Game Recap: Blazers 91 Mavericks 82

by Dave on Nov 10, 2007 11:39 PM PST in News

Oh man, that was one whale of a game! What a win! I was wrong in one point in my preview...we did have something to do with Dallas losing. I was there. I watched it. To be fair to them this was neither their "A" nor "B" games, but it was probably a C- or thereabouts. But beating a C- version of the Mavericks is still a great feather in the cap for our young team. We helped them have a bad night. It wasn't just that Dallas didn't win, it's that they were never in it past the first quarter. Amazing.

I cannot say enough about our defense tonight. It was the best I have seen it in forever. We really stayed in front of guys and got hands in their faces. We made it uncomfortable for Dallas to go inside. It wasn't just our main players either. We got defensive contributions from just about everyone. That was the main reason we won this game...defense.

I'm going to forego the normal format tonight and just tell you what I saw.

--I saw Lamarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy come out aggressive in the first half. Aldridge was spectacular early. Dirk Nowitzki tried to take over the game in the first quarter with his shooting. Lamarcus nullifed his contributions by matching him shot for shot. Not only that, LMA was better defensively. Eventually they switched Dirk off of Lamarcus because he couldn't handle him. (And let me say this one more time in case you missed it in last night's recap: NOBODY...GETS PAST...LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE...OFF THE DRIBBLE. Not even once.) It would be ridiculous and insulting to say Lamarcus is at Dirk's level but it's perfectly appropriate to say that TONIGHT Lamarcus played at Dirk's level. There's hope that someday he will play there for good. Plus you can't even describe Brandon's night. He looked so poised and controlled. Everything he did offensively made sense. It was a fitting career high evening. Tonight he was a superstar.

--I saw the Blazers refuse to settle for jumpers off the dribble, instead attacking the basket in every quarter. When the lane area was shut down they simply found the open man for the jumper. It was beautiful.

--I saw our small forwards contribute in ways beyond just scoring. This may have been a hidden key to the victory. Travis was a rebounding and defensive machine tonight! He ended up pulling Dirk as a defensive assignment in the second half. He really stayed in his jock, kept his body in front of him, and put out a ton of effort! I also saw Martell moving on defense, having busy hands, and even diving on the floor! YES!!! This was a fantastic night for them.

--I saw Jarrett Jack come out confident, taking open shots when they presented themselves, driving with regularity, and helping the flow of the offense when he had no shot. If he plays this way every night we're good to go.

--I saw Steve Blake blending into the offensive and defensive schemes, hitting guys for open shots without dominating the ball himself.

--I saw Joel Przybilla throw his body around against a smaller, quicker team and snag a ton of rebounds.

--I saw the entire offense play unselfishly. COMPLETELY unselfishly. You cannot overstate how wonderful it is to have your star--Brandon Roy--also be a team player. It turns everybody else into team players too. I love watching them share the ball. It looks like they literally don't care who scores. Don't they know they're supposed to be selfish, stat-absorbed, contract-counting NBA players? Or has the memo not come down yet? 28 assists in 35 buckets is...wow.

--Also we committed almost no un-whistled turnovers tonight. (The whistled kind being travels, offensive fouls, moving screens...the kind that require the ball being taken out of bounds.) We took great care of the ball and maximized most of our possessions.

--Most of all I saw a ton of poise out there. And, by the way, very little overt celebrating afterwards. Of course there were high-fives and handshakes but it wasn't like they were tearing the goalposts down. It was pretty much like they expected to win.

The beauty of a game like this is it will give the players confidence in their defense and it's ability to win games. That switch flipped in 1989 for the Clyde Drexler-led Blazers and it led them pretty far. This team isn't ready to go that far yet but if they learn that lesson really young--to take more pride in stopping someone than they do in scoring on them--they will get where they're going a lot quicker.

Boxscore

(blazersub@yahoo.com)

P.S. I am making the long drive home after the Panel presentation at Wordstock today so Jersey Contest updates probably won't happen until Monday. Don't forget to come to the Blazermania: Past and Present presentation at the Oregon Convention center if you can. It starts at 1:00.

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Comments

Who's afraid of the big bad Mavs?

