Game 71 Preview: Blazers vs. Suns
by Dave on Mar 21, 2010 12:00 AM PDT
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PrintGame Time: 7:30 p.m. Pacific TV: Comcast and ESPN
Winning 11 games in your last 14 is a pretty good streak to carry into this game. Unfortunately that distinction belongs to the Phoenix Suns. The Blazers, if you've been counting, have won 10 of their last 12. Technically that's better percentage-wise but for all intents and purposes the Suns have been playing every bit as well as the Blazers have for the last few weeks. Plus Phoenix can count wins over the Hawks, Thunder, Nuggets, and Jazz in that stretch. Plus Phoenix is playing at home. This will be a stiffer challenge than the Blazers have been facing lately.
The challenge is stiffened further by these teams' proximity to each other in the conference standings. Phoenix is in a virtual dead heat with the Thunder for the 5th and 6th positions. Portland has sole possession of 8th. But the teams are separated by only 2 games in the loss column. You can be sure this night is circled on the calendar for both squads.
The other morning on the radio Dwight Jaynes mentioned that the Blazers had the blessing of playing some of the teams directly ahead of them in the standings as the season closes. It's always nice to have the chance. But blessings can also become curses. Tonight could be a quick jump towards catching the Suns in the seeding race. It could also be the end of that dream. This is the problem with playing these games. The team ahead is in an "or" situation. Phoenix can either win tonight or win more than the Blazers do down the stretch to finish ahead. Portland is in an "and" situation. They pretty much have to win tonight and they still have to win more than the Suns do for the remainder of the season. Both teams have the game circled but Portland has more on the line.
The Suns aren't that much different of a team than you remember. They still feature Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Jason Richardson. Robin Lopez, Grant Hill, Channing Frye, and Leandro Barbosa provide support. They're beating opponents with amazing offense, usually allowing the opponent 100 but scoring well above that themselves. Stoudemire has had a great run lately, topping 30 in 6 of the Suns' last 9 games and scoring 29 in a 7th. Nash's assists have been through the roof as well. They're clicking on all cylinders. The three losses in their streak came to the L*kers, Jazz, and Spurs. The Blazers will need to play like one of those teams in order to come out ahead.
This will be a game in which Brandon Roy will need to shine. The common factor to many Suns' losses is a single opponent breaking the defense to the point they can't compensate, allowing everyone else to chip in. If Brandon can't produce points tonight the Blazers might not be able to generate enough offense to win. I don't believe this game can be won with defense alone. The Suns are too good at putting the ball through the hoop. That means Brandon's teammates will have to follow him into the breach. We might not need a particular player to take shots alongside Brandon. Rather whoever ends up with the shot needs to hit it. This includes open three-point shooters. It also includes Andre Miller going to the hole against Nash. I'd love to see 'Dre get physical with Nash. We know Rudy Fernandez won't be there to take minutes so a Jerryd Bayless B-Rex performance would be welcome as well. Drive, punish, draw fouls. On the other end Portland needs to keep Phoenix's easy buckets to a minimum. They'll hit shots but you want to make them earn what they get. Pretty much Portland needs to be ready for a war and do everything they can to make sure they get both the first and the decisive strikes.
I expect this to be a barnburner. I am curious to see whether the Blazers can torch Phoenix's barn as much as the Suns will probably torch Portland's. An utter conflagration that Portland walked out of up 4 wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
Anything else is probably overthinking it. The Blazers are either ready for this kind of challenge or they're not. Go! Fight! Steal one!
See how Phoenix is preparing at BrightSideoftheSun.
Enter tonight's Jersey Contest form here.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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I must admit, I am scared
This is a really tough test.
Any leftover Wizards funk and we are already done by the end of the first quarter.
On the other hand- this sure would be a beautiful win! Show the fans, the NBA, and the world we are playoff ready and able to sock you square in the jaw on your home court! YEAH!
…like I said, scared
we can still win........
Not too optimistic here
Suns are playing great ball right now. Blazers? Well, sometimes great lately, sometimes very average. Tough game. I won’t be surprised (or worried) if the Blazers drop this one.
