Lakers Fall Again in Portland
posted: 4/08/2008 at 11:28 PM
Before the game on Tuesday night, Mike Rice, my partner in crime on television, made the bold prediction that the Trail Blazers would once again defeat the Lakers. Asked to back that up, Rice said he'd head straight to the barber and ask for a faux-hawk if Portland lost this game. He even made the claim on TV, so I knew there would be plenty of witnesses. Alas, his hairstyle will remain unchanged, because as he said, "the Lakers don't win in Portland."
The lead paragraph in the L.A. Times game story starts out like this:
Even when it matters -- like, really matters -- the Lakers can't win in Portland. That's music to the ears of Portland fans.
The Blazers made it six-straight wins over the Lakers at the Rose Garden, 12 of the last 14, and 19 of the last 23, when they beat L.A. 112-103. The Lakers all-time record at the Rose Garden falls to 6-19. Among Western Conference teams, only the Clippers have a lower winning percentage on Portland's homecourt.
In front of the 30th sellout crowd of the season, the Blazers shot 51 percent from the field, and put all five starters in double figures for the first time all season. It quickly erased the memory of Sunday's 65-point game against San Antonio.
With no Martell Webster, who had 23 against the Lakers last week, and without Joel Przybilla, who's been a rebounding fool as of late, the Blazers didn't miss a beat. Brandon Roy led the way with 23 points and 12 assists. LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and 16 rebounds. But, the guy who set the tone early, and turned in a season-best performance, was Channing Frye. He had a season-high 22 points and 11 rebounds, and started the game hustling all over the floor. The Blazers followed his lead.
Steve Blake had 13 points and six assists, and was 3 for 6 from behind the three-point line. James Jones, who started for the second time this season, had 14 points, and was also 3 for 6 from downtown, digging out of his three-week slump from behind the arc. The main man off the bench was Jarrett Jack, who finished with 15 points. Somehow the Blazers got the win despite a sub-par night from Travis Outlaw, who was just 1 for 6, and had only 3 points.
The Blazers led pretty much throughout, and built a lead as big as 18 in the second half. But, no one felt comfortable. There were momentum swings back and forth in the second half. In the third quarter Kobe Bryant went on a personal 10-0 run. The Blazers took a time out, and answered that with a 12-0 run of their own.
It became close again late in the fourth, when the Lakers crawled back to within 3, at 104-101. On the next trip down the floor, Brandon Roy charged past Bryant, which he did time and time again in this game, scored, and was fouled. His three-point play made it 107-101, and was just about the dagger in the Lakers' heart.
It was a crushing loss for the Lakers, who could have pulled to within a half game of New Orleans, who lost earlier in the evening to Utah.
Coming into this game, the Lakers had been 45-6 when shooting 45 percent or better, and were a dominant 50-9 when scoring at least 100 points. They were also 15-2 against the Northwest Division. The Blazers are now 22-6 when they score at least 100, and improved to 17-2 when shooting 50 percent or better. It sounds pretty simple, but the numbers continue to show, if the Blazers are hitting outside shots, they win.
To listen to Nate McMillan's post-game comments, as he joined Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey on the radio, click here.
The teams have now split the season series, 2-2, and that's not unusual. The Blazers won the season series last season, 2-1. The Lakers last won the season series in 04-05, 2 games to 1, but have to go back to 1992-93 for their other series win. They also had a chance to beat the Blazers for the third time in a season for the first time since 92-93. With the loss, Phil Jackson fell to 15-16 all-time versus Portland, as coach of the Lakers.
The Blazers snapped the Lakers four-game winning streak with the win. The last time the teams met in Portland, on February 29th, the Blazers snapped L.A.'s 10-game winning streak. And, with the win, the Blazers got back to the .500 mark, at 39-39.
Next up, we travel to Sacramento, to take on the Kings on Friday night. Two road, and two home games remain. Following the game against the Kings, the Blazers host Dallas on Saturday. They then host Memphis Tuesday, and are at Phoenix on Wednesday.
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Alright! Let's just get a couple of more big wins and we can turn this into a winning season.
Hey MB,
Great win.
