Die-Hard Blazers Beat Bucks
posted: 12/09/2007 at 9:04 PM
Sometimes stats tell the story, and sometimes you can make them say pretty much what you want. This is one of those final box scores I sit and stare at. And, even though I glance at my official stat screen constantly during broadcasts, and pour over the stat sheets during every timeout, this one required a little more dissecting.
The most important number, of course, is down towards the bottom, and it says the Trail Blazers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 117-113 in overtime. It's the third-straight win for Portland, as they have now improved to 7 and 3 at home. More importantly, during the month of December, the Blazers are now 3 and 1 during the month of December, a month that has them playing 10 home games.
The offensive stats were very impressive, as the Blazers scored a season-high 117 points, on a season-high 56.3 percent shooting. They were also 9 for 18 from behind the three-point line, and were 28 for 31 from the foul line. Portland's two biggest threats, Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, were a combined 21 for 28 from the field, and combined for 50 points. Anytime these two guys put together games like this, the Blazers will be tough to beat.
Steve Blake joined in the scoring, as he had a season-high 19 points, and was 4 for 8 from behind the three-point line. And, Travis Outlaw scored 20 points. It's the third-straight game Travis has scored 20 or more.
Looking at just these numbers, it's easy to see why the Blazers won this game. Now, here are a few numbers that show Portland was very fortunate to get the victory.
Milwaukee had 92 field goal attempts in the game, as compared to only 71 for Portland. Normally, you give your opponent 21 more attempts and there's no way you come out on top. Most of that was due to the fact that the Blazers allowed the Bucks to grab 16 offensive rebounds and then won the 2nd-chance points battle 25 to 11. Milwaukee also scored 52 points in the paint, as compared to Portland's 22.
The Blazers also allowed Milwaukee's Mo Williams to strike for 26 second-half points, on his way to 33 for the game. The saving grace for Portland was that Michael Redd struggled, shooting just 5 for 23. Redd has been on fire as of late, and torched the Sonics for 41 in their last game.
This young Portland team showed amazing resiliency in this game. They trailed by 5 points with 2:16 left in regulation. Once they got the game into overtime, they once again fell behind by 5 with 2:28 to go. There aren't many times you can battle back once from a deficit like that, and hardly ever can you do it twice.
We've talked so much about the importance of this team finding a third scorer. Not only has Outlaw been that guy as of late, but James Jones' emergence has given this team a huge lift. Having a guy in the game who can stretch defenses with his ability to hit the long ball benefits everyone else on the team. I don't think it's any coincidence that Portland's scoring average has absolutely skyrocketed with Jones becoming such a huge part of this offense.
The Blazers had a five-game stretch recently where they averaged 82 points per game. We're not talking one or two games, but a five-game stretch. In the last three games they've averaged 112 points per game. That's a 30-point increase, and something you hardly ever see. And, it's like a switch was suddenly flipped on. Outlaw certainly gets some of the credit, but Jones has been a huge factor as well.
Back to Roy for a second. NBA.com lists a "line of the week" on their website, and Roy's line from this win over the Bucks has to among the top in the league for this week. Against Milwaukee, Roy was 11 for 13 from the field, and 4 for 4 at the foul line, in getting his 26 points. He had the go-ahead basket with :24 seconds left in overtime. Brandon also had 9 assists, and 8 rebounds. That's about as efficient as you can be. He continues to flirt with earning his first career triple-double. It coming, and will happen soon if he keeps this up.
One week ago, following a loss in San Antonio, Roy said he had "hit a low point," referring to the loss and his slump. Since then, in the last three games, he's averaged 26 points, shot 59 percent, and averaged 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
Nate McMillan joined Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey on the radio following this win. To listen to that interview,
click here.
There's not much time to dwell on this 3-game winning streak, because tomorrow we leave for Salt Lake City. Tuesday the Blazers play the Jazz in Utah, then host Golden State Wednesday, and host Utah on Friday. In other words, things get much tougher.
In the strangest twist in this year's schedule, the Blazers will play their entire 4-game regular-season series against the Jazz in just the next four weeks. They play in Utah Tuesday, then host the Jazz on the 14th, play in Utah again on the 31st, and then host the Jazz on January 5th.
Talk to you from Salt Lake City.
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What does ESPN have against Travis?
