seconds, they certainly weren't walking off the floor! Two players were visibly chasing Lillard towards the hoop on that last posession, so screw them and their moaning about getting slammed on the last play; they asked to be "disrespected" by not respectfully slowing down and giving up.

Another thing to consider: Since when is 'playing til the final horn' a trademark of some long-forgotten age of basketball?!? That is EXACTLY one of the biggest problems we've seen from the Blazers in past seasons; they didn't play a full 48 minutes, and that's how you lose unnecessary games! I don't care if we lose every game from here on out because they put a lock on the bucket, if I saw every one of our players putting in 100% play-til-you-drop effort for every single second they were on the floor, I would stand up and declare them the best team in modern sport, hands down without question. This point goes both ways; first, there is no reason that we shouldn't try and score, and second, if the Bulls don't want us to score, than prove it by showing that your game isn't over til the buzzer sounds... just because your paychecks are exponentially larger than athletes of the past does NOT mean you get to put in less effort or finish the game early.

Final point: I really would like to believe that Damian Lillard, as well as every single other athlete that puts on a Blazer uniform, is playing for the FANS, first and foremost. Not for the paycheck, not for the cameras, and without a doubt, not for the fragile pride and ego of millionaire athletes who are worried about looking bad for a matter of seconds in an opponent's arena (newsflash: you lost the game long before that dunk). If I watched my Blazers play on the road and this happened to us, you know what I'd be saying? It sure as heck wouldn't be "those other guys are poor sports", it would be much more along the lines of "you're not allowed to give up yet, you lazy kids! You play til the buzzer or you take that jersey off!"

Just sayin, Bulls can stop crying like Dame's a poor sport or dumb rookie just cuz they didn't know whether to try or not to try. Truth is, there should NEVER be a question of that in this game.

GO BLAZERS.

I am a fan of BLAZER BASKETBALL. Not drafts, not business, not trades, not David Stern. Just BLAZER BASKETBALL.

riverman
Posts: 1098

Posted 11/19/2012 11:46 AM
I think the issue was resolved on court thanks to Jeffries..Dame apologized today via twitter and it's an old school tradition..that could be debated but it's been a tradition for decades to not run up a score in the last seconds of an unwinable game. Courtesy move and it's not a serious issue by anyone. Lamarcus was laughing about it. So should we be

I am a fan of A team that plays like Tower of Power on a big stage on a good night

Curvychloe
Posts: 506

Posted 11/19/2012 12:53 PM
Damon shoulda hung on the rim,flexed afterward,howled like a wolf,and pound his chest,or maybe do the randy orton pose or something

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riverman
Posts: 1098

Posted 11/19/2012 1:42 PM
Now that's the picture of him you should get a tatoo of Chloe

I am a fan of A team that plays like Tower of Power on a big stage on a good night

Blazer247
Posts: 503

Posted 11/19/2012 1:46 PM
I hear what you're saying Riverman, and believe me, I am laughing about it, but I just don't think it's fair to say "it's tradition to not score in the closing seconds" more than it's fair to say "it's tradition to keep playing til the buzzer sounds"... anyone who has every played basketball at any level from kiddy league to hs to college has heard their coach barking at them "keep going! hustle! the game's not done yet!", we're taught that from day one... The only times you're ever allowed to let up and not actively try to beat a team is when you're just wiping the floor with them, and that's about respect of fellow athletes. We may have had this win, but it wasn't dominant, and as has been said already, Chicago's defenders were still playing! It's not like they all threw in the towel, so out of respect we were supposed to stop... and what, let them make a defensive block? Or were they just chasing Lillard down to NOT make a play against him?

They get paid millions more in a year than most of us will ever make over our lifetime careers, and they get paid that money to physically perform, i.e. RUN... So, if the buzzer has not yet sounded, they have no more right to quit than we would have to walk out of our jobs before the clock is up... and in both cases, if you leave early, you face the consequences.

If tradition is the only argument they have, that's simply too bad, because there are other traditions such as "hustle" that contradict it.

Just say "NO" to lazy pros!

I am a fan of BLAZER BASKETBALL. Not drafts, not business, not trades, not David Stern. Just BLAZER BASKETBALL.

Hoop#22
Posts: 73

Posted 11/21/2012 2:35 AM
I remember the situation in this season when Chris Copeland , the rookie, took a 3-pointer at the buzzer (he missed tho) . Ball was dribbling out, opponents didn't defend at all, they even started to making fives with each other while time was still counting down and then gritty Copeland made an attempt, clearly to just be on a scoresheet and nobody reacted. Look, how many big time vets are in NY. Did nobody of them mentioned to young fellow about that before? Or maybe other team (I guess it was Philly but I don't remember) was too scared to point that as they were aware of NY's veterans reaction ? Anyway .... Lillard' case never should be such a big issue.

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kenny c.
Posts: 412

Posted 11/21/2012 11:57 AM
He's a rookie, get over it.

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