The only reason I'm posting this right now is because I'd like you, Mike, to talk to BRoy and ask him to work on his FREE THROWS this offseason. He was like 85% last year. I don't know what's happened. But every time he steps up to the line, I feel like he's going to miss them or split. And that's very discouraging. I'd like for someone to talk to him about it, but preferably you. I'm sure he knows, because most fellow Blazer fans I talk to sure know and complain about it a lot.
Thanks Mike
GO BLAZERS!
oh yeah, baby. gravy. i was missin' mike and mike on the broadcast. i had to watch the local broadcast with the annoying homer LA announcers.
"Portland beats the Lakers" - Man, I love that story. There is a unique satisfaction in confounding and confusing the Zen Master and his #1 pupil when they come here. It's like a lock that continually changes its combination every time you think you've figured out the old one.
As for Sergio, I'd love to see him play more and for Nate to spend a LOT of time with him coaching him and understanding his style of play and how to use him effectively in the lineup. Coaching has not been free of criticisms this year and as much as we love Nate, we do question whether he and his system are really what will bring a championship to Portland. I don't offer any solutions, here, just an observation.
Reading the LA Fans' blog, there is a lot of "bring back Bynum" talk and "unleashing the monster." Next year... 'click' 'click' 'tumble'
'tumble' ...GO and Rudy join our line up and the combo gets scrambled all over again for PJ and Kobe. Looking forward to confounding them for another season! Go Blazers!
I dont know why blazer fans are so happy about the win against the lakers. Or are you just happy the blazers are going on vacation early? The lakers will probably win their division, and take out the spurs to move into the championship round. So I dont see why would the blazers play that hard to win if it not matter to them win or lose, there still going home, right?
Perhaps next year we will have that magic invincable feeling against every team. The confidence that we have the Lakers number I'm sure contributs to the hustle and high shooting average.
Hey MB,
For some reason, Channing always seems to play better when he starts. He just plays with so much more confidence and looks a lot more comfortable. Do you think starting him might be something coach will consider? I'm guessing not because that would be a huge frontcourt with oden, aldredge and frye next year? I remember during our thirteen game streak earlier in the year when Lamarcus was out and channing starting how aggressive and successful he was. Let me know what you think. We own LA!!...at least in portland we do!
thats right not in are house. I liked the chants from the crowd to kobe sucks kobe sucks. theres nothing I liked more then seeing that game. mando a win is a win. I don't think the lakers will go that far this year. well not to the champship game. plus their nothing like given LA a good beat down. Its kind like beating the bullies ass on the block.
It was a great win; but even more so because I think that was one of the best broadcasts that I've heard from Mike and you (MB).
Seriously, there were points during the broadcast that you guys typified exactly what I was thinking...
I especially loved Rice's comment at the end of the first half when Roy drove on Bryant for a layup and Rice literally screamed: "IN YOUR EYE, KOBE!!"
Then with LMA's block in the second half Rice again boomed: "NOW IMAGINE NEXT YEAR WHEN ODEN IS BLOCKING THAT SHOT, TOO!!"
So my question to you, MB, is: Do you need to physically hold back Rice from leaping out of his chair?
Anyway, thanks!
well, millertime, what can I say, if we lose in the first round, its still farther that your guys got, right? And I guess a win its a win, like you said, but theres no way you guys own us,maybe in portland so but what happened when you came to L.A. do you want to refresh my memory with the score? And finally, its o.k. to kobe-hate, we got the M.V.P. of the league, so dont hate, just congratulate-
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I can definitely see a Los Angeles Kobes fan giving up or not caring if they were eliminated from the post season. But you aren't going to find any Blazer fans not caring, meaningless or not. I was proud to say I saw Kobe's 34 points (or however much) go totally meaningless in a crucial loss in their race for post season home court advantage. And I was proud to see my Blazers not roll over for our future punching bags for the next decade.
I don't see why there is so much love for Sergio on these posts...I'd like to see him blossom as well; however, he rarely hits shots on the offensive end and defensively he is a liability.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see him develop. However, it is not Nate's job to force Sergio to become a gym rat.