That said, it’d be great to see Portland clicking all around. When the Blazers are playing their best, I think they’re a better team than the Suns.
We beat them without Roy last time
Although we did have Blake.
WE CAN DO IT!
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Scared? Not too optimistic??
Come on…what is the worst that could happen? They get blown out on the road against a playoff team. Sure, we all want to see them win this one but losing this one will not be the end of the world. The Blazers have been winning games like this all season. They have also lost some of them. They have nothing to fear. Just go out and play hard and see where they are at. Hopefully they learned last year that seeding doesn’t matter as much as being ready for Game 1 of the playoffs whether it is at home or on the road.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
right
I expect a good game, possibly even a win. Our magic number right now is 8…we have 5 left against non playoff teams, we need to win those. the other 7 are playoff bound, 3 at home on 4 on the road.
Dallas at home twice
Okc home and road
Phoenix road tonight
Lakers road
Denver road
Hold serve and beat the non-playoff teams and we clinch. Any road win against Phoenix is a bonus at this point. Of course winning out will net us a better seed, so lets go get em’!
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
Does it matter more than being ready to play Game 1??
My point is that they worked so hard to finish the season strong and get home court last year and then threw it away by not really understanding what it meant to play that first game. Of course seeding matters, but it is not the only thing, or even the most important thing. They just need to make sure they get into the playoffs and hope they can catch someone napping. Any team they play is going to be a tough win.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
#13 is going to make him look old
Not a good game for fans of defense.
Andre Miller is an Anachronism
I keep going back and forth on whether or not I think we will win. Just because we can't have a game like the Wizards game,
I feel we will play well. This is a game I want Brandon Roy to just keep shooting. Spread Phoenix out and their crappy defense will make the game start to seem like shooting practice.
I know Brandon is out for redemption from the last aweful performance. Plus he has that psychological edge that even if he sucks, he still hit the game winner. Phoenix has been beating good teams, but I think we are a bad match up for them, and they are not as good as their record indicates.
Love a showdown like this
The odds are against us.
Time to ring a few bells.
Seeking whimsy
by Y5k on Mar 21, 2010 3:08 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
The great thing about playing to the opponent's level
Is sometimes you play against opponents that aren’t too shabby.
At this point I have given up blowing out lesser teams, but at the same time, I’ve given up on worrying about playing the tough teams. We almost always put on a show worthy of the other team (Except against the Jazz?)
"We Believe" - Rudy Fernandez
Time for a Charles Barkley Style Barn Barner
Wearing the black band for Jarrett Jack, Ime Udoka, Fred Jones, Sergio Rodriguez, Channing Frye, Luke Schenscher, Shavlik Randolph, James Jones, Josh McRoberts, Steven Hill, Jarron Collins, Michael Ruffin, Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw. Sacrificed to the unmerciful god of progress.
Too bad the game's not on TnT, the Blazer are on a roll when Chuck and Kenny are in the studio with Ernie
Anything else is probably overthinking it.
but tonight’s game is on ESPN, the WWL has not been so kind to the boys in red/black
It’s a good thing that Roy’s shot went down on Friday night, because a win in PHX tonight would be against all odds
we didn’t start the fire
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Obligatory Billy Joel Youtube video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHwMtFERcQY
Wearing the black band for Jarrett Jack, Ime Udoka, Fred Jones, Sergio Rodriguez, Channing Frye, Luke Schenscher, Shavlik Randolph, James Jones, Josh McRoberts, Steven Hill, Jarron Collins, Michael Ruffin, Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw. Sacrificed to the unmerciful god of progress.
Where is the Phil Collins one?
Roybot: "Then he said "My girlfriend is from LA." to which I replied "Well then you need to find a new girlfriend."’
by 92wastheyear on Mar 21, 2010 10:58 AM PDT up reply actions
More then which team shows up.
It is more about, who are we? We haven’t played many games with Camby and BRoy both healthy and clicking. Batman is now part of the big equation. We seem to be playing better Defense? We seem to be playing better offense? Answer to both; do we know?