Not these young Blazers! They played tough D from the start, and when the Mavs couldn't stop LMA or Roy early on, that opened everything up at the offensive end.

They tried double-teaming LMA at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, but the Blazers were ready for them (Nate had anticipated this tactic). Before the double team would even arrive, LMA would be passing the ball. Wherever you are, Zach Randolph, we don't miss you; tonight showed what real teamwork can accomplish.

by hurryup09 on Nov 11, 2007 1:44 AM PST reply actions

Zach who?

watching this team, you'd never know they lost their 'leader' and biggest 'star' from last year. I'm so very glad the post-Zach era has finally arrived, I can't express that enough.

by sergioFTW on Nov 11, 2007 9:14 AM PST up reply actions

Yeah

I saw a bit of standing around, I think it was in the first NO game, but generally the ball and/or the players are in constant motion. No more standing around waiting to see what Zach would do.

And now with two, going on three, legitimate scorers, it's going to be harder for the opposition to defend us - we'll wear them out if they try to double team all three :-) (And Joel & Frye can score, J Jack & Trout too) Spreading the scoring around is lots more fun to watch.

by jorga on Nov 11, 2007 10:54 AM PST up reply actions

I still appreciate what Zbo did

but I got to say "we're better without him."

It's not about Channing or James. It's not about Aldridge's playing time. It's about EVERYONE.

Offensively, now our ball movement is so much better than before, esp. I want to point out Outlaw and Webster both have shown us they're learning how to pass. Defensively now we play REAL defense. Everybody contribute his energy.

I hope Zbo will have a great time in NY but I'm also very glad that we traded him away.

by spring610 on Nov 11, 2007 11:45 AM PST up reply actions

Z-bo

Yes, in fairness to Z-bo, he played hard and kept the Blazers respectable (on the court, that is). But he was like this young team's training wheels; once Roy and LMA had a season under their belts, Z-bo needed to go.

by hurryup09 on Nov 11, 2007 2:48 PM PST up reply actions

Always sweet

to read the recaps after victory, the icing on the proverbial cake. I love how teams expect us to suck and are suprised when we take it to them. It'll be a while before the league catches I hope.

by jayseyfield on Nov 11, 2007 2:35 AM PST reply actions

The view from Dallas

From Dallas Morning News. Credited the Blazers' "exuberance". Great word.

One quote: ""That Brandon Roy is all right," Mavericks guard Jerry Stackhouse said. "He's pretty doggone good." Yeah, we've known that for awhile.
The Tim McMahon blog (link on above page) was very brief: "Well, that was ugly[headline]
The Mavs got hot during garbage time, increasing their shooting percentage in a 91-82 loss at Portland to 35 percent.
I'm out of town, so I've only seen the box score, and I think I'll keep it that way. I'll spare my eyes and delete this sucker from my TiVo upon my return to MacMahonor."

I won't gloat, I won't, I won't...

by jorga on Nov 11, 2007 7:46 AM PST reply actions

Undefeated at home...

Yes, it's still early in the season but this is a positive sign of things to come. One of the marks of the great teams is they 'defend the home court'. Let's hope they can send the Pistons out with a swift kick to the posterior regions.

By the way, here's a hearty "Thank You" and a snappy salute to all veterans and their families who have offered the ultimate for such a noble cause as freedom. May we thoughtfully exercise that freedom in a way that brings you honor!

" If you can do it in black wingtips, it aint a sport!" Ken

by Dr Dave on Nov 11, 2007 9:20 AM PST reply actions

The defense

was fun to watch. Dallas had an off shooting night, for sure, but Dirk started off hot and was cooled out pretty quickly. He didn't get an easy shot after the first quarter. And they had middle shut down except for a relapse during garbage time.

by bubba on Nov 11, 2007 9:22 AM PST reply actions

Just saw the higlight reel

And granted, they picked and chose, but the ball movement by the Blazers was outstanding. Just watching Dallas try to keep up with the ball as the Blazers swung it around the horn filled me with joy.

They're back, folks!

by DonkeyShins on Nov 11, 2007 9:27 AM PST reply actions

Three Point Guards

Was I the only one who noticed we played like 7 minutes with 3 point guards on the court: Jack, Blake and Sergio.

by homersolo on Nov 11, 2007 10:02 AM PST reply actions

yep

Nate has actually been using three guards a lot in the last two games, with great success. it's a very interesting turn of events.

by sergioFTW on Nov 11, 2007 10:04 AM PST up reply actions

I wonder what happened to Martell.