Hey MB, Great broadcast... AGAIN. Can you maybe give a little comment on the lack of "Enforcer" attitude on this team. I was really happy to see T-Law and LA go after Odom after that hard foul on B-Roy. Why (with Mo Lucas as an assistant) have we not seen that more often? I personally believe that is all that is missing from LA's game. We are being viewed around the league as very atheltic but also very weak. You can see it on the faces of the opposing team. It's almost as though the whole team is scared to step up and get into someone's face. Jarrett is fearless (most of the time) but the rest of the team seems content to rely on their "smooth" and avoid any type of conflict. I think in the off season, that should be a focus point. Aggression, with at least a hint of meanness. The guys all need to sit down and watch a little Lucas video. I am totally amped for the future of this franchise. I just hope that we didnt sacrifice all of the junkyard dog attitude when we dumped all the junk!
Come'on Brian,how would you say I have giving up or not caring if we were eliminated from the post season. Will be seeded#1 by end of season, I'll make it on my calender today and will follow up with you on April 17,will you be fishing with your fellow blazers or posting a bailbond at that time? And the 34pts were not meaningless, its a warm up for the play offs, just happened he had to drop it on you guys. Regarding your future punching bag, just 3 things that contradict that, Kobe,Pau, Bynum. WoW, never saw a punchbag take hits and dish'em back twice as hard.
Magic. And I'm not talking about the greatest Laker that ever lived.
That game was absolute MAGIC.
Easily the best experience I've ever had in either the Rose Garden or the Memorial Coliseum.
mando, and all the sissy faker bandwagon LA Faker fans out there, you will NEVER win another title with Kobe Bryant. Without Shaq, who pulled one of the sickest Benedict Arnold moves of all time on Orlando for cash, sunshine, and all the fake meaningless material luxuries you think will bring you happiness and integrity, you would be ringless all the way back to the 80's.
You got schooled by Jordan in '91, so prepare for more humiliation, cuz obviously Roy has Kobe's number and I really don't like your chances with Bynum & Gasol over Oden & LMA.
You have two All-star big men.
That's nice.
Our twin towers are going into the HALL OF FAME.
BLAZER FANS: CONGRATULATIONS. YOU FINALLY STEPPED UP AND DEFEATED YOUR OPPONENT WITH SHEER PASSION AND ENERGY. KEEP THAT UP FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS, AND YOUR LEGS WILL TIRE FROM ALL THE PARADES.
MUCH LOVE AND GET WELL MARTELL,
Beaverboy19!!!
People listen here. Sergio is not good. In fact he is bad. Everybody says how "quick" and "fast" he is, but he constantly gets blown bye on defense and he couldnt take a 96 year old Bob Cousy off the dribble. On top of that, he cant shoot. This is a very likeable team that plays hard, which is more than I can say about any Blazers team since '98. But there are some players that either need to step up or get shipped out before we become serious players in the West. J Jack needs to learn how to take care of the ball and keep his head up in the lane(but he is probably getting traded anyways). Martell needs to figure out how to contribute without jacking up threes all the time (get better on D, or maybe use some of that athletecism to get to the rim more often).
And last but not least, LaMarcus. It pains me to see someone that athletic and strong settle for fadaways and jump shots against smaller defenders every night. I know this is only his second year and he has many more seasons to go. But he could get 20 & 10 every night if he played with a little more heart & grit like he did last night against the Lakers. He should have been abusing Odom like Amare does every time they play. Those soft hooks need to turn into dunk attempts.
With all of that said, it was a damn satisfying win last night and was really fun to watch Brandon go toe-to-toe with Kobe. I just wish Brandon would take one of these final games and just gun the ball and go for like 40 pts. I know he is too un-selfish to do anything like that, but it would be fun to see him jack up like 30 shots.
out
What a win! We sure do enjoy playing the fakers.
Hey MB any update on how BRoy is today?
Mando or should I say boydo, it's so typical of you faker fans to come on here after another loss to the Blazers and start whining. Why don't you learn to show some respect when another team beats your team. But it just proves how immature and unsportsmanlike faker fans are. You can never give it up to the other team.
