Mike Barrett's Blog - Portland Trail Blazers Official Blog

A Trip for the Books

2009-12-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

Okay. I've seen a few things in my time with the Blazers. But, this road trip now goes into a class by itself.

A casual NBA fan checking the scoreboard last night might have briefly looked at Portland's win in San Antonio and thought, "well, that was kind of unexpected." But, if you haven't followed this team all season, and even back into the summer, you probably aren't capable of putting this in the proper perspective.

We saw this road trip coming when the NBA schedule was released late last summer. Holy cow. Orlando, Miami, Dallas, and San Antonio, four games in five nights, following a stretch of 9 of 11 on the road, and the second four-game trip in 10 days. Would it be possible to get one? Two? Nah, that's greedy.

Do you realize that I haven't even mentioned injuries yet? If this team had been at full strength this would have been a tall order.

I was listening to two San Antonio fans behind me last night looking at the Blazers as they came out for warm ups. This one guy was talking out loud, trying to name the Portland players. The other one said, "I thought they had Outlaw, and that guy from Spain, and Oden, and the guy with the Polish name who always plays Duncan well, and the French guy." Then, of course, came the "where's Brandon Roy?"

The next time we're in San Antonio the one guy they will know is Jerryd Bayless.

Bayless scored a career-high 31 points, and the Trail Blazers beat the Spurs 98-94. I'm not going to take you through all the superlatives, because you probably know them. But, I can say this was one of the better wins I've ever been a part of. This team took another emotional shot to the midsection when it lost in Dallas the night before (and won that game too), and then picked itself up, wasn't satisfied with a 2-2 trip, and beat the Spurs in San Antonio.

From the start of the 2003 season, the Trail Blazers had lost 30 of their last 32 in the state of Texas, going into this trip. How's that for perspective? They've now won back-to-back games in Texas fror the first time since 2001.

The amazing thing to think about is that if not for a six-minute scoring draught in the fourth quarter in Orlando to start the trip, the Blazers could have swept these four games. They led through the majority of that game.

To cap the trip, we almost couldn't land in Portland last night because of fog. They were already scrambling to get buses up to Seattle to drive us down if necessary. Just before we started down I heard that we were indeed going to get to land at PDX. I knew Nate McMillan was concerned about this so I went back to tell him. Before I could get that news to him, he said, "how about our boys tonight?" He went on to say this was the most satisfying road trip of his career.

To listen to Nate's postgame comments, click here.

I'll have more later, but I have gifts to wrap. Have a great Christmas and I'll talk to you soon.

Another Big Win/Loss

2009-12-22T23:45:00.000-08:00

It's very late, as we just arrived in San Antonio, so this post isn't going to be long. But, this night was very worthy of some thoughts. I'm sure you have some as well.

First of all, I don't even know what to say about the Joel Przybilla injury. I could see that his right leg was tangled behind his left leg and he was about to go down. The Oden injury came out of nowhere. This one I could see coming a split second before it happened.

It was such a violent fall I thought initially he might have broken his leg. Actually, that would have been better than what happened. Joel is extremely tough, as you know, so when he went down, screamed, and then took a quick glance at his knee, I knew it could be bad. It was.

It's a ruptured patella tendon, and a dislocated patella (knee cap). In short, it's much worse than Greg Oden's injury.

I was standing in the loading dock after the game when Joel rode up in a cart and climbed out with the use of crutches. In typical Joel fashion, he smiled, and said, "I'm good. I'm playing tomorrow." He continued to try and lighten the moment, but he's obviously crushed.

What's worse in these situations is that the player must immediately travel back home for surgery. So, we dropped Joel and trainer Jay Jensen off at our Dallas hotel, and then headed for the airport. It feels like you're leaving a man behind. I'm sure it was a long night for him, as he's now suddenly alone, separated from his team, knowing his future has changed. Forget the fact that he's got an opt-out clause in his contract and likely just lost a ton of money, but he's not going to be on the court again this season. I feel sick for him, and sick for this team, because they have to deal with another major loss. I hate the fact that I asked the question recently, "wow, what's next?"

As for his teammates, they're sick too. But, they were able to put aside that heartbreaking moment and pulled out an extremely rare win in Dallas. How rare? The Blazers hadn't won in Dallas since 2003. It was an ugly streak of 11-straight losses that was snapped on Tuesday night.

Want even more perspective on this win? Since the start of the 2003 season, this team was 2-32 in the state of Texas going into this game. What a night to put a stop to this ugliness.

Portland got the game in their tempo in the second quarter and built an 11-point halftime lead. I don't think anyone was surprised that the Mavericks came rushing back to grab a 7-point lead in the second half.

What likely surprised the Mavs is that the Blazers were able to put aside the fatigue of this brutal road trip and battle back to reclaim the lead. The fourth quarter was incredible. The Blazers held Dallas to 4 of 16 shooting, and outrebounded them 12-7. They outscored the Mavericks 27-16 and won the game 85-81.

That's the 40th-straight win for the Blazers when holding their opponent to 90 points or less. That's an incredible streak.

They accomplished this feat in much the same fashion we've come to expect. LaMarcus Aldridge got them rolling with 17 points in the first half, they got great performances from their role players, and then Brandon Roy took over in the fourth quarter. Aldridge ended with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Roy had 23 points, giving him 11-straight games of 23 or more- the longest such streak in the NBA.

Andre Miller was terrific down the stretch, Jerryd Bayless gave them 9 big points, and Juwan Howard (how big is that acquisition now?) scored 10 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. And, Steve Blake nailed two big three-point shots late in the fourth to take the wind out of the arena in Dallas.

A lot of people have been hard on Blake through this difficult offensive stretch for him, but without his defense tonight in the fourth quarter, Portland doesn't win this game. Jose Barea, who torched the Blazers in the first three quarters, was shut down by Blake in the fourth. Steve's aggressive defense stopped the Mavericks' main weapon in this game. He was determined to fight through every pick and not switch on defense, preventing the Mavs from getting the switch they were looking for. Barea had just 3 points on 1 of 4 shooting in the fourth quarter.

So, now we're in San Antonio. Not many people gave the Blazers a chance to get a win on this trip. Very few thought they'd win two games, and almost no one thought this team would be up to winning 3 of the 4 on the trip. Now, they've got that chance. The best part? They're playing with house money now. Two wins on this trip, against this competition, would be fantastic. They've got that in the bag already.

What they don't have is a healthy center. Oden is gone. Przybilla is gone. But, this team still has fight. Don't underestimate that.

What a crazy story this is becoming. I'm proud to be associated with this group.

Gutty Win in Miami

2009-12-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

A night after struggling with their outside shots, getting pounded on the boards, and setting an all-time record for fewest assists in a game, the Trail Blazers managed a complete recovery and posted one of their more important wins of the season. The fact that the Blazers won in Miami should have surprised absolutely no one, as their all-time record in this city is amazing. They're now 17-5 all time versus the Heat in Miami.

On Saturday in Orlando, the Trail Blazers led throughout most of the first three quarters. But, after a Magic run that started during the final play of the third quarter, the Blazers couldn't pick themselves up in time to recover. Nothing was falling from the field, and they faded badly in the fourth.

Sunday night, thing looked to be setting up the same way.

Midway through the third quarter, the Blazers were down six and fired back with an 18-2 run. That gave them a 10-point lead. But, Miami then quickly answered with a 17-2 run to rebuild a five-point lead. Unlike the Orlando game, Portland wasn't going anywhere.

Late in the fourth, the Blazers strapped a saddle on Brandon Roy and he led them on a 10-0 run. The capper was a dagger three-point bomb with 28 seconds left, that beat the shot clock, and gave the Blazers a 99-92 lead. The went on to win it 102-95, ending the game on a 13-3 run.

Everything that was missing came back in this game. LaMarcus Aldridge was aggressive, and got the team off to a fast start. He finished with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Martell Webster hit three three-pointers, and ended with 15 points. And, Andre Miller, who was the hot Blazer during the big third-quarter run, finished with 17 points.

Also, once again give Joel Przybilla big props for his effort against the Heat. He scored 8 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and blocked four shots (including the incredible block on Wade that you can see in the photo above, which was a momentum changer).

When poking through the wreckage of the Saturday loss to Orlando, we talked about how sometimes it's as simple as not making open shots. That sounds obvious, but often times everyone digs too deep when looking for explanations following a loss. Sunday, it was just a matter of Portland shooting 51 percent, going an astounding 11 for 19 from three-point range. And, after getting out rebounded 54-35 by Orlando, the Blazers out rebounded Miami 38-28.

Now, back to Roy. This was perhaps his most dominating performance of the season. The Heat continually doubled him to try and get the ball out of his hands. That's nothing new. Because of this, Brandon's shots were limited. But, he made the most of his attempts. He ended with 28 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. The incredible part of this is that he scored those 28 points while taking only 14 shots. By comparison, Dwyane Wade needed 31 shots to get his 28 points.

Roy has got to be the leading candidate for Western Conference Player of the Week honors (UPDATE- nevermind. Kobe won it Monday afternoon. And, L.A. is a more important market than Portland, so Roy would have had to average about 87 points a game to get anyone's attention back east). In the four games this week, Roy led his team to a 3-1 record, including wins over Miami and Phoenix. He averaged 28 points per game, shot 52 percent from the field, and 47 percent from behind the three-point line. Of course, the week was capped with an all-star caliber effort against the previously red-hot Heat.

In this game, all this all happened with Miami shooting a very high percentage, and playing a very clean game. The Heat suffered only 7 turnovers on the night, and shot 49 percent overall, including 8 for 16 from behind the three-point line. And, keep in mind, this was the same Miami team that roughed up Orlando 104-86 in their last game.

Things don't get easier during this stretch. Monday we'll fly to Dallas and get set to battle the Mavericks on Tuesday. Dallas, playing without Dirk Nowitzki on Sunday, took care of the Cavaliers and will come into the Portland game riding high. Then, the trip wraps up in San Antonio on Wednesday.

To listen to Nate McMillan's post-game comments following the win over Miami, click here.

Oh My Bayless!

2009-12-17T23:02:00.000-08:00

For a team absolutely starving for an emotional lift, in a big game, before a big trip, it happened. An incredible fourth-quarter rally carried the Trail Blazers to one of the more memorable victories of the season at the Rose Garden on Thursday night. They outscored the Phoenix Suns 35-21 in the final quarter, and won the game 105-102.