I wonder if it was because Travis was having a good game and that kept Martell out of the game, but I was disappointed that he didn't get much burn. Oh well, I hope it doesn't shake that confidence that has brought us such a good vibe for Martell's shot.

Was Damon really a bad Blazer, or did he get the short end of the stick?

by rpxxxiv on Nov 11, 2007 10:05 AM PST reply actions

I heard he had Foul trouble

The Rookie Ref took him out early but Webby only had three for the Game.

"A time to build up, a time to break down, A time to defend, a time to score, A time to cast away players, A time to gather players together"

by BlueBooYay on Nov 11, 2007 10:16 AM PST up reply actions

We shall see

I wouldn't worry too much. It seemed like they had a good thing going and didn't want to break it up by bringing Webster in the fourth. Plus with a lead, they needed to control the ball, thus the three guards in and Webster saving it up for Detroit. He has been getting over 30 minutes every game this year so I don't think he will take it as a slight from Nate.

by tssbro on Nov 11, 2007 11:12 AM PST up reply actions

Blazers had good showing, but...

As much credit as I think the Blazers deserve for sticking in it and getting the win...

Dallas was awful in this game. I mean, they were just BAD. So many uncontested jumpers just didn't fall. They were out of sync all night. Dirk stopped going down low after the first quarter, and their execution offensively showed a team that was tired and disinterested.

Celebrate the win, and appreciate the positives, (Esp the great "D" of the Blazers, the continuing effort and hard play, and the great games of Roy and Aldridge) but make no mistake, the Dallas team that showed up last night wouldn't have beaten ANYONE.

by Majikj0n on Nov 11, 2007 10:38 AM PST reply actions

Oh, I wouldn't go that far

I will say that we didn't see the playoff-run Mavs last night--far from it. But when LMA and Roy play like they did last night, and the whole team plays with that kind of defensive aggressiveness, the Blazers will be a handful for anyone. Especially at home.

When you've been unable to stop the opposition at their end and have been harrassed into missing shots all night, you tend to miss the open looks that DO materialize. It's called being taken out of your rhythm. Remember, Dirk was lights out at the beginning of the game...

by hurryup09 on Nov 11, 2007 11:40 AM PST up reply actions

Okay, you have a point.

Well, the Blazers certainly deserve credit for not ever letting Dallas get into their comfort zone with a steady amount of defensive pressure.

But a team of the caliber of Dallas is supposed to be able to overcome that. Even on a back-to-back, they just didn't bring the intensity that a championship contender is supposed to have.

I agree that the Blazers are going to be a handful for teams that don't come into the Rose Garden expecting a battle. Let's see if they can close out the homestand against Detroit, and carry some of that intensity with them on the upcoming road trip. (Some winnable games on the upcoming trip against Philly, Washington, and Charlotte will be a good measure for the true progress of the Blazers.)

by Majikj0n on Nov 11, 2007 12:10 PM PST reply actions

The Blazers didn't play

-their best game either. They missed A LOT of easy shots and should have won by 30.
The Blazers are back, and bad. Bring it on!!!

by edgeguy42 on Nov 11, 2007 12:49 PM PST reply actions

No TV, thanks to Comcast and DirecTV

Thanks for not doing a deal BEFORE the
season started; Comcast & DirecTV. If I could
corner some Exec's for these companies, I'd
like to show them how " One wrist grasp, Step
in throw" feels. Perhaps when they land on their
heads it will jog their brains into correct
function. It reminds me of the baseball strike
of the late 90's, all about dollars and no
consideration for the fans. I am glad to PAY
for the Blazer games, but we can't even do that
because of " ongoing negotiations". How incredibly STUPID !
Now to the important facts.
1. BRoy has rebounded after SA to dominate night
after night. He really fills the stat sheet
and is the Blazers leader. CLUTCH !!!
2. LMA is the star in the making we all thought
he would be. I think he will improve his
rebounding and defense as the season goes
along. Watch out when paired up with GO
next year.
3. Outlaw is still growing into an NBA player.
He will have breakout games mixed with some
tough nights, but being a force on "D",
improving his passing and moving without
the ball will help him challenge for 6th
man of the year some day.
4. Martell got in foul trouble early, but didn't
stop hustling. I think games like this will
be motivation to work harder for the next
game. T. Prince should be a good test !

