Blazers Rally Past Wolves
posted: 11/08/2008 at 11:27 PM
This game had let down written all over it. Nate McMillan addressed that with us on the pre-game TV show, and warned his players against it, but sometimes in this league it's just unavoidable. Fortunately, for the Blazers, they recovered from a slow start and were able to battle back and beat a scrappy Minnesota Timberwolves team 97-93.
There was so much talk about the first five games of the season- how difficult they would be, how no one gave them much of a chance to come out of that start alive, and how they would have to battle through that period without two starters. Then, to have the Houston game take the wild swings of emotion, and mentally drain both teams, it was natural to expect a hangover in this game. And, for the first time this season, the Trail Blazers were actually expected to win a game.
It was a combination of that, and Minnesota going to unique places with their game plan, that caused the Blazers to stumble out of the game. The Blazers trailed by six after the first quarter, by six at halftime, and then trailed by one going into the fourth quarter, before finally getting the four-point win.
Minnesota should be given credit, as they took advantage of a lifeless Blazer team to take control of the game, building a lead as big as 12 at one point. In the first half, with Al Jefferson struggling to convert inside, the Timberwolves went to their bench, and scored in a variety of ways. Rashad McCants, Randy Foye, and Craig Smith, all reserves in this game, helped the Wolves put the Blazers on their heels.
In the second half, Minnesota went back to their traditional game plan of pounding the ball inside to Jefferson, and he started making the shots he was missing in the first half. Jefferson, who's just a beast, scored 27 points, on 10 of 23 shooting.
The Blazers relied on the crowd, another sellout of 20,599, to lift them back to life in the second half, and again leaned heavily on Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Roy had 24 points and 9 assists, and hit what proved to be the game-winning shot, again, with :31 seconds left, that put the Blazers up 95-93. Aldridge backed up his 27-point effort on Thursday, with 24 points and 13 rebounds in this game.
The Timberwolves haven't won in Portland since December of 2005, but looked to be closing in on just their second win of the season, which would have snapped a four-game losing streak. They had chances, but couldn't convert the big basket late in the fourth quarter, and left the building feeling like they blew an opportunity to get a big win.
It was a homecoming for Lake Oswego's Kevin Love, the leading scorer in Oregon State high school history. He had 20 points and 9 rebounds in Minnesota's loss on Friday night in Sacramento, but struggled in this game. He ended 0-7 from the field, 2-4 from the foul line, and had 7 rebounds.
On Sunday, we head for the Orlando, and on Monday, open a stretch of five-straight games on the road. In fact, 7 of the next 8 games are on the road, and 12 of the next 16. So, just when the team gets this brutal start behind it, it's time to get tested away from home, where the team won only 13 times last season.
We'll go to Orlando, Miami, New Orleans, and Minnesota, return home for one day, and then fly to Oakland to play Golden State a week from Tuesday.
As for the update on the two starters, Martell Webster got his surgically-repaired foot out of a boot at halftime on Saturday night. He's well ahead of schedule, but still won't likely be back for a month. Greg Oden did some shooting before the game against Minnesota, and will come with us on this road trip. The hope is that he'll return to action some time on this trip, possibly at Miami, but more likely at New Orleans, or Minnesota.
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Hey, Mike, playing off your Elias note from the other night when Brandon scored 5 in the final 1.9 seconds, here's what Elias said after tonight's game:
BLAZERS WIN ANOTHER CLOSE ONE, NOW 3-0 AT HOME
The Trail Blazers improved to 3-0 at home with a 97-93 win over the Timberwolves. Portland previously beat San Antonio by one point and Houston by two in overtime. The only other NBA team ever to win each of its first three home games by four-or-fewer points was the 1952-53 Milwaukee Hawks. The Blazers' seven-point combined margin is the lowest ever by a team starting 3-0 at home.
Gutty win. It was ugly for sure until the Blazers decided to step it up.
Just a thought: How must it feel for a guy to go from the Gatorade Player of the Year, First Team All-Arizona – high school (04, 05, 06, 07), McDonald’s All-American – high school (07), First Team Parade All-American – high school (07), to being the...drumroll please...
Best dressed Blazer.
Ouch. Being a rookie must totally suck sometimes.
And Mike, will you please drop some not-so-subtle hints to the video pre game guys and gals regarding the big screen "pump up" video before player introductions? They change almost game to game (which isn't bad in itself) but for the most part they're all pretty weak.