Bynum and Pau dishing out hits, you mean Charmin and Charmin ultra soft, that's laughable. When does Pau plan to toughen up? He's got nothing of LMA, and he's only in his second year with plenty of muscle to come.
A win is a win, and a win over you guys is a sweeter win! and if it can keep you out of first place, we were more than happy to do so! So keep dreaming!
I hope you enjoyed the chants last night!
Gotta go find my fishing pole, me and the Blazers got a lot of relaxing to do before are championship run starts. So enjoy the hits, the pounding, the falling, the exhaustion cuz that knock you keep hearing, it's the Blazers right at your doorstep.
Rip City baby!
I hear you, Beaverboy19.
But Iam not a faker bandwagon LA Faker, whatever that is. Yes, keep tuned to the NBA and in June, you'll see us win it again,without Shaq.Were build to win at least 2 more this decade, which if do the math, for all the Jailblazers out there, lets see, in 00'01'02 would be 3 rings and a trip to the finals in 04, hum, not bad, plus if you add this coming one, does'nt that make you guys wish you were in L.A. come June. Before I forget, about Jordan schooling us in '91, if Iam not mistaking, who did he school the following year in '92, scoring 32 pts in ONE HALF, and in game 4, Blazers givin up a 15 pt lead going into the forth, now that's embarassing.I didnt want to bring back painfull memories but you force me to beaverboy. Since '92, how many rings have you guys won or been to the finals- we have 3 rings and gone 4 times to the finals, is there anything else you would want to add?
Hey mando,
SUCK ITT!!!!!
sincerely,
-Basketball Fans
I find myself STILL ecstatic over the win last night against LA! Man, what a game!! They stepped up! Big change from the team I watched fall on Sunday.
As for the earlier comment wondering why the Blazers play hard when they don't have a playoff shot - are you for real?! That's why the Blazers have such loyal fans - they play with their heart no matter if they get a title or not. Which goes hand-in-hand with my biggest pet peeve; "fans" leaving the Rose Quarter with 2-3 minutes left because the Blazers are down by 10. Seriously people! It just shows who is a real fan - - real fans cheer on every single basket whether they're down by 20 or up by 20. I wonder if the players notice the isleways filling with people with 3 mins left? My only hope is that the "bandwagon jumpers" someday realize what a good team they really are - and become true fans.
I must say it was sad not seeing Przybilla out there, or even on the sidelines! But the guys stepped up, and for that they deserved the win.
GOOOOOO BLAZERS!!
I find myself STILL ecstatic over the win last night against LA! Man, what a game!! They stepped up! Big change from the team I watched fall on Sunday.
As for the earlier comment wondering why the Blazers play hard when they don't have a playoff shot - are you for real?! That's why the Blazers have such loyal fans - they play with their heart no matter if they get a title or not. Which goes hand-in-hand with my biggest pet peeve; "fans" leaving the Rose Quarter with 2-3 minutes left because the Blazers are down by 10. Seriously people! It just shows who is a real fan - - real fans cheer on every single basket whether they're down by 20 or up by 20. I wonder if the players notice the isleways filling with people with 3 mins left? My only hope is that the "bandwagon jumpers" someday realize what a good team they really are - and become true fans.
I must say it was sad not seeing Przybilla out there, or even on the sidelines! But the guys stepped up, and for that they deserved the win. And watching the comrodery when B. Roy hit the floor was impressive - Outlaw and Aldrige were all over that! Nice.
GOOOOOO BLAZERS!!
Mando,
I hate the Lakers and always have which is why this victory is so sweet. Kobe is an egocentric crybaby that is most likely "guilty"... ah hem, Colorado. It's funny you get a kick out of calling us the JailBlazers when the Lakers have such an incredibly embarrassing history themselves. James Worthy and his undercover cop prostitute, Magic Johnson and his AIDs, the Kobe and Shaq feud, the Kobe and Karl Malone feud, the Kobe wants out of LA drama, and so on. Kobe is a terrific individual basketball player but he is a horrible human being playing on a classless team. You antagonizing Blazer fans is to be expected though. Classless LA.