It was one year ago Friday, that Brandon Roy, also on TNT, burned the Suns for 52 points and carried his team to a win. It lifted him to a new level on the national scene. Roy was spectacular in this game as well, but man getting headlines after this one was Jerryd Bayless.

Is it safe to say that this is some kind of turning point? Has Portland perhaps found a missing ingredient that will, at the very least, help them survive this brutal stretch of the schedule and all of this dreadful injury news?

We've seen glimpses of this coming, as Bayless has been taking advantage of additional minutes. Tuesday night he was huge down the stretch as the Blazers held off the Sacramento Kings. If that was Jerryd climbing through the window of opportunity, then Thursday night was him busting down the wall.

Bayless finished the game with a career-high 29 points, on 9 of 15 shooting. He hit two big three pointers in the fourth quarter and was 9 for 12 from the free-throw line. More impressive than his numbers was the courage he showed in taking the big shots. No hesitation, no second thoughts. And, the rest of his teammates fed off his energy and confidence.

Roy was also huge, scoring 27 points, and grabbing 8 rebounds. It doesn't make it any less spectacular, but we've come to expect this of Brandon. He's already at that level. For Bayless to post 29 points in 29 minutes, have a fourth quarter like that, and hit huge shot after huge shot, gives all Blazer fans reason to rejoice. And, after the way things have gone this season, fans have been waiting to rejoice.

A win, and a performance, like this couldn't have come at a more critical time. Friday we leave for the toughest four-game trip of the season. It's four games in five nights, starting in Orlando on Saturday. We're at Miami on Sunday, and then are at Dallas Tuesday and San Antonio on Wednesday. Of course, after that it's a Christmas Day game against Denver.

Before this little two-game homestand we talked about the importance of Portland taking care of the home floor and getting a couple of wins. Not only did they get the wins, we perhaps witnessed the birth of a star. Is that taking it too far at this point?

While we're passing out credit, we also have to throw some at Martell Webster. Not only did he have some big shots in this game, but had a huge tip in off a missed free throw, and then grabbed a very important offensive rebound in the final seconds that forced Phoenix to have to foul. Webster ended with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Also, LaMarcus Aldridge had 15, and Steve Blake hit four three-point shots during the rally.

To listen to Nate McMillan's post-game comments, click here.

Going into this game the Blazers hadn't won a game when allowing their opponent to score over 100 points. The Suns hadn't lost a game when leading after the third quarter. Those two streaks are over. One streak that continues is Phoenix's odd struggles on TNT. They've now lost 17-straight games on TNT. It looked for a long time in this game like they'd finally get that monkey off their backs.

The Blazers now head into this road trip with something they've been lacking lately- confidence and momentum.

Talk to you from Florida.

Bayless Leads the Charge

2009-12-15T22:46:00.000-08:00

On a night when all the pre-game chatter centered on a move that would change Portland's starting point guard, it was another point guard who grabbed the headlines in the end. Jerryd Bayless saw the door of opportunity crack open and he jumped through it, perhaps changing the playing rotation going forward.

Bayless led the Blazers on a fourth-quarter rally, that saw them go from trailing by seven at the start of the quarter to winning the game by seven, 95-88. He did what he does best- play aggressive, in-your-face basketball, and lifted the crowd and his team. He ended with 14 points in 24 minutes, and made 8 of his 10 free-throw attempts.

The move that had been talked about for two days, happened, to start this game. Andre Miller was place in the starting lineup, and Steve Blake, for the first time this season, came off the bench. In the end, this move seemed to work all the way around. Miller got the Blazers off to a great start, and Blake broke out of his shooting slump, canning two huge crunch-time shots. The third part of the move was to get Bayless some well-deserved playing time.

The play of Bayless down the stretch shouldn't over shadow three other Blazer efforts that carried this team to this important win. LaMarcus Aldridge was fantastic again, coming off a 31-point, 11-rebound effort at Milwaukee. He scored 25 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, still playing on a bum ankle. Brandon Roy had 25 points and 10 assists. And, Joel Przybilla showed once again why he's so valuable to this team.

Przybilla ended with 5 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. But, it was his toughness that was so necessary in game like this. His presence shut down the lane, and he also drew 4 offensive foul calls. No one I know sacrifices his body, constantly putting himself in front of offensive players, at full speed, like Przybilla.

In the end, I'd put it this way- Aldridge and Roy were brilliant, but Portland simply doesn't win this game without Bayless and Przybilla.

It should have surprised no one that this game was as close as it was. The Kings have been doing this all season, and have been one of the surprises of the Western Conference. Tyreke Evans is a potential superstar, Jason Thompson is getting better each day, and Beno Udrih is one of the best back-up point guards in the league.

The biggest key to the game, as we talked about all day, centered on one very telling stat. The Kings came into this game 0-5 when held under 100 points. The Blazers came in 0-7 when they allow 100 points. Sometimes it's as simple as the numbers suggest. Portland has now won 39-straight games when holding their opponents under 90 points. That tells you all you need to know. Keep these numbers in mind for Portland's next game as well- Phoenix on Thursday.

To listen to Nate McMillan's post-game comments, click here.

Given the recent past, and the upcoming schedule, this was a game the Blazers had to have. They host Phoenix on Thursday, and then we hit the east coast again for a four-games-in-five-nights trip that has us at Orlando, Miami, Dallas, and San Antonio. After that, it's a Christmas-Day game against Denver. Nothing easy about that stretch.

The Blazers are in survival mode right now, and that will continue. As they have said, they somehow have to fight through this next patch before things calm down.

It'll take grit and determination, and if it calls for unconventional play and a shift in strategy, so be it. Bayless was that shift on Tuesday night, and his attitude was contagious.

Now what?

A Draining Loss to End Trip

2009-12-13T02:50:00.000-08:00

On this road trip the Trail Blazers, as a team, decided that they were going to do their best not to talk about the injury situation any longer. They don’t want excuses made, and don’t want the focus to be on what they don’t have. They realize that help, at least in the short term, isn’t on the way. They aren’t feeling sorry for themselves, and realize this is what they are going forward.

Also, no one has conspired against them, and there aren’t any forces of evil issuing anyone payback (trust me, I’ve heard all these suggestions from people).

With that in mind, can I respectfully ask one question- can this team catch a friggin’ break?

I’m not going to go through all that has happened this season, but it sure wasn’t supposed to be this emotionally taxing, this early. From the adjustments to new players, to a slow start at home, to the injuries (including McMillan’s), illnesses, strange bounces, bad calls, and hard-to-swallow losses, nothing has been easy.

Even the most optimistic fans can waiver during times like these. And, unfortunately, another chapter to this book was written on Saturday night in Milwaukee. This one comes after the one written in Cleveland on Friday night.

Even though no one really counts moral victories anymore, it was easy to find ways to find points of satisfaction with the loss in Cleveland. The Cavs had just been upset, twice, and were back home where they have been nearly unbeatable in the last two seasons. The Blazers limped into that hornet’s nest, fought their hearts out, and if not for a couple of odd plays late, and missed calls, could have pulled out the win.

They carried that feeling with them to Milwaukee after that game. LaMarcus Aldridge, who rolled his ankle late in the game with the Cavs, hobbled on to the team plane. I rode up with him on the elevator after we arrived at our hotel, and we looked at the swelling. I didn’t even think he’d play against the Bucks. His injury, coupled with the mental exhaustion of recent days, didn’t exactly send expectations soaring as we were headed into the Bradley Center.

I bring up moral victories again now (for the last time, I promise) because this team showed some serious character against the Bucks. Aldridge, more than anyone, proved that he is capable of shoving fatigue, and pain, to the back of his mind and playing like an all-star.

Milwaukee was hot early, and jumped on top. They led by five after the first quarter and it certainly felt like that lead should have been larger. In the second quarter, the Blazers, as we should expect by now, fought back. They outscored the Bucks 28-18 in that quarter, and took a five-point lead to the locker room.

The third quarter belonged to the Bucks, who finally got Brandon Jennings involved, and seemingly everyone started chucking in three-point bombs. They went on a run and grabbed a 13-point lead, outscoring Portland 30-15 in the third.

That’s it, right? Road trip over, poor us, let’s head for the plane. It didn’t work out that way.

The Trail Blazers roared from behind again. They were expending so much energy getting back in the game, we kept almost expecting them to finally throw in the towel. Trailing 78-69 with 5:17 to go, the fans were starting to find their heavy coats, getting set to head into the night. But, back came the Blazers yet again. They outscored the Bucks 18-9 in the final five minutes.

They got the game tied, and Milwaukee had a chance to win it. Andrew Bogut tipped in a miss at the buzzer, which was called good on the floor. The officials reviewed the play, and saw what we saw. The tip was clearly after the buzzer. Thank goodness for replay (it seemed then, at least).

In the first overtime, the Blazers fell behind quickly, and then exploded, behind Aldridge, to take a six—point lead. The Bucks then scored six straight to tie it. After the Blazers went back on top by two, the Blazers had the ball, and a Steve Blake three-point attempt went halfway down and popped back out. That would have given Portland a five-point lead with just over a minute left.

The Blazers still had the lead by two with 13 seconds left. The Bucks missed a shot, and in a mad scramble, Aldridge had a rebound knocked out of his hands out of bounds. The officials ruled it was off Milwaukee. But, thanks to a new instant replay rule where things like this can be reviewed, it was. They stood over the replay monitor for several minutes. We watched the replay over and over and were certain it was at worst showing the ball was indeed off Milwaukee, and at best didn’t show any conclusive evidence that would overturn the call. But, for reasons I still don’t understand, the call was overturned. The Bucks got the ball, tied the game, and we went to another overtime.

I suppose it was at this point the Trail Blazers finally ran out of gas. The Bucks got hot again, and there simply wasn’t time for Portland to mount another charge.

Aldridge ended with 31 points and 11 rebounds. Roy had 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Martell Webster had 16 points, as he continues to fight for consistency in his game.
The Blazers were out shot in this game 50 percent to 40 percent, and survived 18 turnovers to stay in this game.