The best one ever that the Blazers ever had was one they used maybe a handful of time at the start of last season. It was the one where at the end it said "This is Rip City" in red lines all electric-like at the perfect time when "Welcome to the Jungle" crests.
Sorry if it's so off-topic but it's been buggin.
Nice blog, but please stop talking about how difficult our schedule is. Yes it is a hard schedule but other teams have schedules very similar to the blazers. It just seems like you are always talking about the schedule, its the NBA you are going to get challenged everynight. Also believe it or not alot of people expect the blazers to win some of these games. I know I expected to beat the jazz the other night, especially without williams. I also thought if we had more batum and rudy vs the suns in the 2nd half we would of won that too.
glad the blazers could turn this game around. Roy has been a great leader, however, I am a little concerned about the chemestry between roy and rudy. They both want to take big shots. I know it is far to early in the season to come to any conclusions. Just a little nervous, as I want Rudy to be a part of this team just as much as roy.
Mike: Thank you for your post.
The game should be about learning to play against adversities. Other-wise, IMO they played rotten. We didn't have to bring our A game, but we should not play down to our opponents level of expatiate. Rotten games are to be expected though. One of the bloggers from the past blogs, said that wins should be earned not taken. I feel we did not earn this game but stole it with our home-court advantage. That is more or less what you were saying.
It was just great watching The Blazers play. Batman is playing terrific.
Let's get our first road game victory and keep our winning streak going.
hg
HEY MB: my 2 cents....get Bayliss some PT & Batuum MORE minutes....
Shacked,
My thoughts exactly (regarding the chemistry bet Rudy & Roy) They are both big shot takers and thrive on their ability different postions (very differentely though). I think Roy is more individualist and his court vision is restricted to his own opportunities to score either by three, jump shot or drive to the basket. Great player perhaps on a shooting guard position with freedom to create his own shot. However, if what you want is to create a team based on a dynamic idea of play where everybody breathes and thrives on a common ground of talent and teamplay, then i think that you might get more out of a player like Rudy. His court vision and ability to anticipate opportunities is more team oriented. He allows his teammates to be on a position to get the best out of their game, kind of like Sergio (with a shot and much better defense). I also dont think Roy & Rudy should play on the same unit, not positive for the team. Roy thrives on a slow tempo basketball and plays his best on those conditions. Rudy is a high energy/temmpo player that breaks defenses on speed and anticipation. Both Rudy & Roy are very contagious on the way they play, therefore when they play together, at leat one of the is not confortable.
So far, Rudy is the rookie, he just got to the team, so he is keeping a low profile and trying to fit in. However in the future we might have a problem. Just food for thought.
First off I want to say that you and Rice do a great job calling the games.
Last night we looked kind of sorry but were able to pull out the win. The thing is whenever I watch the Blazers it is obvious we have the most talented athletic team in the league, yet we're no where close to the best team in the league.
Honestly we should be 5-1. I know that seems pretty lofty but we completely outclass 2 out of the 3 teams we lost to talent wise. Athleticwise.
I know the season is short so far but Nate has some problems with this line up and Martell and Greg will be back soon.
Rudy looks like an all-star when he plays with Sergio and only ok without him. Sergio looks like a very good point guard when Rudy is in and horrible without him. I think the answer is having Sergio start and Rudy first man off the bench. Either that or bring Rudy and Sergio into the games together. Honestly the best the Blazers have looked this year is when the two of them get it rolling.
I hate to say it because I like every player on this team but we're going to have to streamline the team some. A package of Blake, Travis and Raef seems likely. Still it is a scary proposition as we do not want to upset the team chemistry. Bringing in an all-star caliber playerwould be nice but I am at a loss who we could fit in there that would not upset the apple cart. My only thought and this is unlikely because the Suns are competitive is Steve Nash.
Hopefully I am wrong and we just gel as we are but with Martell and Greg coming back the minutes are going to get fewer for Outlaw, Rudy, and Frye. Hopefully this does not breed dissention in the ranks.
Anyhow great job mike and we'll listen to you next game.
Go Blazers!
Hey Mike,
I wanted to throw some Kudos out but I wasn't sure where to send them. So I am trusting you with this message. :)
Who ever thought of getting local musicians to play the theme song at the beginning of every telecast is a genius. I love that it's different every time, and always rockin'. I might check out some of these groups if I notice they are playing near me.
Oh yea, good game last night. Both teams played hard.