Everybody seems to be gauging this game according to who we beat in relationship to their records, but as fans, we don’t know how well the below average teams played against us or if we played good or bad. For most the close win over Washington was horrible, but if we did the same against the L*kers we would think it was great.
We do know that we didn’t make our shots against Washington. The fan’s know if you live solely by the 3 you die by the 3, I don’t know if the team knows that or not. Nate keeps saying we have to knock those shots down. We do know and the team knows that we have to make those shots, plus we have to take it inside often against the Suns to exploit their weak defense.
We don’t know how good the defense of Washington was or how good the defense of Portland was. IMO, both teams smelled badly on both ends, but that is just from observing. Do we really know?
In the past, we have seen Portland come through like gang busters, without half of the roster and no chance given to winning. In the past, we have seen Portland come through like the bottom team of cellar dwellers with a full roster and given all kinds of chances to win. It has been said many times when Portland is playing good they can beat everyone, and when they are playing bad they can’t beat anyone. So which team shows up is important. More important is with the new parts now in place, just who are we? Tonight we might find out.
hg
Batman is now part of the big equation
So “big” that he sat for a 12 minute stretch in the first half against the Wiz
Doesn’t Nate have enough assistants to remind him when it’s time to run Nic back into the game?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Can't let Batman get to aggressive.
He has to stay out on the 3pt line and knock down those shots.and play up on the ball on defense. If he takes it to the rim he is forcing his shot and only BRoy is allowed to do that. If he goes for a steal he is gambling to much.
In actuality I really don’t know. I only get to listen to the game. and I am reading between the lines.
hg
hg
you're right about Nic getting cold because he isn't playing for long stretches
and then Batum missed 3 treys down the stretch…so afterwards Nate was probably feeling justified for not playing NIc as much earlier in the game…even though getting those extra minutes for Martell was very likely counter-productive to Batum’s shooting rhythm in a game where made baskets were at a premium
it’s a mystery, just when you think the roles and rotation has been established, Nate starts “tinkering” again
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
where do you guys get this
“getting cold” nonsense from? Fairy-land? ALL NBA players spend some time on the bench. Not to mention they all “cool off” during halftime. If a player misses shots, you blame the player, not the coach. Or, you could be even more realistic and place no blame, and just realize that some shots go in, and some don’t. Have you ever heard anyone say that Mike Brown making LeBron “cold?”
what other Blazer starter rests for 12 game minutes in the middle of a half
unless he’s hurt, or in foul trouble
?
Nic was removed at the 6:00 mark of the 1st quarter and wasn’t put back into the game until after the 6:00 mark of the 2nd. Rudy and Webster played during that time. In previous games, Martell played much shorter minutes and Batum was not kept off the court for nearly as long
There’s no reason or rhyme for this inconsistent usage of #88. He’s the starting SF and he’s been one of the most productive players in the league since his return from shoulder surgery—it ain’t broke, so don’t mess with it
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I'm not too worried about this game.
They’ve had their days off and played the rust off against a very poor team that really didn’t press them until the last few minutes of the game – at which time Brandon delivered under pressure like he usually does.
I have every confidence that McMillan will have worked their butts off yesterday to get any remaining sluggishness fully behind them.
The other factor that I think we need to remember is their road record against good teams this season is actually better than their home record. They are an excellent road team this year which bodes well for tonight’s game. Steve Nash is always a challenge, but if the defense is attentive and adjusts quickly, Nash won’t be getting close to his average number of assists.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
Blazers to win, Camby to Grab more than 10 Boards
Blazers to win this one, and with a up tempo team as the suns are, there will be a lot of rebound opportunties for MC
Go Blazers! and Resign Marcus Camby beyond next season!!
bring em on
Blazers face some western conference playoff teams in the final stretch in the season.
Is that good or bad? It is good of course. They win most of those and they go into the playoffs with some momentum and a shot at accomplishing something in the playoffs.