In the end, it took a shot or two spinning out, a key turnover, and a bizarre replay decision to finally sink them. It’s perhaps the toughest loss this team has had to deal with this season.

They end the road trip 1-3, and now get set for Sacramento and Phoenix at home, before we saddle up and hit the road again in less than a week, for the east coast, again.

Time to bounce back again? Time for some good fortune, and time for some wins, that’s for sure.

Throwback Night in Indy

2009-12-09T22:46:00.000-08:00

The Trail Blazers weren't wearing vintage jerseys, or honoring anyone from the past on Wednesday night in Indianapolis, but they played like the team we've come to know. LaMarcus Aldridge got the team off to a solid start, scoring the first 10 points of the game, and Brandon Roy took over late. Steve Blake hit a big three to put the game away, and Joel Przybilla was his rugged self inside, scoring 12 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.

Most importantly, the Blazers returned to their winning ways, defeating the Pacers 102-91.

It wasn't as comfortable as they would have liked, but the only time Portland didn't have the lead in this game is when the score was 4-2. Indiana, to their credit, stayed close throughout and even tied the game with just over seven minutes left, but was finally knocked out for good with just under three minutes left.

Aldridge ended the game with 20 points and 8 rebounds, and gave the team a huge boost early. It was his production, using a variety of shots, that loosened things up for the guards. The Blazers always start games trying to establish the inside for this reason. Indiana, which does have a cast of talent, physical players, had no answer for Aldridge early in this game.

Roy was spectacular in the second half, and particularly in the fourth quarter. He was going head to head with a very good defender in Dohntay Jones, but still torched the Pacers for 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. His biggest shot came with 2:54 left, and Portland clinging to a 92-89 lead. The shot clock was winding down, and 18 feet away from the hoop, with his back to the basket, wheeled around and canned a fade-away jumper all but closing the doors on this game.

As expected, every Blazer in uniform (that would be nine, of course) played significant minutes, and everyone had at least two field goals. Andre Miller had 15 points off the bench, Dante Cunningham provided a couple of big buckets and give the team physical play, and Juwan Howard and Jerryd Bayless were solid again.

Even though Portland's injury trouble has made news around the NBA, the players have agreed that it doesn't do any good to talk about it anymore. To quote Hickory coach Norman Dale (when he decided to play only four players, just to make a point)- "my team's on the floor." Brandon told me as much after the game, saying "this is what we've got, and this is what we are. We're moving ahead."

You can make the argument that Indiana has been struggling, and didn't have leading scorer Danny Granger in this one, but no one really cared to hear that after this game. They had lost five in a row, and were back home desperate to get a win. And, it was a road win. It doesn't usually matter how you get those, just that you get them.

Following a roller coaster flight, in 55 mile per hour headwinds and snow all the way, we're in Cleveland. Thursday will be a light practice for the Blazers and a chance to rest. Friday night the road trip continues with a game against the suddenly-struggling Cavaliers. The Cavs lost in Memphis on Tuesday night, and then lost in Houston on Wednesday. Add the loss earlier in the week at Charlotte, and this team is going to be out to send a message. Don't expect the Blazers to back down. And I've already heard some of the players recalling last year's game in Cleveland, where the Blazers played without Aldridge, and took the Cavs to overtime before falling.

Flat Start to Trip

2009-12-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

The four-game road trip started in New York city on Monday night, and started with a frustrating loss to the Knicks, who have now won four of their last five. They've posted some impressive victories as of late- drilling Phoenix by 27, and winning in Atlanta- and they'll certainly add this win to their list.

But, as much as New York is looking at the past week as a turning point in their season, clearly the Trail Blazers are facing a similar fork in the road. It's a long season, but given all that has happened in the last few days, there is reason for concern. I probably didn't really need to state that, and it's difficult to determine exactly how much should be made of this loss.

This was the first game, of the rest of the season, without Greg Oden. Rudy Fernandez was watching the game on TV back in Portland, and so was head coach Nate McMillan, who will miss the remaining three games on this trip. Was the team as emotionally shell shocked as they looked on Monday night? Should we have expected this? And, most importantly, will they be able to bounce back after repeated shots to the midsection?

The optimistic way to look at this, is to remember that this was the adjustment game. Early in this game we talked about the mental state of this team, and how it's understandably fragile right now. If it's one thing we've learned in the past couple of seasons, it's that this team usually finds a way to circle the wagons and push on. Perhaps more now than ever before, it's time to get busy winning, or get busy losing. I'm not sure if we're truly at that crossroads yet, but we're about to find out.

Brandon Roy scored 27 points against the Knicks, and was able to bounce back from a cold spell, and put up solid numbers. LaMarcus Aldridge battled his way to a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Jerryd Bayless scored 14 points, and give terrific energy off the bench, but played only 17 minutes. As far as the positives go, that was about it.

Traditionally, when this team shoots 47 percent, and out rebound their opponent, they win. But, they turned the ball over 19 times. If you know me, you know I don't ever pay much attention to turnovers. I simply don't think they are as big a factor as others do. The issue here is shots attempted. When you're attempting only 66 shots in a game, then 19 turnovers is a devastating number. If you're attempting 80 or 90 shots, you can live with 19 turnovers.

I haven't even done all the math on this, but of those 66 shots attempted against the Knicks, how many were taken out of desperation with the shot clock winding down? Isn't a shot taken under those conditions just as bad as a turnover? I don't think there's any question about that.

I'm not suggesting the Trail Blazers drastically change their approach to the offensive end. But, something has to change. They have got to find a way to get more shot attempts, and easier, more quality looks.

The defense has taken some hits lately, as we've talked a lot about the field goal percentage this team has allowed. This game was odd from that standpoint. They actually only allowed the Knicks to shoot 41 percent. When this team holds its opponents to the low 40s, it usually wins. But, when you allow 13 three pointers you can throw that 41 percent number completely out the window.

It was the first time Brandon and LaMarcus lost at Madison Square Garden, as Portland had beaten the Knicks five-straight times. It also got this trip started on a sour note. They reason this team has been so good on these long trips in the past couple of years, is they've gotten the first game on these trips. Now, it's a chance to rebound on Wednesday against the Pacers in Indiana.

The Blazers will only have nine players available once again, and get used to that. It's very likely that help isn't on the way. We are what we are right now. In my opinion, the Blazers are better than that they showed on Monday, and I'm willing to take into account the mental hangover that most likely was a huge factor in this one. But, I know it's going to ask a lot of you to extend that many more times.

Given all that we know, what are you hoping to see? More shots? More running? More Jerryd Bayless? All of the above? Again, I don't want to read too much into this trip, as it's an adjustment period, but this could very well be a defining period in what has been a very difficult season so far.

Big Loss in a Big Win

2009-12-05T22:59:00.000-08:00

On a night when we were searching for comfort, and deserved it, Brandon Roy exploded in the fourth quarter, hit the game-winning shot with 3 seconds left, and the Blazers defeated the Houston Rockets 90-89. If only that were the end of the story.

With 7:45 left in the first quarter, Greg Oden moved across the lane and attempted to block an Aaron Brooks shot attempt. When he was the air, he coiled up his left leg and hit the floor in pain- the kind of reaction that caused Houston's trainer to rush on to the court, simply because he was closer. The kind of reaction we were hoping we'd never see.

After Oden was taken from the court on a stretcher, we received news that he'd suffered a fractured patella. You could see the knee cap was out of place immediately following the play, so the x-rays simply confirmed what we had feared. Surgery will be necessary, and Oden could be gone for the season. The official release says "likely gone for the season," but it's okay to hold out hope.

When Roy moved to Oden's side, Brandon said the first thing Greg said was "I'm sorry." If you know anything about Greg, that shouldn't surprise you. It was also the first thing he said to general manager Kevin Pritchard after coming out of surgery in the fall of 2007.

As Oden was taken down the tunnel to the locker room he asked team chaplain Al Egg to pray with him. And, as Oden was wheeled up for x-rays, he demanded they turn the game on the TV because he didn't want to miss a minute.

We can sit here and feel sorry for ourselves as Blazer fans, but all I could think about at that moment the injury happened was how badly I felt for Greg. He had battled so hard to get to where he was, and now he faces another fight. And, as bad as we all feel for what happened, it doesn't come close to how he's feeling. It certainly changes things, but Oden will be back. And, maybe I'm being unrealistic, but it wouldn't shock me to see him playing again this season. It's just a feeling.

Here's something he knows, and his teammates certainly know- this stuff isn't fair sometimes, and no one feels sorry for you in this league. Oden's injury is just the latest what has been an extremely odd start to the season for this team.

It started with Patty Mills breaking his foot in the first practice before summer league. Then there was Nicolas Batum's shoulder injury. Jeff Pendergraph injured his hip and required surgery after summer league. Travis Outlaw then broke his foot. Friday, Nate McMillan ruptured his Achilles tendon trying to practice with the team. Rudy Fernandez has had his back problems flare up again, and may not make the road trip. LaMarcus Aldridge, who sat out of Tuesday's game, was a game-time decision for this game against Houston. Dante Cunningham nearly broke his eye socket in a head-to-head collision with Martell Webster on Friday. Now Oden. Dare we ask what's next? And, I didn't even mention the fact that Maurice Lucas had his cancer come back, and owner Paul Allen is currently in a fight with lymphoma (of course, those last two are far more serious than a knee injury, and probably shouldn't even be included on this list).

On Saturday, the Trail Blazers showed a lot of what they'll need to keep them afloat during this strange time- perseverance, and resiliency. They fought from 12 down to defeat the Rockets on Roy's scoop shot in the lane. Houston's Brooks had one last chance, but Steve Blake got his hand on the ball and forced the miss at the buzzer.

Perhaps the positive in all of this is that we saw a re-emergence of Brandon in the fourth quarter. He scored Portland's final 10 points, and ended with 28. Andre Miller scored 16 points in the third quarter, to keep the Blazers in the game, and finished with 24. Most importantly, the Blazers won a close game, something they hadn't yet done this season.

Sunday we'll fly to New York, and Monday night open a four-game road trip against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. That's followed by a game against the Pacers in Indiana, and games against the Cavs in Cleveland, and the Bucks in Milwaukee.

To listen to the post-game comments from McMillan, who will undergo surgery on his Achilles on Monday and will miss the entire trip, click here. You'll also hear comments from Kevin Pritchard on Oden's injury.