It's always nice to see the good guys win and that's what happened last night. I'm gonna enjoy getting use to this. Next year is ganna be sick with Oden, Pryz, Roy, LaMarcus, Blake, Outlaw, and company. I was afraid we threw in the towel but obviously we haven't.
Go Blazers!
HEY MB!!
Great game,
I was going to say i was at the rose room for the STH thing and it was great. Nice to have you there hosting. Nice to meet you as well. I really enjoyed it. I had a question i wanted to ask last night, how is Jones Knee? i wanted to ask him last night but wasnt sure.
Thanks Mike
blazersjen..you mention Blazers play with their heart no matter if they get a title or not. I disagree because I've hardly seen many games where they hustled and played as well as they did last night. If they played with the passion you said like the way they played last night, do you think they would've lost the last 5 games before the Lakers win?
Anyway, I believe if Portland played like this every game, they would be an elite team.
beaverboy19, what's with all the hatorade towards the Lakers? Calling Laker fans sissy bandwagoners and wishing the Lakers to never win a championship again? Has the Lakers success and chance of winning the title made you upset that Portland isn't contending this year? Kobe is a candidate for MVP this year but you and the Trailblazer fans chant "Kobe suck" If he sucks then how can he be a candidate for MVP this season? I look forward to your reply. Thanks, Joseph
Joseph,
beaverboy19 was simply defending his team, Portland's team, from a disgruntled Laker fan who decided to bash on a team that is going to be far better than the Lakers will be in the coming 5 to 10 years.
Hey guys,
Heard about the hard foul on BRoy by Odom that had Nate sprinting onto the court. To those who were there, what happened? Thanks!
Go Blazers!
Looking at all four games this year, the Blazers have won both games in which Roy played. The other two were with out Roy and in LA. The two wins we had Roy had nearly identical stats. Now I may be overlooking that the Lakers had no Bynum, but we were with out Joel the last game too and they have two great inside scoring power forwards. Anyway, I think we can get a win in LA next year against the Lakers if Oden is well adjust to the NBA game by then. Great game, looking forward to the last 4.
to -thekillapryzdollabilla- are you a blazer fan, did I hurt your feelings? Do you have any more intelligent comments other than suck it???
Spencer,
Thanks for defending beaverboy19 since he never replied back. Joseph, you made a good point towards blazersjen, but from what I noticed, you wont get a replied back. Back to Spencer, by having B-Roy and Oden,may I point out who has not played an nba game yet and still needs to prove himself a "team that is going to be far better than the Lakers" thats a pretty bold statement Spencer. Kobe has proven himself year after year, plus with him getting MVP this season should be more than enough, Pau is in his seven year and been averaging 20pts for his career, Bynum will the new Shaq in the NBA, plus with Phil leading them, I just dont see that happening, not to mention the bench productivity.So I beg you Spencer, please explain why would blazers be better in the next coming years than us, please?
Mando,
Don't be butt hurt because your team can't win in Portland. I understand you're saddened because your team could have gotten closer to the number one seed but failed to do so. You do realize we were playing without two of our starters, right?
I can't wait to see the Lakers fail in the Playoffs once again because Kobe can't get it done without Shaq. LOL. Just wait until you get a little taste of Greg Oden next year.
dear mando,
I apologize for not replying as soon as you would like. But, unlike you, and your pathetic fake vicariously-living-through-Kobe sycophant loser companions, I HAVE A LIFE.
That's right, a great job with great pay and great benefits, a beautiful wife and a great dog, and I was just approved for more money than I could possibly spend on our first home last evening.
So you can keep all your gloried Faker history, cuz that's obviously all that you have, although you're probably not even old enough to know Magic's last name.
My point is: get a life. Find something other to do than search out your opponent's blogs to vent your pitiful frustrations, and that will be a good start to actually BEING somebody, as opposed to living through someone else.
So no, mando. I don't have anything more to add. I just have a quick question:
Do you believe the Fakers could beat the Idaho Stampede in the Rose Garden?
Quite honestly, I like our D-league team's chances. Perhaps you would like to see Josh McRoberts abuse Pau Gasol like LMA does for a personal hobby?