They lose those and probably they still limp into the playoffs in 8th place, but on a downer, and they quietly get sliced and diced in the first round and then it is time to start thinking about who to draft and start praying that Oden plays healthy next year.
which Blazers
Fitting that the Blazers should play the Suns after the Washington fiasco.
Against Washington, they threw up bricks all night long.
In contrast, the last game against the Suns, the Blazers were shooting the lights out.
So this really is a game where the question is, which Blazers show up tonight.
the last game against the Suns, the Blazers were shooting the lights out.
The last game they still had Blake, and Steve had one of his best games of the year. And the Suns were coming off 4 days of rest and they looked like the Blazers did, on Friday night
I’d love to see a follow-up win in the valley of the Sun, but there was a reason why Portland hadn’t won down there in years, before the last game
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
and the game before against the Suns....
…..Bayless scored 29. Acting like we are doomed with out Steve just makes me laugh. It was far and away his best game this season, but it was only one game…
by upper left corner on Mar 21, 2010 9:57 AM PDT up reply actions
yet without Blake in that game
the Blazer’s losing streak in Phoenix would not be “over” heading into tonight
I’m not saying Steve>Jerryd until the end of time, but there were times when Blake was on fire and he made the difference between a W and an L. The last game against the Suns was one of those times. Hopefully Bayless gets another 29 tonight because Portland needs his offense to make up for the lack of Rudy (as well as…#2)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
On the positive side, it is hard to imagine that Batum won’t have a lot more active game on offense and it is hard to imagine Roy will miss 14 shots in a row again.
On the negative side, they won’t just have to play better than they played against the Wizards, they will have to play WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better if they are to beat the Suns.
our defense against the Wizards was pretty good
until Camby-Miller lost track of Foye late. We smothered Blatche. LA was real aggressive and actually played some good help D.
On offense, alas. Shots must fall
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Mar 21, 2010 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions
Will be an interesting game
Before the Washington game, the Blazers were playing quite well offensively. If they can shake off the rust and return to their that sharper form and combine it with a high-level defensive effort, they can definitely win this game.
To me, this game comes down to how the Suns choose to defend. Do they copy the Wizards and help off of Miller and Camby as much as possible? If they let Roy go one-on-one, as they have in the past, I think he’ll have enough big game. If they hedge, shade, and double, the Suns will have a better shot at winning. Do they double Aldridge in the post? They should. He has not shown the ability to make other teams pay for doubling.
Talkin' Smack!
Whoa Dave,
I just clicked the link to BrightSideoftheSun and they are having good ole time bashing you and BEdge; mocking us for caring that Penn got canned, and digging into you for overlooking the “improved Suns defense”. I don’t know man, looks like they’re trying to start a dust up.
My guess is that homeboy over BSotS was a little late on the draw and had to fill in a few paragraphs by quoting a much better site. I’m hoping the game goes exactly how you called it(close game, with B’s by 4), so in the recap you can do a little quoting of your own to illustrate precisely how overlooked the Brandon and the Boys really are.
Go Blazers!
Eh.
Everybody thinks their team’s weakness is cured at some point. Until it isn’t. If the game ends up in the 90’s it’ll be a huge boon for Portland. I just don’t think Portland can keep it there.
—Dave
Oh,
and holding the Blazers that low wouldn’t exactly prove the Suns’ defense, considering the Wizards just held Portland to 76.
The actual story is that the Suns could win this game by offense, by the Blazers’ offense not showing up, or by defense, though I judge the last one least likely. If Roy and Aldridge are going to be on then they’re going to be on and I don’t think the Suns can do much about it. The Blazers, though, have to win this game by having a strong game defensively and scoring enough to beat a Suns team that probably tops 100 even if you do defend them well.
—Dave
The Game is on National TV, which bodes well for Roy
he likes the bright lights
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
TNT has been better to Roy and the Blazers than ESPN
wasn’t the last Nuggets game on ESPN? Worst Blazer loss from the last 30 days. Roy played passive, etc
Prove me wrong #7, so I’ll have to stop bringing it up!