Defense Blamed for Another Loss

2009-12-01T22:56:00.000-08:00

There are some very troubling stats from the last three games for Portland fans. Some of the stuff is hard to believe, and some of it is pretty explainable. For me, the most amazing thing to consider is that the Trail Blazers haven't held a lead in a game in the last 11 quarters. It's actually over 11 quarters, and can be traced back to the loss to Memphis, when the Grizzlies went on that incredible 31-2 run.

Right before the Memphis game, the Blazers had won three in a row. They blew out Minnesota 106-78, Chicago 122-98, and then got past an inspired New Jersey team 93-83. Portland grabbed an early lead over Memphis, and then the run happened. The Blazers missed 17 of 18 shots during that stretch, and trailed 45-17 on their home floor, when the run was finally snapped.

The only reason I bring up that game, and that run, is because that's when all of this seemed to start. Can that be true? Listening to the players, even before that run, nothing was feeling exactly right. Could it be that the run Memphis put on them really caused some major cracks in this team's confidence to develop? Are we still seeing a hangover from that 10-minute stretch of basketball?

All of this is probably a stretch, but you go searching when you see a team fall so far out of character. The good news is (and you know this is true if you've been around this league) it can snap back in just as fast as it went sideways. I think we're all ready for that to happen.

On Tuesday night at the Rose Garden we saw similar breakdowns, and some of the same issues come up that have troubled this team in the last several games. In particular, they dug themselves an early hole and made it an uphill battle the rest of the night. In the past three games the Blazers have been outscored in the first quarter 93-60. That's not exactly setting the table for success.

Against the Heat, the Blazers kept battling, and I don't think the effort can be questioned. Everything just looks so difficult right now, and nothing is coming easy. Even after halftime, when this team usually responds so well, they couldn't mount a charge that really threatened Miami's lead. The Blazers shot just 32 percent in the second half, and really the final score (107-100) is as close as the game was in the second half.

If it's true that defense creates offense (and that's true in this system), then I guess we've hit on the issue. The numbers back that up. The Blazers allowed Memphis to shoot 54 percent. Utah shot 61 percent on Saturday. Miami, averaging 45 percent for the season, shot 54 percent in this game.

Also, I can't remember a time when Portland beat a team so badly on the backboards, yet lost decisively. The Blazers outrebounded Miami 49-34. Greg Oden finished the game with 13 points, 20 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. He had 11 offensive rebounds, an incredible number. I guess when you shoot 39 percent there are a lot of rebounds to be had, but he still was a beast in the middle.

We've talked of all the adjustments this team has had to make this season, and Tuesday night, when they could afford it least, lost LaMarcus Aldridge to a bruised knee. It's been bothering him for several days, and Tuesday morning he realized he wouldn't be able to go. Rookie Dante Cunningham got the start in his place.

Now then, this is a terrific time for Portland to get their first three-day break of the season. However, it'll only be a break in terms of them not having any games. They'll be getting some much-needed time on the practice floor, something you don't get much in the hectic NBA schedule.

Saturday night they'll once again get the chance to right the ship at home, where they've now lost four games this season. They lost only seven times at home in all of last season. They host the Houston Rockets for the third time this season on Saturday.

After that game, it won't get any easier. Monday a four-game road trip starts in New York, where the Knicks beat Phoenix by 27 on Tuesday night. The trip will then take us to Indiana, Cleveland, and Milwaukee.

To listen to Nate McMillan's post-game comments following the loss to Miami, click here.

A Time to Get Right

2009-11-30T21:39:00.000-08:00

It wasn't just the rest that was important following the stretch of 19 games in 33 days to start the year, it was also a chance to do something else that you just don't get much time for during the regular season- practice. Even though a couple of days without a game, and a chance to address some issues shouldn't be expected to work miracles, this team isn't in need of miracles. We're 19 games into a long, long season.

Upset losses? Bad outings? Nothing working on offense? Things happen to everyone. The loss to Memphis at the Rose Garden on Friday was painful. How painful? Ask Denver. They just lost at home to Minnesota. Cleveland fell last week in Charlotte. Dallas, the team that ran the Lakers out of Staples recently, just lost a home game to Golden State. Get used to it.

Right after the exhibition season ended I took some heat for saying on the air that it wouldn't shock me to see the Blazers go 10-10 in their first 20 ball games. It wasn't being pessimistic, it was being real. This team had just lost their starting small forward, gained a new point guard, and was showing an obvious attempt to integrate their starting center into the offense. In short, two-fifths of the starting lineup was going to be new, they were still the third-youngest team in the league, and they had very little time in training camp to make the adjustments. Then, in game 11, they lost their third-leading scorer from last year, most likely for the season.

Excuses? Okay. But, they are also major factors. And, as an assistant coach told me before the Utah game, "I'm worried about how we're playing now, but I'm more concerned with how we're going to be playing in April." In other words, we're not to the quarter pole in the season and the Trail Blazers find themselves three games out of the top spot in the west, and one game from the fourth spot, where they ended last season.

On Monday the Trail Blazers practiced, but more importantly they communicated. There were meetings between players, meetings between coaches and players, and meetings between coaches and coaches. No one is happy with the last two games. Getting bombed by the Grizzlies at home was extremely unsettling, and if you expected the Blazers to go into Utah and win then you don't know history. I can live with this.

For the first time this season, the Blazers will play just two games in seven days. Tuesday night they host Miami, and Saturday night they host Houston. Then, we hit the road for four games (New York, Indiana, Cleveland, and Milwaukee).

Effort and energy, or uncertainty and confusion about roles? They go hand in hand. The second usually leads to the first. But, it's not going to continue. History has also shown us that.

Monday night we hosted our TV/radio show, Trail Blazers Courtside. If you missed any of the interviews, you can listen to them here.

To listen to the interview with assistant coach Dean Demopoulos, click here.

To hear the interview with Dante Cunningham, click here.

To listen to the interview with Jason Quick, from The Oregonian, which was filled with some very good stuff, click here.

Talk to you Tuesday night on KGW.

Blazers Suffer Nasty Loss

2009-11-28T01:10:00.000-08:00

It would be easy to make an attempt to point to just one thing that went wrong on Friday night at the Rose Garden, as the Blazers were upset by the Memphis Grizzlies 106-96. But, it seemed a perfect storm of problems derailed Portland early, and that was that. They did charge back, and cut it to 8 points in the fourth quarter, but it was way too little, way too late.

Going against the grain of opinion, I’m going to first give credit to Memphis. That doesn’t absolve the Blazers of responsibility, and we’ll get to that, but the Grizzlies earned this win.

They’ve been playing better, and with the addition of Jamaal Tinsley, have clutch scorers to rely on. They are the youngest team in the league (Portland is #3 on that list), but with Tinsley and Zach Randolph they’ve got a veteran presence in there late in games. There is some good talent in their first seven or eight, and I haven’t yet figured why they haven’t had more success this season. Maybe this is the kind of win that will jump start them. They should be a lot better than their record. But, I also understand that it usually feels that way after you lose to someone.

Now then, there’s nothing I can write in this short blog that can explain the Blazers falling behind a team like Memphis by 29 points in the first half (or falling behind by 29 to anyone, for that matter- especially at home). The amazing thing is, the Blazers didn’t initially get off to a bad start.

At the first timeout of the game, the Blazers had a 15-11 lead, and everything looked to be going as expected. They hit 6 of their first 12 shots, had 5 assists, were outrebounding Memphis 6 to 4, and only had one turnover. This was at the 5:43 mark of the first quarter. After that, and I mean immediately after that, things went south for the home team.

I can’t say I recall a 31-2 run, ever. The fact that it came on Portland’s home floor, at the end of a successful home stand, made it just about unthinkable. The Blazers went an astonishing 1 for 18 shooting during that run, and when it was over the score was 42-17. The lead would grow as large as 29 in the first half.

We say this all the time, but digging out of a deep hole takes so much energy. And, you basically have to dump the game plan you’ve worked on, and change what you are in order to try and mount a charge. Still, we saw Portland come from double-digits down 18 times last season to win, so we knew a run was coming. A run big enough to erase the damage that had been done in that first half? That was probably an unrealistic thought.

In the second half, the Blazers were doing good things, and it appeared momentum was starting to shift. But, most of the time they were simply trading baskets. As Brandon Roy stated after the game, it was like the team thought it could simply rely on offense to get them back in the game. Problem was, Memphis didn’t exactly go ice cold, and kept things in attack mode enough to hang on. I mean, 29 points is a big cushion.

The Blazers had the crowd behind them in the fourth quarter, as they made yet another charge. They had the Memphis lead chopped down to just 8 points, and had the ball, but turned it over. They would get no closer. The Grizzlies, in dramatic fashion, snapped an 8-game losing skid to the Blazers.

Nate McMillan was obviously frustrated following the game, and implied that he’s been concerned lately about energy and focus at home. It was at the start of the home stand we saw the Blazers build a 20-point lead on Detroit, only to see that lead shrink to 1, before holding on for the win. He was still shaking his head when I rode up the elevator with him after we'd arrived in Salt Lake City in the middle of the night. I know when to start a conversation, and when not to. I simply said, "get some sleep," knowing that was probably asking too much.

As much as McMillan talked of worrisome feelings going into this one, Memphis coach Lionel Hollins stated that after the morning shootaround he felt something positive was happening, and said he expected his team to show a ton of energy and confidence. So, evidently, this storm was brewing long before tip off.

To listen to Nate's post-game comments, click here.

Obviously, we're in Utah now, which isn’t a good place to ever look to get back on track. The Jazz just had their bad loss at home last week to Oklahoma City, and then responded by taking apart Chicago on Thanksgiving night. In other words, they’ve figured some things out. It won’t help that this will be a back-to-back situation for Portland, and that Roy played 42 minutes and Aldridge 45 on Friday.

As I said following the loss at Golden State a week ago, back-to-back situations are nice for only one thing- getting a bad taste out of your mouth in a hurry. It worked for the Blazers after that game. We’ll see if they’re able to pull that off again.

Blazers Survive Hungry Nets

2009-11-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

There were several reasons to be concerned heading into this game. Any time you're playing a team that hasn't won a game yet, you know you could be "it." And, here's a cliche that you can certainly apply- New Jersey is better than its record. Perhaps that isn't saying much, because they're now 0-15, but they are now finally getting healthy.