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3726
Great win, Blazers. There is no substitute for the kind of hard physical and mental effort you guys have been exerting, and I hope you enjoy the payoff as much as we fans do. I also hope you fight the Jazz tooth and nail to make a strong statement about who you are, because you have shown you have what it takes to win on any night. How bad do you want it?
I didn't get to see tonight's game but listened to about half of it on radio. A few observations based on the last few games:
Forget what I wrote earlier about not understanding why we dumped Ime for James Jones. Now I understand!
TNT really sucks.
Steve Blake needs to look for his shot a bit more. Tonight's game he did and he should keep it up. He's passed up a lot of open shots so far this season.
The offense works so much better when all five guys are involved, including Joel Pryzbilla. Joel is a nice passer and good things usually happen when he gets the ball after setting a pick, especially when both defenders jump out on the dribbler. The other guys don't stand around when Joel has the ball -- they move because they know they'll get the ball if they're open. He's been particularly good in the past at hitting cutters on the baseline. If Travis or LaMarcus get the ball down there -- it's often a highlight reel finish.
Remember when Damon and Joel would get two or three dunks a game off the pick and roll? No Blazer point guard has gotten Joel as involved since Damon but Steve is up to the task. If we can get Joel going inside even moderately, defenses will have a much tougher time with us.
Just my $0.02
--
Don
The thing i found most incredible about Travis' performance, tonight, was the way he handled the double-team. I mean, are you kidding me? I've knocked this kid's basketball IQ for years, now. Furthermore, i think he's deserved the criticism.
However, he continually made the right pass out of the double. I don't know that i've even seen Outlaw get doubled before. When has he found the time to work on that? His find of Jones in the corner out of the double made it look like he's been doing it for years.
I can't say enough about his recent play. He's always had the physical tools, but he's always found a way not to produce up to expectations, too. Now, he just seems like a completely different player. Again, i'm really happy for him.
Oh, Mike, you forgot about Brandon's block in the final moments of the game. I don't blame you, though. One could write a book on his performance, tonight.
Some fans on iamatrailblazersfan.com had been labeling Roy as overrated after his brief slump....Yeah, really overrated. All Roy needs is a little bit of space. Jones, Outlaw, Martell, and Blake have finally been providing that for him. It's amazing what a little outside shooting can do for your stars.
It was no accident Roy was struggling when he was getting doubled every time he breathed clear out to the 3-point line because Blake and Martell couldn't throw the ball in the ocean for a stretch.
You want an impact player? T.O.'s ESPN fantasy stock is at an all-time high, up a whopping 69.2%. He's the most added player among fantasy leagues right now.
http://games.espn.go.com/cgi/fba/addeddropped
Although for the life of me I still can't figure out why people in the sports media industry continue to completely diss the Blazers. Travis' ESPN page has a picture of Bo freakin' Outlaw. This is ESPN for cryin' out loud. The kicker is that it's been Travis' picture all year long, but somehow someone at ESPN in all their pristine basketball acumen decided Bo Outlaw's picture should be on Travis' page.
And what about Ernie Johnson at TNT? I was so glad you brought that up Mike. I was literally stunned, staring wide-eyed at my television when he tallied the Blazer's streak at two games screaming "It's four! It's four, you nincompoop!!!!"
I cannot wait for the first nationally televised Blazer playoff game. Next season. Look for me, I'll be the guy in the stands with the 20 foot black and white banner that says, "HOW DO YOU FREAKING LIKE US NOW PEOPLE? AND YES I'M LOOKING AT YOU CHARLEY ROSEN, MARK STEIN, AND BILL SIMMONS."
...sort of a big banner but I think I can swing it.
Mike, i wasn't going to say anything because i was happy with the win, but i got to get this off my chest. What is Nate doing?
He said his decision to take Frye out of the rotation was because he wanted "more". Well, Channing came in after Joel pick up two fouls that were reminiscent of the wisdom he used during last season. He promptly scored 6 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, dished an assist, and block a shot for which he wasn't credited.
Then, Nate promptly yanked him in favor of Joel. How much "more" does he want from Frye in 5 minutes? The team was on a roll but ended up well short of the double digit lead it should have had going into the break behind another horrendous stretch by Przybilla. To top it off, he went to Raef before Frye in the second half....??? Was he afraid Raef was feeling left out?