Oh, and don't feel like you have to reply right away. We all know you're terribly busy living a healthy, fulfilled, balanced life.
Your friend in Portland,
Beaverboy19
6-19 in the Rose Garden. Does that include Play-off games?
Ok ok I am tired of what I am reading about Sergio!! He has great speed and with a little bit more time he will be in that line up playing along side his buddy Rudy!! He does need to improve mostly on his defense!! But stop doggin on him!! Lets see you stop Kobe or Chris Paul driving to the hoop! Oh and this talk about Bynum & Gasol that is awesome you have them two guys look though the Blazers have Oden, Aldridge, Frye, and Przybilla and don't forget Outlaw. That there is just a force that is gonna be hard to play against all game!! Ah I forgot LaFrentz who can hold ground against Gasol. And LaFrentz didn't get much playing time what does that say to you?? And lets just look at history here, NO Hornets had a non winning record last year now they are at the top of the Western Conference. I don't think Blazers will have a problem with the Lakers here in a couple years but this Hornet team will be the next big rivial!!!
Peace Out!!
One would assume that the Lakers would have a nice forum for people like mondo to discuss the game.
Mike whats up with Darius He got looked at by the independent doctor any word there.
Also what are your thoughts of moving up in the draft and taking DJ?
To all the Laker fans out there. In Portland, hatin' on the Lakers goes way back before Kobe Bryant (although his presence makes it even easier). My favorite NBA team is whoever is playing the Lakers. That's just the way it is here (and pretty much in any other NBA city). BEAT LA! Sound familiar? So my team won't be in the playoffs this year, that's OK. I'll enjoy the playoffs anyway, BEAT LA!
Blazers_jen, please read Jason Quick's latest article quoting that Roy straight out said that he doesn't have the passion to play hard since they're not playing for anything more than just pride. He sounds like a quitter when there's only a few more games to try to reach .500 in wins and losses. He's the leader of the team and he set a bad example by admitting that. Against the Lakers, he wasn't playing hard to get into the playoffs but because of the rivalry between the two teams, he found motivation to play hard and made his team better. This is not any fault of the coach since he's stressed them to play hard every game but the Blazers have been so inconsistent and lazy at times for a team so athletic. Difference between the win with the Lakers and the loss to the Kings was the shots that weren't falling against the Kings and no motivation to win against the Kings. Now how is it the Blazers can own the Lakers but not other contending teams? That just baffles me. I mean they are competitive against all the elite teams at home but for most of the time, they end up with a loss. Does it take a rivalry for the Blazers to go out and play with passion and make their shots? Win or lose from these well paid millionaires, at least play hard every single game considering how much you make. This team frustrates me at times.
I have to apologize, I think I spoke too soon...or too much! The reason behind me saying that the Blazers played with heart is that when they do win they are so selfless - it's never "I did this" or "I did that" - they always give credit to each other. And comparing their spirit and attitude to the team 3 or 4 years ago, they look like saints.
I was sadly disapointed watching Brandon Roy play against the Kings. Everytime the camera went to him, he had this look on his face...kinda like he wasn't interested in all at being there. Maybe he was hurting or maybe he had something going on personally, but he really didn't look like he was in the game. I wonder why they play with such fire sometimes and not others. They've had some questionalbe losses lately. Why can they beat the higher ranked teams like LA and Dallas, but fall to the Kings? Is it that the competetive drive is there for some and not none? However it may be, I didn't like what I saw against the Kings. I went to the game Saturday against the Mavericks expecting the Blazers to fall hard...which lasted about 2 minutes into the 1st quarter then Frye went on a scoring spree. I was pleasently suprised to see them win.
I know it appeared that I had this clouded vision of the team, only seeing the good. That's not how it is. I do see fault and lots of room for improvement. But I think the team is headed in a great direction and has made huge amounts of progress this year. With the preseason forecast predicting them to win only 25 games...I'd say they are doing much better than anticipated.
With this season almost over, all I can do is look forward to next season. Przy should be all healed and ready to back up Oden. Next year should be interesting...
Thank you all for your comments.
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