Of the people I talk to before games, the only one who had the outcome of this thing nailed long before tip off was Mike Rice. He said the Nets would bring a ton of energy, play strong defense, and would give the Blazers all they could handle. Coming off Monday's game, where Portland cruised past Chicago, this probably sounded odd to some people.

As it turned out, the Nets brought a ton of energy, played very strong defense, and gave the Blazers all they could handle. It goes down as a wire-to-wire victory for the Blazers, and just another loss for the Nets, but it was no day at the beach.

Playing with every bit the desperation we expected, the Nets played one of their best games of the season. Now that they're getting healthy, this streak probably won't continue much longer. And even though Portland was in pretty good control of this thing throughout, no one was terribly comfortable until the final minutes. Not with what the Blazers had to lose.

We focused on one matchup during our pre-game segment, and that was the battle of two of the best young centers in the league, Brook Lopez vs. Greg Oden. Lopez, who played 40 minutes, scored 32 points, and grabbed 14 rebounds. Oden, who played only 25 minutes, had 18 points, 8 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots. Oden got his points on 11 shots. Lopez took 25 shots, and is a handful for anyone. It was a fantastic game for Lopez, and a solid game from Oden.

The Blazers came into this game second in the NBA in point differential, at +8.2, and this game won't hurt that number. But, the fact is, it shouldn't have been as close as it was. Portland has been shooting 81 percent at the free-throw line. But, in this game were just 14 for 24. That allowed the Nets to stay within shouting distance.

All 12 wins for the Blazers this season have been by six points or more. That's a good thing, but a scary thing at times. While they were so good last season in games decided by three points or less, we haven't really seen them come through in a very tight game this season. One of their home losses (Denver) came because they missed five free throws in the final 33 seconds. If not for the cushion they had in this game, we could have seen a similar outcome simply because of the lack of hitting foul shots in this one.

To listen to Nate McMillan's post-game comments, click here.

New Jersey was playing the second of a back-to-back, as they lost in Denver on Tuesday night. But, because of their situation, I didn't ever feel that was going to be an issue in this game. Simply a chance at a win would give them enough adrenaline to survive.

The Blazers got away with not being as sharp as they've been in recent games. I think some of this has to do with the schedule. It has been favorable, as far as who they've been playing, but no one has played more games than Portland at this stage. This game made it 17 games in 30 days to start the season. By Saturday, we'll be talking about 19 games in 33 days. That's a brutal pace.

Maybe it's because I travel with the team, and am with them every day, but I am so much a believer that the timing of games is just as important as who you're playing. It's perhaps more important. That's why I always point out things like "four games in five nights," on road trips. Those things are huge hurdles for teams. They are pros, but they're also human.

It's one day off for Thanksgiving, and then back to work on Friday night as the Blazers host Memphis. After that game ends late Friday night we'll fly to Salt Lake City, and Saturday night take on the Utah Jazz.

Oden Brilliant in Blowout

2009-11-23T22:44:00.000-08:00

Clearly, he's getting there.

If you start thinking he's somehow satisfied, think again. He only half acknowledged that he'd played a good game, saying "I'm not saying my game is where I want it to be..." For other NBA teams, that's bad news.

Oden absolutely dominates the paint when he's in the game. We've known that. What we haven't seen is evidence of huge strides in his offensive game. We've got it now. He scored 24 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and blocked two shots, as the Trail Blazers rolled over the Chicago Bulls 122-98.

Maybe the most amazing part of Oden's line on this night is that it only took him 8 shot attempts to total those 24 points. He was 7 for 8 from the field, 10 for 12 from the line, and led the way as Portland out rebounded Chicago 47-27. And, Chicago isn't a bad rebounding team.

I cautioned after Saturday's game not to get too jacked after a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. But, this win was impressive. Chicago was very motivated, after being publically called out by their coach, and played an efficient, sharp game. They exceeded their averages in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, free-throw percentage, and recorded 23 assists and turned the ball over only 6 times. In short, they played well. Numbers like those, for a team like the Bulls, should result in victory. On this night, it resulted in a 24-point loss.

Oden's highlight reel on this night only slightly overshadowed the one put together by LaMarcus Aldridge, who was tremendous. After battling foul trouble Saturday, Aldridge scored 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and hit his first three-point basket of the season. Brandon Roy was steady, as always, recording 18 points, and 7 assists.

The Blazers racked up 66 points in the first half and led by 15 at halftime. The Bulls, needing a strong start to the third quarter to get back in the game, hit their first 9 shots of the quarter and cut Portland's lead to five. But, the Blazers recovered, tightened the screws, and outscored Chicago 32-18 in the fourth to record their fifth-straight win over the Bulls.

All the talk after Saturday's win was about Martell Webster and Steve Blake, who probably played their most complete games, respectively, of the season. Even though those two were quiet offensively in this one, it didn't matter. Rudy Fernandez, who was 1 for 9 on Saturday, was 5 for 7 in this game, and ended with 13 points. Andre Miller added 16 points and 5 assists, and we saw Dante Cunningham get some meaningful minutes.

I've told you how impressive Cunningham was in camp, and how good he's been in practice, and in this game got an opportunity to show that he's ready for prime time. Getting back-up minutes at the power-forward spot, Cunningham showed poise and demonstrated his shooting range and toughness. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of him in games to come.

This was just the second game with this new starting lineup, and it's here to stay. Not only did everything seem to click, but the substitution patterns were much more defined and conventional. Miller and Fernandez are developing a great on-the-court relationship in the second unit, and Portland's depth was on display in this game.

We expected this to be a much lower scoring game than it turned out to be. Chicago gives up only 95 points per game, which is 8th-best in the NBA. The Blazers, as you know, lead the NBA in giving up just 88 points per game. And, Portland's 122 points weren't achieved because they ran. They didn't, only recording 4 fast-break points. This was efficiency at work. That's a very good sign that the lineups are solid, the rotation worked, and people were comfortable in their roles.

To listen to Nate McMillan's post-game comments, click here.

Next up, it's New Jersey on Wednesday, as they'll be playing the second of a back to back after taking on Denver on Tuesday night.

Martell Comes Alive

2009-11-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

We just saw, in a span of less than 24 hours, what's great about the NBA. You don't have to wait long to make amends for a bad game. Following a very disappointing loss in Golden State on Friday night, the Trail Blazers were able to put that game way behind them in blowing out Minnesota 106-78 at the Rose Garden.

I hesitate to say this win erased the memory of the loss in Oakland, because I'm not sure it should be forgotten, but it was the way Portland performed on Saturday that gives us reason to think that Friday's loss was more the exception than the rule.

We recently wondered, openly, what would be the lifespan of the much-talked about three-guard starting lineup? I think we have our answer. At least for now.

Before this game, Nate McMillan decided to make the change back to the more conventional look, and if this was any indication, and it probably was, we've got something new to talk about- Martell Webster.

McMillan made the change in order to basically get Brandon Roy back to his natural position at the shooting-guard spot. The side benefit, at least on this night, was the fact that it once again gave Webster a shot at being the starting small forward. Roy seemed to benefit from the move, and so did Steve Blake, who turned in probably his best performance of the season, scoring 14 points, dishing out 9 assists, and grabbing 4 rebounds.

It wasn't a demotion for Andre Miller, as Nate basically said he was now giving the keys to the second unit to Andre. The bench, with the exception of Rudy Fernandez, has been underachieving. This move was huge in defining roles, and putting people back in their proper spots.

Webster was undoubtedly the star on this night. But, it didn't start out that way, Martell had just 2 points at halftime. However, in the third quarter he exploded, and it looked as though a switch had been flipped for the entire team. After scoring just 17 points in the second quarter, the Blazers scored 36 in the third, and the rout was on. They followed that up with 30 in the fourth, as Webster ended with 21 points and 13 rebounds for his first-career double-double.

Roy, who was obviously very much for this change to the starting lineup, scored 18 points, and picked up 5 assists. Kind of lost in the shuffle was the play of Portland's centers. Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla combined for 30 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. Oden picked up his 16 points and 3 blocks in just 24 minutes, and finished the game with only 2 fouls.

To listen to McMillan's post-game comments, click here.

Now then, even though this was a big improvement over Friday's game, it's hard to know just how excited to get over this. Minnesota is 1-12 on the season. But, if you just concentrate on Webster, it appears to be a huge step in the right direction. Now it's about consistency. And, if you're still saying "show me it can happen again," that's understandable.

The Blazers are now 10-5, and opened this four-game home stand with a win. Next up is Chicago on Monday night.

Ready for the stat of the night? The Trail Blazers have now won 36-straight games when holding their opponents under 90 points (27 straight last season, and 9 this season). Their last loss when holding an opponent under 90 was in November of 2008. Thanks to "The Captain" Rich Patterson for digging up that gem.

Blazers Dodge a Bullet

2009-11-18T22:40:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you have to take a loss along with a learning experience. Other times, you get to enjoy a victory along with the glaring example of what not to do. Fortunately for the Trail Blazers, they were served the latter on Monday night at the Rose Garden.

In total control since early in the first quarter, and cruising along with a 20-point lead to begin the fourth quarter, you couldn't really see the incredibly choppy water that was ahead. In the final minute of the quarter, the once-comfortable lead was down to one point, and when the dust settled Portland survived to beat the Pistons 87-81. It went from a blowout, to a game that was a lot closer than it looked, to near disaster averted.

If you watch NBA games enough you see things like this. A team in command flips off the intensity switch a little early, starts thinking ahead to the next game, only to discover that there is probably too much time on the clock to be unlacing the shoes. Sometimes you aren't fortunate enough to live to tell about these kind of games.

The strange thing in this case, however, is that the Pistons nearly did the same thing the night before, when they came charging back on the Lakers and forced Phil Jackson to go back to his workhorses to finally put the thing away. The Lakers didn't quite flirt with disaster as much as Portland did, but that should have been a sign that the Pistons don't quit.

Using an unconventional lineup, Detroit coach John Kuester did what most NBA coaches won't do- he stayed with the lineup that got him back in the game during the comeback. It was a long, quick lineup that got Portland in panic mode in the fourth quarter, and the aggressive trapping defense put the Blazers completely on their heels. Regulars Ben Gordon and Will Bynum stayed on the bench, as Kuester stuck with rookies Austin Daye and Jonas Jerebko.