Yeah, max, and the ball don't lie ;-)
I don't buy the "let down" argument. For the past several years the Blazers have played to the level of their opponent, mostly up for the stronger teams, almost always flat for the weaker. It even appeared in this morning's paper in a quote from Steve Blake about the lack of excitement about the game.
This may be due to youth and inexperience but they're not going to be contenders until they can bring their A game more consistently and hammer the poorer teams. We're going to be extremely tired by season's end if we don't win some easy games, get some rest for L.A. and BRoy, and some minutes for the end of the bench.
Playing time. Chemistry. Consistency. Injuries. These are the issues every team faces. Somehow nearly every team ends up shrinking its rotation to 7 or 8 players. They bring them in one at a time late in the first and third quarters and early in the second and fourth so as not to disrupt their own rhythm ( read - chemistry ). But what often happens is that suddenly players are out of position, getting used to guarding a new player, adjusting to a new role on the fly. In other words in the name of continuity and chemistry they disrupt the teams continuity and chemistry. Not only that, they reduce the incentive of the players " in the rotation " to hustle since they need to conserve energy for the finish ( not to mention the long season ). To me it seems much more logical to employ a platoon substitution system where units that have played together in practice can execute tried and true strategies on offense and defense. Also, with 3 players at each position we are better prepared for the inevitable injuries that can change the fortunes of a team so rapidly. Example; Blazers made a mistake when they got rid of Steven Hill. Now, when Pryzibylla needs a rest we have to send in Fry or LaMarcus which forces other players to play out of position. When Blake needs a rest coach often brings in Rudy at the two with Roy at 1. Maybe against a bigger point guard that makes sense. But not against small fry like Telfair, Chris Paul, Rondo, etc. No, what makes sense is regular units substituting for regular units. As long as we're at it I think Oden should come off the bench until he's proven himself healed and ready for prime time. Same with Martell.
1st unit; Pryzz, Aldridge, Batum, Roy, Blake. 2nd unit; Oden, Frye, Outlaw, Fernandez, Rodriquez.
Need some muscle? Yo, Ike go bang some bodies. Need a defensive stopper on the point and/or instant offense ? Bring in Jerryd ( maybe by the end of the season he'll actually remember some of the plays ). Need some outside O ? Call Dr. Webster. If Aldridge or Frye go down Zavlik is more than ready to move up in the rotation hierarchy. Let's give these guys a chance to shine and put the starters on notice. NOBODY should play more than 35 minutes, ever. Let's get out there an run, run, run. Let's play D like it's a college tournament - every night. With a platoon system we can do that. We should.
Peace brethren.
What was the deal with the terrible signal during the second half of the game. I understand that technical difficulties happen, but seriously, that was shoddy and awful. I hope this doesn't happen again.
Last nights game was great to watch. Unfortunately, I missed almost the last 2-3 minutes because either Channel 8 or the Blazers had some type of technical difficulties. Talk about frustration!!! It seems like they could have at least told us it was a tech. problem and not just left us hanging. Especially when the game is coming down to the last few seconds to see who will win. Hope that never happens again.
@ supercarlitos and shacked: I can't find anything about Brandon's game to criticize right now---he'll get his turnovers down. As far as he and Rudy at the end of games: Roy is the Blazer's go to guy. We all know Rudy is sweet and is an important role player. Roy can get his own shot or get a great look for anyone else a very high percentage of the time. It seems to me Baskets (or free throws) created from 1 on 1 play win NBA ball games at the end of regulation. The second NBA teams start doubling Roy at the end of games to get the ball out of his hands, I'm sure we'll see Rudy hitting more game winning bombs from the corner;).
@ supercarlitos and shacked: I can't find anything about Brandon's game to criticize right now---he'll get his turnovers down. As far as he and Rudy at the end of games: Roy is the Blazer's go to guy. We all know Rudy is sweet and is an important role player. Roy can get his own shot or get a great look for anyone else a very high percentage of the time. It seems to me Baskets (or free throws) created from 1 on 1 play win NBA ball games at the end of regulation. The second NBA teams start doubling Roy at the end of games to get the ball out of his hands, I'm sure we'll see Rudy hitting more game winning bombs from the corner;).