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
he is selling wolf tickets over there
They seem so confident on thier page. I almost registered and left a comment, but I dint want to flood the page with blazer fan recants. We have more post than thier on fans do!.. They have zero championships is the bottom line. They are estactic that Channing is now thier “enforcer”??? They want sweet revenge.. Well I can remember 12/18/2008. My birthday. Brandon ate their lunch to the tune of 52 huge points in a win.. I pedict a 7 point blazer win! Book it
if it can be conceived it can be achieved
by lyfefindsaway on Mar 21, 2010 11:49 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Yessir!
I was at that game! It was the first I’d been to since the Drexler Days, and I loved every minute of it.
PHX has been my backup team for awhile now, because Steve Nash is a genius. He’s my favorite player in the NBA, and every time the Blazers and Suns go head-to-head, I can’t help but enjoy a successful offensive play by the master. It’s my favorite match-up for a number of reasons, but it all comes down to the different styles of offense, and what they force the other team to do.
I love it when the Blazers get caught up in that run-and-gun Suns offense, and find themselves racing down the court for jams and alley-oops. Likewise when Phoenix is forced to operate in half-court sets it shows their individual strengths. There is something almost mind-expanding about watching two of the most exciting teams in the NBA stretch their comfort zones to get the win.
I wish I didn’t care about who won or lost, but this game has the potential to send a message to the rest of the league that maybe the bottom of the seeding isn’t set in stone just yet.
This game is on KGW
just FYI.
The combo of ESPN and KGW may not bode well for a win, but at least I’ll get to see it.
I think we'll play tough, win or loss.
A blowout isn’t to far out of the equation, though.
Lover of everything Batum.
#88
OKC is down 21 to Indiana halfway through the third
If they lose that game (one they should have and were predicted to win) that makes any win for us that much bigger.
Game over, and good news for us (and PHX too).
Anyone else notice that we are only three losses behind Utah?
"Technology, in its full meaning, is the disposition rationally to order and predict and control everything feasible in order to master fortune and spontaneity, violence and wildness, and leave nothing to chance, all for human benefit." - Leon Kass
I see all
Roybot: "Then he said "My girlfriend is from LA." to which I replied "Well then you need to find a new girlfriend."’
by 92wastheyear on Mar 21, 2010 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions
I was just going to post
the OKC loss and that we are only 3 losses behind Utah and SAS is up right now on ESPN with a real tough game.
As if I wasn’t nervous enough
hg
hg
It's all about Roy
As we have seen over and over and over and over, Nate runs the offense through Roy. When Roy is on, it’s a reasonable strategy (I’d still like a more diverse offense, but Roy, Roy, Roy can work). When Roy is cold, like he has been most games since his injury, the strategy stinks, but we stick with it – 14 straight misses anyone? I have no hope that the offense will change, so it all comes down to Roy.
"14 straight misses anyone?"
That just means he is due 12 straight makes….ammi right?? anyone?
Roybot: "Then he said "My girlfriend is from LA." to which I replied "Well then you need to find a new girlfriend."’
by 92wastheyear on Mar 21, 2010 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Check the box score of the games before the wizards game
Roy had been lighting it up. Oh how short our memories are.
Blazers simply have to get easy buckets tonight
if they turn this into a jump-shooting game, they’ll lose.
Suns are bottom third in the league in fast break points allowed and points in the paint allowed per game, so they will let you get high-efficiency points…Blazers just have to be disciplined enough to work for them (stats aren’t pace-adjusted, but it gives you an idea that they’re not stalwarts in transition or in the lane).
I don’t have a great feeling about this game — honestly, if they just play well, I’ll be happy. That last game made me feel like I had eaten rancid eggs fried in sewage.
"One of the bright spots of the young season has been rookie point guard Jonny Flynn, whose name sounds like he should be the lead character in a Broadway Musical. "What are you doing here, Jonny Flynn?" "Why I'm here to court trouble, and woo a girl, and build the most fantastical contraption the world has ever seen!" -- Dave, Game 7 Blazers versus Timberwolves preview
I fully agree with you.
But Nate keeps saying if we have those shots we need to take them and knock them down.
hg
hg
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