In the final minute of the game, thanks to 4-16 shooting in the quarter by Portland, and some uncharacteristic turnovers, Detroit cut the lead to one point. Steve Blake then came through with a huge three pointer with 25 seconds left that made it a two-possession game. Portland made their free throws from there, and escaped with the victory.

Even though Blake took some heat for missing a couple of big threes in Atlanta on Monday in crunch time, this was the third game this season he's come through with a clutch three to essentially put a game away (the game at Oklahoma City, and home against San Antonio were the others).

The Blazers were led by Brandon Roy's 20 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 20 points and 7 rebounds. Blake had 17, and Andre Miller finished with 10 points and 11 assists. Greg Oden had 6 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots.

Portland's defense, which has been the key lately, was very solid again in this game, despite Detroit's comeback. The Blazers held the Pistons to 39 percent shooting, and 81 points. It's the fifth time in six games the Blazers have held an opponent to less than 85 points. That's a big reason why Portland currently leads the NBA in points allowed.

To listen to Nate McMillan's post-game comments, click here.

Because of the big shots, and free throw shooting, in the end of this one, the players could smile, breathe a sigh of relief, and look ahead to the next game. Friday night the Blazers take on the Golden State Warriors in Oakland. I don't care who the Warriors suit up, it's never easy for this team in Oakland. Portland has lost eight-consecutive games in Oakland. Even with all of Golden State's problems right now, there is no reason to think they can put it on cruise control and leave with an easy victory.

Blazers Get Tough in NC

2009-11-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

They haven't all been works of art, but road wins are road wins. This one, however, turned out to be a costly win.

In the first half Travis Outlaw played only 50 seconds before limping off the court. When he went straight to the locker room, we knew it was significant. When PR man Jim Taylor was gone for a long period of time, I knew it meant x-rays. I was still shocked when he returned the news in the second half that Outlaw had a stress fracture in the fifth metatarsal in his left foot.

Early word is that Outlaw will be out at least two months. But, it's difficult to tell at this early time exactly how long he'll be gone. Now, with Nicolas Batum already out, and now Outlaw, all that depth we've talked about will be put to an immediate test.

As for the actual game, it was another grinder. But, it was another victory. That's six in a row for the Trail Blazers, and they are now 4-0 on this road trip. I don't care how you get there, that's impressive.

What's ironic about this whole thing is how Portland is winning. After all, in our last home game, the Blazers turned into this fast-breaking team, with evidently a new philosophy. Usually, up-tempo teams aren't able to go from that style to being a half-court, tough, defensive team just days later. But, that's what we've seen. The ability to adjust to whatever they need to win.

With the 80-74 win in Charlotte, the Blazers became the first team in franchise history to hold four-straight opponents to fewer than 85 points. Consider that all four have been road games, and that's even more impressive.

Watching this team warm up before this game, you could tell this team was dragging. This was the fourth game in five nights, which is always worse than just a simple back-to-back scenario. Joel Przybilla told me his legs felt like they were filled with lead, and that he was fighting a cold. Jerryd Bayless, who twisted his ankle walking off the court before the game, told me he didn't think he'd play. Nothing felt very good.

But, after a sluggish start, the Blazers were able to put together an 18-2 run just before halftime, and led by 8. Seemingly in control, Charlotte came back to close the third quarter on a 16-4 run. But, riding the hot hand of Brandon Roy, the Blazers were able to head down the stretch still in control.

Following another run by the Bobcats, and a late shoving match following a Raja Bell high elbow to LaMarcus Aldridge's head, Portland was able to calm down, hit free throws, and put the ballgame away.

They got this win accomplished despite getting only 3 field goals from the bench, and survived Greg Oden being in foul trouble most of the night. Oden played just 17 minutes, but had 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. Przybilla, who is the best back-up center in the league, had 10 points and 7 rebounds, in another gritty effort. Roy had 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

It's now off to Atlanta for the final game of this road trip. The Blazers haven't swept a five-game road trip since 1991, so that tells you how difficult this will be. The Hawks, who won in Boston Friday, and drilled New Orleans Saturday, are sitting at 8-2. Of course, they won in Portland last week as well.

As for the void left by the loss of Outlaw, I would think what we saw at the end of this game is what we'll see more of- Rudy Fernandez. It'll take a combination of players to step up, but my guess is that we'll see Rudy get more minutes, and a much larger role late in games, where Outlaw usually plays. We'll also see more of Juwan Howard, and will probably even see some time given to rookie Dante Cunningham.

Despite the injuries, and the imperfect play, the Trail Blazers are in first place in the Northwest Division are looking for their seventh-straight win, and are about to get one of their five-game road trips completely out of the way.

Not bad.

Blazers Roll in Minny

2009-11-11T21:30:00.001-08:00

There was probably a bit of a fear of a let down by the Trail Blazers. And, it was discussed several times that Minnesota was coming off two embarrassing losses and would likely be extremely determined to get a victory on the home floor, where they've been better this season. As it turns out, once again, they were no match for Portland, which was too big, too deep, too sharp, and too determined.

They actually trailed by four after the first quarter, as the Timberwolves brought some early energy. But, the Blazers got it rolling in the second, outscoring Minnesota 32-19, and then exploded in the third quarter, outscoring them 35-19. Game over. The final was 107-84.

Greg Oden's improvement continues with each passing game, and was as dominant in this game as we've seen. He was his usual game-changing self on defense, and also scored 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and finished the game with no fouls. He was also involved in the highlight of the night. After Andre Miller created a steal, Oden scooped up the ball at midcourt, took a few dribbles, dished to LaMarcus Aldridge who gave it right back, and Oden slammed it home with two hands. It was one of many Blazer highlights on this night.

Portland used a balanced attack again, and got a great performance from the bench. The bench has been solid, but didn't shoot well in Memphis on Tuesday. On this night, Rudy Fernandez had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Martell Webster finished with 16 points, and Travis Outlaw had 9.

The three-guard starting lineup was effective once again for the Blazers, as Miller and Steve Blake combined for 15 assists. In the fourth quarter we saw an extremely rare point guard-to-point guard alley-oop pass. Miller completed a long feed to Jerryd Bayless, who slammed it down.

The Blazers ended up shooting 55 percent, outrebounded Minnesota 41-29, and had 30 assists. They also recorded 17 fast-break points.

Believe it or not, especially for all the hand wringing that we've seen early this season, the Blazers are off to their best nine-game start since the 1999-2000 season. They also improved to 3-1 on the road. In fact, the Blazers have now won 7-straight road games not played in Houston. Is that obscure enough? If not, here's this. The Blazers have now beaten teams from the "M" cities 25-straight times. That would include Memphis, Minnesota, Milwaukee, and Miami. Okay, that's out there a bit (you get the idea we've got time on our hands on the road?)

We're now off to New Orleans, where the Blazers take on the Hornets on Friday night. The road trip then continues in Charlotte, and finishes in Atlanta.

To listen to the audio of my post-game interview with Brandon Roy, click here.

Trip Off to a Good Start

2009-11-11T00:16:00.000-08:00

The Trail Blazers shocked us on Sunday with their sudden ability to run, gun, and push the tempo under just about any circumstance. Tuesday, in the first game of this road trip, they did an about face. Rather than attempt to run with a struggling team, who’d much rather run, the Blazers turned it into a half-court contest and frustrated the Memphis Grizzlies.

Memphis doesn’t defend, but they can score. They came into the game averaging 106 points per game. Portland simply decided to turn the screws defensively, control the tempo, and held them to just 79 points, in the 93-79 victory- the 8th-straight victory over the Grizzlies.

Brandon Roy, who was just 1 for 6 against Minnesota on Sunday, led the Blazers with 20 points, and also recorded 7 assists. He got plenty of help. LaMarcus Aldridge helped get the team off to a great start, and ended with 16 points, and 12 rebounds. Steve Blake was productive again in this new three-guard lineup, scoring 14 points and going 4 for 6 from behind the three-point line.

Perhaps the most impressive Blazer, however, was Greg Oden. He picked up two quick fouls in this game and played just 4 minutes in the first half (this game was tied at halftime). In the third, Oden went to work on Memphis. Not only did he start to score inside, but took over on defense, completely closing the middle. Oden had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots, just in the second half. It was another big step in the right direction for Greg.

Even though it’s more fun to watch a game like we saw on Sunday, which was like a track meet, it was impressive to see Portland successfully change the game plan to fit the opponent. Good teams are able to do that. And, yes, I think Sunday was the exception for this team and not the rule. They won’t push like that too often. In fact, I don’t think this second game against Minnesota will be much like the first one. But, who knows. Sunday was so surprising who’s to say they won’t try that again. It just probably won’t come on the road. Teams always run more at home.

I also don’t expect Wednesday’s game to be as easy as Sunday’s was against the Timberwolves. This team is desperate for a win, and is coming off a 46-point loss to Golden State. That followed their showing in Portland on Sunday. After something like that you either come out determined, or give up completely. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt here.

I’m typing this as we’re flying to Minneapolis, watching Rice eat a bag of Cheetos, and drink a Dr. Pepper and Orange juice (not all at the same time, but close). It’s very impressive. I have to sit facing him, believe it or not. He also sits with these glasses way down on his nose and reads game notes from around the league and every three or four minutes shouts out various numbers, fact, and gives us opinions. No one answers.

We’re expected to arrive in the wee hours following the win in Memphis. But, flights always seem shorter after a victory. And, it’s actually like 60 degrees in Minnesota, and not -60 like it usually is.

Blazers Hit High Gear

2009-11-08T22:45:00.000-08:00

This is an impressive looking box score.

The Blazers shoot 50 percent from the field, 47 percent from behind the three-point line, 90 percent from the line, collect 49 rebounds, 35 assists, score 21 fast-break points, grow a lead to as big as 28, and coast to a 116-93 win.

I know the Timberwolves are rebuilding, and are young (where we were once), but Portland played one heck of a game. And, as impressive as the stat sheet is, it doesn't tell the complete story. You have to consider that this was just the second game since rolling out a new starting lineup. Just the second game where this team truly bought in to Nate McMillan's new philosophy of pushing the tempo, and really the first time that I can remember where Brandon Roy's offense wasn't even needed.