@ supercarlitos and shacked: I can't find anything about Brandon's game to criticize right now---he'll get his turnovers down. As far as he and Rudy at the end of games: Roy is the Blazer's go to guy. We all know Rudy is sweet and is an important role player. Roy can get his own shot or get a great look for anyone else a very high percentage of the time. It seems to me Baskets (or free throws) created from 1 on 1 play win NBA ball games at the end of regulation. The second NBA teams start doubling Roy at the end of games to get the ball out of his hands, I'm sure we'll see Rudy hitting more game winning bombs from the corner;).
johnnychuck, couldn't have said it better myself ;-) We've got the horses, let's use 'em!
There's no need for a "go to guy" if the ball is moving and the open man gets it in the right spot at the right time.
it appears to me that maybe too many bloggers have a fantasy league mentality. always trading players and constantly in search of the latest line-up tweak for the sake of stat lines. i don't agree with any of the trade suggestions. we are getting necessary production from all of our players. we have two potential starters out and have run the first section of the gauntlet with a fair amount of success.
the timberwolves game was frustrating to watch (not just because of technical difficulties). we were watching our young team come out flat after an historic and emotional win. the most important thing is that they got the win. it would be easier to watch if they already had a way of clicking in to a state of relative extreme focus (like wade or jordan can/could). if we had the superior skill and execution of the bulls teams of the past, or the scrappiness of detroit's bad boys, or the legendary tenacity of russell's celtics, this game would have been a blow-out. what we have is a group of guys that have many new faces, and yet to fully define their personal roles and collective identity. barring any other major set backs and getting through a very difficult first five weeks of the season (surely the most challenging stretch of the schedule). we can and likely will head down the path of basketball transcendence. this is a special team with unique capacities. for one, we have what may be an incomparable ability to absorb injuries and keep on going. by the time we reach the third week of december (a third of the way through the season), i think this exceptional nature will be much more apparent. the team should be kept together. guys should want more playing time. everyone should be even more eager to contribute. a defensive mindset will be created out of intensity and intentionality. offensive flow will grow from familiarity and passion. synergy will become unmistakable. rip city will manifest itself once again.
One thing to remember about the team's reasonable 3-3 start against some really good teams, we're about six inches and the maybe the same number of seconds from being 0-6.
Depending on miracle finishes isn't a viable long term strategy.
Great win but ugly game. Nate's technical foul was awesome! We can't get walked all over by players or officials. Hope the players took notice. A little fire from time to time is in order.
If we continue winning games in the final seconds it's gonna catch up with us. I'm emotionally drained just watching the game from my recliner so I can only imagine the toll it takes on the guys playing. I'd like to see us put teams away earlier and stop worrying about running out of gas at the end. If we were old and had no bench it would be one thing but we're young and have depth.
I'm looking forward to the road trip.
Go Blazers!
Don't forget that the Wolves played a great game of D.
I was thinking during the game...why haven't they won a few more games.
Then their coach said after the game "if we play like this the rest of the way we'll be alright".
Hence, I'm giving some credit to the T-Wolves in this case.
Nice win against Minn and a nice start at home!
BROY has shown a lot especially against the double teams he gets.
Have to wonder though....what if Rudy turns out to be better than Brandon? What a nice dilemma that would be.
GO BLAZERS!
I was just thinking about the Roy/Rudy duo questions. I'm with everyone who's commented about an observation that sees Roy hesitant to kick it out to Rudy. It's not the other way around.
I hope this changes soon. If Roy and Rudy sink up we will destroy teams! I'm sure of it. Roy is not selfish but he might be threatened by the knew kid in town. I hope I'm wrong.
Can't wait for the game tonight!
Go Blazers!
Part of the Wolves' "great game of D" comes from the Blazer half-court offense. When one guy is dribbling and four guys are standing waiting for him to make a move, defense is a piece of cake.
We need to get into the offense quicker, quicker player and ball movement, and we need to have a few plays that attack the paint. We rely too much on the high pick/roll and teams have figured out how to defend that.
Hey MB,
Here's another staggering stat. As if opening with the toughest five game schedule wasn't enough, of the first 22 games for the blazers, 15, I repeat FIFTEEN are on the road. Isn't that crazy? Who made this schedule? Oh man, if they can survive this opening stretch at .500 or better they will be in good shape
That was definitely the most solid win of the year. Frye might not be putting up big numbers but he's playing with a lot of fire. I liked that. And I also like Outlaw quieting all of us doubters. Sergio's hard foul on Howard was okay with me. Look at the size difference. If you're gonna foul, make it count... and he did. That was a good physical game.
Go Blazers!
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