Also, he didn't play Sergio in the second half in favor of Jack. Jack's TOs, and especially his defense on Mo Williams, just about lost us the game. I'm sorry, but just because Jack isn't happy with his role doesn't mean his minutes shouldn't decline in favor of better options.
I don't like to second guess Nate because i have a lot of respect for his ability to coach. However, i'm confused as to whether he is trying to win games or stroke egos. I think this game could have been won, easily, with a good coaching performance.
I say to TNT "take this 3rd-yes that's 3rd-consecutive win for the Blazers and put it where the sun don't shine!!!"
You ROCK BLAZERS!! Nobody gets away with not respecting the Blazers. Maybe, TNT actually did them a favor by having such poor reporting and lit a much needed fire under our Blazers.
GO BLAZERS!!!
Mr Blake is his Name and stroking the three is part of his game. I watched the game and WOW! what a positive hard fought game. We are truly picking up the pace on the court. I saw a lot of things we did right. Brandon is a smart player and knows when to take things over and when to pass. It's nice to see him show trust in his team mates. LA puts the other teams on their heels when he beats them up and down the court. I just love the way Outlaw has improved. Martell will explode to the rim and when he does he will find an entirely new part to his game. Jack brings stablization to the second squad. He along with fry will show a one two punch later in the season. Can we just say this one time for the sake of the fans, "RIP CITY, BINGO BANGO BUNGO, LICKITY BRINDAL UP THE MIDDLE,and YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS. signingout with this. (trust) I'm Out
i'm not watching the games, cause i'm in Spain and it's quite difficult (better said "it's impossible") to find a TV channel that gives the game, so i have to ask a question. What does Przybilla gives to this team? As far a i see in his statistics, the answer is "nothing". I suposse i'm someway wrong. Maybe he offers some other things that are not shown in the stats but, i don't know. Why does Frye play so little time??!!
please trade sergio this winter!
Hey MB,
Great coverage on a great game! Even though we got the win, I was kinda disturbed by the fact that we were horrible on the boards last night. 92 shot attempts from the bucks who shot 43% overall and the most rebounds were collected by the guards. Roy with 8 and Webster with 6. Granted that the frontline had a bit of foul trouble thru the first half, it just shows that we need to beef up and crash the boards a lot better than what we have.
I get that jacks a cry baby sometimes, and I get that the squeaky wheel gets the oil.
I don't get why Jack continued to get playing time after he gave away 8 points in about 2 minutes.
Jack dribbles the ball loosely in his left hand and gets picked they score
Thats a "jacked up play"
He jumps out on the ball handler's left side at the 3 point line and gets blown by because. . . the ball handler is right handed!
Thats a "jacked up play."
He keeps giving 5 feet of space until he's under the basket and gets dunked on on a fast break.
Thats a "jacked up play."
He's trying to throw the ball to a teammate who's being fronted and pases it about 2 feet short into the defender they score!
Thats a "jacked up play."
Sergio makes a shot gets an assist and dribbles the ball off a defenders foot who's literally riding him. The "jacked up play" there? Mr. Sonic pulled him for 1 mistake apparently you have to "B!tch all day to get some leeway."
Other than that hair pulling experience I loved how the Blazers played.
Mike;
Great game, I only got to watch the last 2 minutes of the overtime, thank you for you update.
I would have had a heart attack if i had watched the whole game.
hg
In case anyone's interested, I sent a letter to the NBA asking them what they were going to do about Shaq mugging Joel the other night, and here is the reply I got:
"Dear Perry:
Thank you for contacting the National Basketball Association with your concerns regarding the integrity of the game. The NBA’s highest priority is to ensure that every game is determined on its merits, thus providing its fans with an honest and truly competitive league.
The NBA has a covenant with its fans. To preserve their trust, we make every effort possible to ensure that league processes and procedures are as thorough and transparent as possible.
We take seriously the actions of our coaches, players, and officials both on and off the court. Each issue is reviewed and addressed appropriately as we continually work toward delivering the best possible NBA product.
Thank you for your concern. We appreciate your feedback regarding this issue.
Sincerely,
NBA Fan Relations"
Why do I feel I was just asked to drink the Kool-Aid?
Awe....home cooking....Thanx Mike. Glad Steve was lkooking for his shot....he's gotta be aggressive too....now, going to Utah: always a tough place to play.....keeping their heads on & playing physical is the order for the day!