The most impressive numbers on the page? You probably think I'm going to bring up the 21 fast-break points. But, 35 assists on 41 made field goals is out-of-this-world impressive. It's the best example of teamwork, unselfish play, and probably the biggest sign that this new philosophy, at least on this night, was a tremendous success.

Yes, it was just one game.

We've all heard the coaching staff say "we want to run and find a way to get easy baskets." But, most have said (yes, me too), "I'll believe it when I see it." This is mostly because we've never really seen them commit to this kind of style. The last couple of years we've seen, at times, and effort to push the tempo, but that has usually been followed by Coach Nate tugging back on the reigns at the first sign of trouble. In this game it was run, run, run. Everyone bought into it.

Make no mistake, this style of play is extremely contagious. This team that's always looked built to run, was flying up and down the court, racking up highlight after highlight. Even after the occasional turnover in the open court (something that's bound to happen when you play this way), they would go right back and run again. If you know me, you know I've never really cared about the turnover total when it's balanced by other positive numbers. It's risk-reward, and I love the fact that they were willing to roll the dice.

This is why Andre Miller chose Portland, and why McMillan decided to go to this new starting lineup. It won't work this way every night, obviously, but there's no going back now. Well, hopefully we continue to see this, even when other teams make an effort to take it away. And, they will. Everyone scouts the heck out of everyone, so adjustments will be made to try and find weaknesses in this new system.

Miller did a great job at quarterback in this game (21 points), but it wasn't just him. Steve Blake brought the ball up the floor on occasion, and so did Roy and even Rudy Fernandez. And, even though Rudy has yet to find his touch (2 for 6), and Roy wasn't really looking for his shot (1 for 6), they were both a huge part of why this worked. Rudy had 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. Roy ended with 7 assists and 6 rebounds.

Probably the only player as happy as Miller about this new approach is LaMarcus Aldridge, who is made to run. Aldridge, who went just 3 for 10 against San Antonio on Friday, finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in just 25 minutes.

As McMillan always says, running starts with defense and rebounding. That's where Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla come in. Greg successfully shut down the middle again, Przybilla had 13 rebounds again, and both were firing outlet passes to the guards to get the break started.

Now comes the bigger test. Everyone, with the exception of maybe Phoenix, looks to run a lot more at home than on the road. Will we see this Blazer team on this five-game road trip? The real feather in their cap is, they now know they can have success doing this. And, if it's taken away, they know they've got Roy and Miller to break down defenses in the half-court set.

Monday we'll fly to Memphis and get set to take on the Grizzlies on Tuesday night. Then it's Minnesota again, Wednesday in Minneapolis. Friday and Saturday it's another back-to-back with New Orleans and Charlotte. The trip ends in Atlanta next Monday. It should be noted that even though Portland has four games in five nights on this trip, none of the opponents will be facing the second of a back to back when they host Portland.

To listen to McMillan's post-game comments, about this game, and looking ahead at the trip, click here.

Talk to you from the road.

New Lineup Downs Spurs

2009-11-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

A new wrinkle against an old nemesis did the trick.

It wasn't a masterpiece, by any means, but the Trail Blazers were able to put together a wire-to-wire victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night at the Rose Garden, winning 96-84.

The Blazers, who won last season's series against the Spurs 3-1, blew out to a 15-point first-quarter lead, thanks to a new starting lineup. The upped that lead to 17 in the third quarter, and then held on as the Spurs charged back. After San Antonio cut the lead to 80-77 with 2:30 left, Steve Blake nailed a huge three pointer on the wing that pretty much put the game away. Blake also had the dagger three against the Thunder in Oklahoma on Sunday.

There was a buzz around the Rose Garden when I arrived at the building Friday afternoon. Everyone was talking about a new starting lineup. When I finally did my pre-game TV interview with Nate McMillan, he filled me in. He said he would start Steve Blake and Andre Miller together in the back court, and would move Brandon Roy to the small-forward spot.

McMillan said he wanted to get quicker, get better passers on the floor, and didn't want to sacrifice Blake for Miller in that starting five. It was a bit of a surprise, as everyone assumed Miller would eventually start, but thought it would be at the expense of Blake.

The lineup immediately set a different pace at the start of this game, and it was clear the plan was to push the tempo and look to get easy baskets. The Blazers, despite some shaky shooting in the early minutes, built a double-digit lead, and led 29-14 after one.

The Spurs, who were playing the second of a back to back, never did go away, however. Even after losing Tony Parker to a sprained ankle late in the first half, San Antonio continued to make the Blazers work and continued to hit big shot after big shot to stay in the game. Blake's three, and Greg Oden's defense, finally put the game away.

Oden, who was up against crafty Tim Duncan in this game, ended with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. He ended with five fouls, but was able to stay in the game. After he picked up two quick fouls in the game, Joel Przybilla came in and grabbed 10 first-half rebounds. Przybilla ended with 13 rebounds in 18 minutes in the game.

As for the new backcourt, the ball was certainly in Brandon Roy's hands less, but it didn't hurt his production. He finished with 24 points on just 15 shots, and also grabbed five rebounds. Blake ended with 15, and Miller, who struggled from the field (2-9) finished with 4 assists and 6 rebounds.

There's still plenty of room for improvement, as the Blazer bench unit shot just 8 for 24, and the team finished with only 11 assists, but to make a change this major, and to beat a very good San Antonio team, had everyone feeling like the change was a success.

The Blazers played great defense on the Spurs all night, and held them to just 38 percent shooting. Oden constantly bothered Duncan, who ended up just 5 for 14 from the field. And, Manu Ginobili, who's been playing great off the bench, was just 4 for 14.

On Tuesday, Atlanta outrebounded Portland by 10, and that didn't sit well with the Blazer coaches. The team responded by outrebounding the Spurs 48-37. Portland was also very, very good at the foul line, going 27 for 30 on the night (90 percent).

McMillan is still, obviously doing some searching and some experimenting, but he appears to have settled on this lineup, at least for the time being. Not only did it get Miller into the starting five, but created a chance to use Jerryd Bayless, who played his first minutes of the regular season. He played only five minutes, but kept the heat on the Spurs and showed flashes of penetration at the offensive end, and solid defense.

To hear McMillan's post-game comments, click here.

The home stand wraps up on Sunday when the Blazers host Minnesota. Then, we're off on a five-game road swing. This was a small step, in the bigger picture, but much-needed win over a very talented team.

Atlanta Breaks Through at Garden

2009-11-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

The Portland Trail Blazers lost only seven times at home last season, and created an atmosphere of invincibility at the Rose Garden. One of the losses came as a result of a last-second bank-in three pointer by Orlando. The other loss took a total collapse by Portland at the free-throw line, and a buzzer-beating three pointer to force overtime. In other words, you didn't come to Portland and expect to win.

Now, this is certainly not panic time (just five games into the season), but the Trail Blazers have now dropped two-straight home games and Friday night welcome the San Antonio Spurs to the Rose Garden.

The home-court advantage is as much about attitude as it is about talent. It's a mystique, that creates a swagger, that creates confidence. Clearly, the Blazers are frustrated and need to get that attitude back. We shouldn't limit the discussion to just home games, as there are certainly concerns that go beyond games at the garden.

But, they are just that- concerns. No one is feeling at this point that a major overhaul in philosophy is necessary, or that wholesale roster changes need to happen. It's the X factor that's missing. I just can't put my finger on what that X factor is. Again, we're just five games into the season, so that's the good news.

The problem isn't creating positive results at the offensive and defensive ends. The problem right now is sustaining those results. Never was this more on display than in Tuesday night's game at the Rose Garden. Momentum constantly switched back and forth. The Blazers led by as many as 12, but couldn't find the combination to ultimately lead them to a win.

Last season at home when the Blazers led at halftime it was over. They were 26-0 when holding a halftime advantage. This year, in their last two home losses they've led at halftime and they've lost both.

Atlanta is a very talented, and very good team. Let's also get that out of the way. In broadcasts and on this blog I always try and give credit to the opponent in situations like this. The Hawks deserved this win, and will be among the elite teams in the east this season. I don't think there's any question about that.

But, the fan in me says that all of that shouldn't matter. The Blazers simply win at home. I know the team has that attitude, and I hope this stretch doesn't poke big holes in that thinking. Because, again, that attitude is what carries you on your home court.

Nate McMillan and the Blazer coaching staff is obviously searching a bit right now. That's what they're paid to do. They're trying different combinations, different defensive schemes, running on some possessions and walking it up on others. I have no doubt that they'll lock on to a successful formula. Afterall, they see this team a lot more than the rest of us do, and have forgotten more about basketball that we'll ever know.

There are a couple of key numbers that stood out to me in this game. First, the Blazers came into this game having outrebounded opponents 172-140 in their first four games. They were outrebounded by Atlanta 46-36. The Hawks also had 50 points in the paint to Portland's 34.

I've said this many times in the past, but when you win 54 games the challenge is to tweak without changing what you are. So many teams struggle because they never really know what they are. Brandon Roy took 3 shots in the fourth quarter of this game. That's clearly not what the Blazers are. Give some credit here to Atlanta's defense, which wanted anyone but Roy to shoot the ball. The Blazers also went long stretches in the second half of this game with both Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden on the bench. The effort was to go smaller, play a zone defense, and out-quick the Hawks. The result was that rebounding deficit I mentioned above, along with the inability to create easy shots with either big screens, high percentage points in the paint. That's part of the searching.

I also got the feeling that Portland was going small in order to create opportunities to run and get easy baskets. I sit about five feet from where McMillan stands for 90 percent of the game. I can't tell you how many times, after grabbing a defensive rebound, Nate waives his arm in a windmill fashion and yells "push, push, push!" So, when Nate talks about wanting to run more, he's not just saying that to make you happy. The Blazers ended up taking only two shots in transition. They were successful on both attempts. Atlanta had 18 fast-break points. The Blazers, by the way, are last in this category in the NBA.