5. Even though Dallas didn't play at the top of
their game, Portland will take this win as
proof that they can beat any given team, on
any given night. Go Blazers !!!

It's GO time !

by walkoff41 on Nov 11, 2007 1:30 PM PST reply actions

Offense and Oden

Remember how worried we were about offense with this team? Do we still have those worries or have LMA, Web and Roy basically comforted you about our offensive future. If they have, what will Oden's role be? Defensive king and put back only? Key in the offense? Is the movement game the key to getting both LMA and Oden to be useful offensively?

by jcox on Nov 11, 2007 4:01 PM PST reply actions

I wasn't worried

I believed from the beginning that this would be a better offensive team without Zach stopping the ball. They are showing signs of what they can become. They just have to develop consistency and like they did against Dallas, work on the defensive side when shots aren't falling (another area in wich Zach lacked.)

I think Oden is a team guy who isn't going to demand the ball in the post at the expense of the rest of the team. He will fit into the offense much like HU09 reminds us in his post. Oden and LMA will look for ech other cutting to the hoop in a high/low set; and I can't wait to see Oden and Roy run the pick and roll with Webster and LMA either keeping their men from helping by being a threat or knocking down the shot when their man goes to help on Roy cutting up the D.

by tssbro on Nov 11, 2007 8:32 PM PST up reply actions

We still don't have

a real regular low post player. Lamarcus can go there but prefers getting the ball 12-15 feet away and working from there rather than establishing deep position. Oden will fit in nicely down deep. No worries.

And by the way we're going to see plenty of games this season where we miss such a guy. Not a Zach-type black hole, but just someone who can go down low and bang. There will be nights where our "everything starts from distance" offense will fall apart.

--Dave

by Dave on Nov 11, 2007 10:43 PM PST up reply actions

Oden and LMA

Remember in the summer league, when LMA and Oden were constantly looking for each other on offense? Whichever one had the ball would hit the other one cutting to the hoop. I think we'll see a LOT of that; both are good passers with great hands. Plus, obviously both can finish.

But for me the real fun will be watching those two terrorize the opposition at the defensive end. Remember the Pistons when they had the two Wallace boys? Just when you think you're in the clear, the other monster comes out of nowhere and swats away your shot. Oden and Aldridge will be like that, only better.

by hurryup09 on Nov 11, 2007 4:23 PM PST reply actions

The only red flag was Martell

I don't like the hesitation to shoot, no more of that please Martell. :/

But if you watched closely, Martell was busting his butt on defense. So despite his crummmy offensive night, he actually contributed. We never would have said that in years past.

by leeroyjenkins on Nov 12, 2007 7:09 AM PST reply actions

Improvement in TO's Game

I was at the game Saturday night and I was pleased to see that TO's passing seems to be improving. In the past he would make his drive and get shut down and throw up a poor shot. Saturday night he made several nice passes after driving into the traffic. Hopefully he will continue to develop that skill. I think that he still looks a bit lost when playing without the ball. Hopefully the coaches will really work with him to improve his off ball skills.

by Reddog on Nov 12, 2007 10:50 AM PST reply actions

I still shudder...

...whenever Travis tries to dribble the basketball.

He's good when he can catch and shoot in one motion, and his defensive effort lately has been outstanding. He's gotten better at finding his spots, and his rebounding had been a welcome addition to a team that only has one true center.

But man, his turnovers. He's got to develop better ball-handling skills if he really wants to step up to the next level.

by Majikj0n on Nov 12, 2007 12:19 PM PST up reply actions

I couldn't...

... agree more. Someone has got to work with him on his handles. Hopefully last summer was working on the outside jumper, while next summer will be working on ball handling.

When feeling discouraged about the Blazers' learning process, just remember that at least the Jail Blazer era is over.

by kdfkwak on Nov 12, 2007 12:43 PM PST up reply actions