Does anyone else in this city feel like the Blazers are getting bashed about on the major television networks? ESPN and TNT do not give our young team the attention and respect that they deserve. Our team is doing an amazing job on the court day in and day out, and these so called, "NBA experts" can't even get our stats or pictures straight. The respect that I see here is astounding! Our team is amazing. For the youngest team in the NBA, we are showing greater sportsmanship, skills, and courage than just about any other team out there. It's time for the fans of Portland to make a stand for our team! Let's get fired up about this!
The Good - Travis Outlaw is becoming the man. His aggressive nature to get to the hoop has been the missing piece to balancing our offense (and yes a shout-out to James Jones too). I still want to see Travis get more assists. Too many forced shots- which are only going to get tougher as he is starting to be on the top of the scouting reports.
The Bad - As long as the long ball is going in, we seem to be able to compete with the mediocre teams. But I'm still not convinced we are playing the right game. Against the better teams, they are not going to leave you as open. Still need to get more cutters to the hoop.
The Ugly - Block Out- Pleasssse! Since we've pretty much given up on the running game, the smalls need to man up. Both in getting rebounds and trying to keep their man in front of them. I get the feeling the cotton-candy vendor could out rebound us and still give the kid in the third row his change.
If You think the TNT and ESPN coverage was bad, go to the Blazers home page and click on the recap of last nights Blazers/bucks game. It will take you to the NBAs web site, from there click on the video of last nights game. These "highlights" contain some strange mistakes. First off one of the comentators calls LA "marcus" not LaMarcus, sounds like "tracy" outlaw. Then when the final score is shown along with stats for the top five players from each team you will really scrach your head. They have given high scoring honors to travis outlaw, with 27 points, the comentator even says he was the games high scorer, even though he had 20, mo williams had the game high with 33. All of the other stats looked wrong, but I could not believe that they had put Greg Oden up there with 10 points one rebound and one block!!! Was that some kind of joke? or did Oden play and nobody say it? Please check it out you will get a good laugh. Go Blazers
Mike;
you made a comment in the overtime that Travis needs to learn when to take it to the rim opposed to stopping for the jump shot. I agree 100%, I feel that if you live by the three pointer you will die by it. I probably heard that from you. With that being said, I feel the first option would be taking it to the rim. With Travis's ablility to jump he should be able to get to the rim and get most of his own rebounds if he misses.
I wouldn't want the days of Zbo back, but could Roy post up? That would really get us some in the paint scores.
I do not like the TNT or ESPN snotty attitude, but I don't know if there is anything that can be done about it.
hg
Prichard has built it, the respect will come...
http://www.nba.com/nba_news/playersoftheweek_071210.html
Jesus,
Joel Pryzbilla gives us great defense. Also, he is the only true center on our team and gives us size and fantastic defense in the middle. He doesn't do much to fill up the stat sheet, but he is invaluable on defense.
After watching the last few games, i think Lafrentz should completely get benched and frye take his playing time. Frye has deserved it with what he has done in his extremely limited time on the court.
sergio should play more and jack should be moved to the 2 and be encouraged to penetrate more often!!!!!!!
good job blazers, streakiest team in the league.
Perry, dont feel bad, I was
" assured " in an email response by ESPN, that they were correcting the error with Travis' picture and name.
They still posted his stats next to Bo's picture.
Maybe they took the weekend off.
Great Game.
Lets Go Blazers!!!
Bring on the Jazz!!!
Since I was at the game last nite I didn't have to miss it like I would have if I didn't go to the game.
Very enjoyable game. We did play really sloppy and let them take it inside all nite while we seldom took it inside.
Speaking of sloppy, man, Jack was probably the worst in this regard. He said he wanted to handle the ball more and repeatedly showed he shouldn't be.
MB,
I seen locally that a deal for Comcast is over the 12th. If the reason they haven't made a deal yet is because they are trying to get new subscribers since only they carry them, then maybe they'll finally get a deal done after the 12th. I'm hoping so, but if not I don't see any reason for anything to change any time soon.
Btw, I thought that Directv and Dish network carried all of the other CSN channels, but I read that CSN Philadelphia isn't carried by either. From what I read since it's only a land network they don't have to offer it to satellite companies. What about CSN North West? Does the same apply?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSN_Philadelphia
Thanks!
GO BLAZERS!!
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