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Return to blog listing -> Recipe for Success
Blazer Fanatic

Jan 24

Recipe for Success

By Blazer Fanatic Posted in: Blazers, LaMarcusAldridge, NicolasBatum, Pacers, WesleyMatthews
- Bruce Ely/The Oregonian

Blazers win!  I didn't have anything to say after the horn sounded Wednesday night.  Portland accomplished a much needed win, and a seldom experienced 100-80 blowout at the expense of the Indiana Pacers. I was just happy to sit back and appreciate  - with a big smile on my face. 

Blazer bench outscored Indiana’s (19-15), only the 2nd time that’s happened for Portland this season.

Portland is only the 7th team to score 100 points versus Indiana who holds teams to record low averages in FG% (.413) and points per game (89.1)

All 5 starters scored in double digits

Portland shot a season high 56% from the field, also a season high for a Pacer opponent

Portland out rebounded Indiana (42-34)

Portland had 29 assists on 44 made shots

The Blazers held Indiana to their lowest scoring half of the season (32)

And it was the largest blow out of the season (20 pts)

It was the first time in 7 years  (March 10, 2006) any team had lost 6 straight games and come back to win by 20 or more points versus a team that was 10 wins above .500. - Elias

Meyer's Leonards first chalupa bucket (Just kidding. Tacobell is gross and I distain the chalupa chants... I digress)


Had it been a close game, I would have felt relief, but this was a blow out. I couldn't stop smiling. I enjoy watching great basketball, and love watching great Blazer basketball. But it was not relief I felt when the Blazer finally brought an end to a painful 6 game losing streak. I felt, in a word:  refreshed. The same feeling the starters felt as they were called to the bench with a minute to play. The players were having fun, and so was I. Is this really happening? No buzzer beater or final play to draw up? Not this night. I was all smiles for a game well played.

There were so many great things to talk about after the game.  But sometimes, the best feelings in the world are when you step back and watch and read what other people share, as if they were reading your mind and describing your feelings for you. I noticed Joe Freeman of the Oregonian had used the word “refreshing” to describe the game as well.  No doubt there were a lot of Blazer fans out there who felt that way.

A Batum ally oop pass – delicious

A Hickson dunk – nasty

A Lillard driving lay in, and one – beast

A Matthews defensive stop - gritty

An Aldridge 15 footer – smooth

A Blazer blow out win over Indiana after a 6 game losing streak by 6 or fewer points –
refreshing


LaMarcus hit jumper after jumper. The Blazers took charge after charge. Lillard took it to the rack time and again. It was a broken record store of awesome.


So what was the recipe for success?

Portland shot a season low, 11 three point attempts. In fact, they only shot 2 the entire 2nd half. Instead, Lillard, Batum, and Matthews attacked the rim, and dished out for someone else to try when the lane closed. The 3 ball became a last option. Perhaps more significant, the Blazers were not playing from behind, as Lillard started the game far more aggressive rather than resolved to facilitate. The Blazer defense showed life:  aggressive, cohesive, and talkative.  There was so much more movement than in any previous game. And for the first time all season, I saw a legitimate Western Conference contender.

Granted, there is still plenty of room for improvement, but if the Blazers play the rest of the season like they did versus Indiana, they are a lock to make the playoffs.


Congratulations to LaMarcus for making the All-Star team. Bring on the Clippers.
And GO BLAZERS!

6 Comments

  1. We may have stumbled upon just that Fanatic. A recipe for success. Attack !! Decisively. Repeatedly. A beautiful thing to watch. Lets just hope that they saw what we saw. Especially defensively. Dare i say we looked a little like Bostons defense of a couple of years ago. Stotts should send all of our boys a copy of this game tape to watch.... everyday.

    by commontongue on 1/25/2013 9:11 PM

  2. i don't look at the chalupa thing as the chalupa being the important thing. it's a symbol. statistics show that if you score 100 points you're more likely to win. to me, chanting for chalupas is chanting for a better shot at winning.

    ~ KMM

    by Kassandra on 1/26/2013 2:25 PM

  3. Sometimes you have to go back to the drawing board to find other way to be successful and you won't always get it right the first time and just like a chef you have to experiment and then finally when you find something that works and you have your aha moment and that what the Blazers finally got.

    I don't think were just finding a recipe for success I think were writing a cookbook for the future because I feel were are gonna be a team that's gonna beat you in so many different ways so this is just a start for things to come.

    by CarlJ1 on 1/26/2013 8:56 PM

  4. @ Carl I kind of agree with you about the cook book. The thing we do know about this team is it is something different every night that leads Portland to victory. I kinda like that analogy a lot to be honest. Nice!

    by Blazer Fanatic on 1/27/2013 1:58 AM

  5. @ KMM I don't mean to rain on anyone's tacobell parade. Some people don't like the wave either, and I'm one of them. As a kid in the Memorial Coliseum, I LOVED the wave. It was the BEST. But it's just not the same in the Rose Garden or being a bit grown up. I am a HUGE fan of hitting 100, just not the chalupa, or the chant. I'd rather a "LET'S GO BLAZERS" chant or like some college teams do at a certain point in the game playing "JUMP AROUND" by House of Pain.

    by Blazer Fanatic on 1/27/2013 2:03 AM

  6. @ Common It was such a complete game. I watched it 3 times. lol Blazer wins are sooooo good for me.

    by Blazer Fanatic on 1/27/2013 2:04 AM
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