Back to the big guys for a moment. Oden was in foul trouble again in this game. He played just 16 minutes. But, in those 16 minutes he nearly had a double-double, and ended with 8 points and 9 rebounds. Przybilla played 19 minutes and ended with 4 points, 6 rebounds, and two blocked shots. Joel started the second half, and Portland quickly regained control building an 8-point lead midway through the quarter. By the end of the quarter, Atlanta had jumped back on top and led by 3. The Blazers tied it a few times after that, but never led again.

One comment I've heard over and over again by both coaches and players is that there is too much thinking going on and not enough reaction. This illustrates that the team is in an adjustment mode. It's a mode we all knew would take some time to figure out. And, it's not like couldn't see this process coming. It doesn't make it easier to stomach now, but some struggles early in the season were inevitable. I've talked at length about that in the two months.

We are very, very early in what is going to be a long season. That's the good news. Tell yourself that when you're reaching for the panic button. Call me an apologist, but that's the reality.

Early in this busy schedule the Blazers don't get two-day breaks between games very often. They have one now. McMillan is giving the team Wednesday off, and that's probably exactly what they need.

To listen to McMillan's post-game comments, click here.

Blazers Grind Out Road Win

2009-11-02T00:34:00.000-08:00

Following the loss in Houston on Halloween, the Blazers recommitted themselves to the defensive end of the floor. Nate McMillan, and others, called out the team for surrendering 111 points to the Rockets, and for allowing their backcourt to go for a combined 69 points.

Sunday night in Oklahoma City, the results of the post-game discussion from the night before were pretty impressive. The Blazers held the previously-unbeaten Thunder to 34 percent shooting, and 74 points overall, winning the game 83-74.

It wasn’t the prettiest thing to watch, but getting the first road win was the most important thing that came out of the night. The Blazers shot just 41 percent from the field, but had the clutch buckets down the stretch and held on.

Steve Blake, who had been passing up shots in an effort to get others involved, took more of the offense upon himself in this game. Blake led the Blazers with 18 points, on 6 of 9 shooting, including going 4 for 5 from behind the three-point line. He also hit the dagger three, off a pass from Brandon Roy, with 90 seconds to go in the game, that made the score 77-68, and pretty much ended it.

Roy, who scored 42 against the Rockets on Saturday, had Thabo Sefolosha draped on him most of the night on Sunday. Brandon ended with a hard-earned 16, but went just 5 for 17 from the floor. Greg Oden played a big role in this game as well, as he ended with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and a blocked shot.

Martell Webster had the highlight of the night, a rim-rocking jam over Etan Thomas in the third quarter. He also stepped up and played tough defense on Kevin Durant, who had a nightmare shooting night, going 3 for 21. Some of that was due to Webster, but Durant also missed a bunch of open shots.

Oklahoma City was led by Russell Westbrook’s 23 points, but he ended with a whopping 9 turnovers. I truly don’t remember doing a game where a player had 9 turnovers. You’ve got to give Blake some of the credit there. He drew two offensive fouls on Russell, who repeatedly tried to back Blake into the paint, and hounded him into several bad passes.

Maybe the most impressive part of this win was the fact that the Blazers went most of the way without LaMarcus Aldridge, who went knee to knee with Jeff Green in the first half. He tried to get it loose at halftime, but was in too much pain. It’s just a bruise, so isn’t serious. Aldridge told me on the flight on the way home that he’s just sore, but should be fine to play on Tuesday against Atanta.

We’ve talked so much about expectations and how they can weigh heavy on a team. After losing to Denver at home, and to Houston on Saturday, another loss in Oklahoma City wouldn’t have gone over well. The mood on the flight back to Portland was much, much lighter than we’ve seen in recent days.

It’s a three-game homestand now for the Blazers, starting with the Hawks on Tuesday. The Spurs come to town on Friday, and Minnesota will be in at the Rose Garden on Sunday.

It’s good to be home, and better to be home with a road win. Even if it was ugly.

A Statement Win for Denver

2009-10-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

The NBA season is very long, but this one will sting a while. No one should need to be reminded how much games against division rivals mean, even if it is October.

For the Denver Nuggets, it's a very impressive start to the NBA season. They've started with two victories over the two teams that came into the season poised to steal their division crown- Utah, and Portland. And, they've done it without sharpshooter J.R. Smith, who is serving a seven-game suspension to start the year.

This was the very definition of a grind-it-out win for Denver, who was playing in the second of a back to back. It was ugly. Both teams struggled to find any flow. Denver hung around, stayed in the game by shooting 49 free throws, and won it when Portland opened the door by missing free throws late in the game. They outscored the Blazers 35-27 in the fourth quarter and won the game 97-94.

The Trail Blazers held a seven-point lead with just over seven minutes left, but the Nuggets never faded. Behind Carmelo Anthony, they chipped away with clutch makes, and repeated trips to the foul line. Anthony, who ended with 41 points, was 18 for 19 from the foul line.

Portland got a huge third quarter from Brandon Roy, who ended the game with 30, and saw Rudy Fernandez step up in the fourth quarter. Fernandez, who ended with 22, was 6 for 9 from the field, and 8 for 8 from the line.

Until the final 2:25 of the game, the Blazers had been very solid at the free-throw line, going 30 for 33 until that point. But, a Roy miss at 2:25, followed by an Andre Miller miss at 1:40, and a LaMarcus Aldridge miss at 35.5, gave the Nuggets life. Despite the shaky trips to the line, the Blazers still had the ball trailing by one in what appeared to be their final possession. Greg Oden was fouled with 4.6 seconds left, and missed both free throws. The Nuggets hit two, and then survived a long three-point attempt by Roy as the final horn sounded.

Oden will be kicking himself for missing on both attempts on his late trip to the line, but it's not like that was the difference maker on this night. The Trail Blazers struggled from the floor all night, and ended up shooting just 35 percent from the field. Roy got the 30 points, but was just 6 for 16. Aldridge ended 4 for 15. Miller, off the bench, was 3 for 11, and Travis Outlaw, who was so sharp against Houston, shot just 1 for 8.

This game had an odd feel the entire night. Honestly, I had an uneasy feeling about this game the entire day. The Blazers survived 26 turnovers to beat Houston on Tuesday, and in this game looked to be thinking way too much about that. They were tight, tentative, and just couldn't get into any kind of a flow. Perhaps fearing turnovers too much. They turned it over only seven times, but I'll take 26 in a win versus 7 in a loss.

As I've mentioned for weeks, there are going to be nights like this early in this season. I have fully expected some struggles as this team acclimates to the new rotations, and new roles. It's natural. It doesn't feel any better to say that after a tough loss like this, but at the very least it's understandable. And, it's an opportunity to learn (sucks to say that, but that's all you can say).

To listen to Nate McMillan's comments after this game, click here.

Friday morning we hit the road for the first time this regular season. Saturday night the Houston Rockets, who bounced back nicely Wednesday with a win at Golden State, will host their home opener against Portland. They, no doubt, are confident they can beat the Blazers given the way Tuesday's game ended. After the game in Houston, we head for Oklahoma City to take on the talented Thunder.

Talk to you from the road.

Plenty of Positives in Opener

2009-10-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

On opening night at the Rose Garden on Tuesday, the positives certainly outweighed the negatives (there were a fair amount of both), and the ultimate goal was achieved. The Trail Blazers beat the Houston Rockets and got the season started with a win.

In the third quarter it looked like the Blazers were about to make this thing a blowout, as they built a 20-point lead, but the scrappy Rockets hung tough, cutting the lead to six very late, before falling 96-87.

There were also some odd things about this game, and that was probably expected. The Rockets, in their current state, are a very unconventional team. That will probably spell defeat for them on most occasions this season, but they also have the potential to cause people problems with how they play. It's so different that you really can't concentrate on how you want to attack them, or how at all times you can stop them. They'll be chippy at times, outwork teams on some nights, but mostly will probably see a lot of games like this one.

You could certainly argue that the final outcome of this game made it look closer than it actually was. The Blazers were in control most of the way, and there was never really a point where you felt like they would lose it. The Rockets did cut the lead to 6 with just over two minutes left, and that made some folks nervous, but it didn't exactly lead to finger-nail chewing.

One of the major heroes in this game for Portland came from the bench, and came from perhaps and unexpected spot. It's not totally out of character for Travis Outlaw to step up, because we've seen it on many occasions, but considering Portland's size advantage on the front line, I half expected the biggest numbers to be posted by a Blazer big man. Instead, LaMarcus Aldridge was hit with early foul trouble, the team never really went to Greg Oden, Brandon Roy struggled with his shot, and that left Outlaw the opportunity to have a huge impact off the bench.

Outlaw had a terrific first half, was active on defense and around the glass, and ended with a game-high 23 points, on a very efficient 9 of 14 shooting. He also hit three shots from behind the three-point line, and ended up playing 33 minutes.

Roy ended with 20 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds, but wasn't thrilled with his individual performance. He was just 5 for 18 from the field.

Aldridge, who had to come out of this game very early after picking up his second foul, ended with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Almost no offense came from the center spot, but Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla combined for 22 rebounds and 7 blocked shots, so that's certainly something to build on.

As for the point-guard spot, Steve Blake and Andre Miller ended up playing almost exactly the same amount of minutes. Blake had seven points, and hit two three pointers. Miller had a great run in the second quarter, against Houston's second unit, and finished with 9 points and 7 assists, but was just 3 for 11 from the field.

What kept Houston in the game were constant trips to the foul line, and Portland turnovers. The Blazers were pretty sloppy, and ended with 26 turnovers. That's very uncharacteristic for this team, which was among the league leaders in taking care of the basketball last season. We won't see many 26-turnover nights for this team this season, that's for sure.

So, there are some bugs that needed to be ironed out, but this team is good enough to win on nights when they're not at their absolute best. They certainly didn't need to be in this game.

It could be a different story on Thursday when the Blazers host the Denver Nuggets. One major thing the Blazers have in their favor going into that game will be the fact that Denver plays at home on Wednesday night, and will get into Portland very late after that game. Back-to-back situations are a huge factor in this league, and sometimes are more telling early in a season than late.

To listen to Nate McMillan's post-game comments, as heard on the Blazers Radio Network, click here.

Wrapping up the theme of this being an odd night, is the fact that Portland never turned the ball over 26 times in a game last season. As McMillan said, "that's probably the last time we turn the ball over 26 times and win." Portland also recorded 12 blocked shots in the game. Their season high for a game last season was 10.