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The Blazers weren't led by any players tonight, so I won't bother listing any. This was as bad of a performance as you could fear from the Blazers, as they had a game they should have won, and just didn't bring the effort necessary to get a win. On top of it, they couldn't hit their shots again, even the open ones. This may have wrested "lowest point of the season" away from the Charlotte loss, just two games ago.
First Half: More of the same from Portland, as they fell behind Orlando by 7 in the opening minutes. But before you could blink, they took the lead. But they couldn't pull away, as more lazy passing caused trouble. The Blazers found a way to pull ahead after one. The bench came in and brought energy in the second quarter, but as Orlando's starters returned, they took control, as Portland bricked shot after shot. Orlando scored 16 straight points to take a 10 point lead. As Portland had another tough shooting night, including 2-12 from three, they were lucky to stay close... to the terrible Orlando Magic.
Orlando 50, Portland 42
Second Half: The Blazer starters went on a quick run, cutting the deficit to 2 in the opening minutes, but two straight open three-pointers gave Orlando back an 8 point lead. More lazy Blazer play at both ends gave Orlando a double-digit lead. More missed three points for Portland, more easy buckets for Orlando, and they built a 14 point lead heading into the fourth. Portland looked listless and were missing easy shots all over.
One minute into the fourth, and Portland was right back in a 17 point deficit they had last night in Miami. At one point, Portland gave Orlando four consecutive chances to score, eventually giving up an open three-pointer. It was another disastrous stretch. They took a timeout to get set up, then promptly turned the ball over. Then turned it over again on the next possession. They never truly had even a token run in them, and had the body language of a defeated team through the quarter.
What's Next:
The Blazers get a day off, and play in Atlanta Thursday. But in the meantime, stay tuned for more from Dave later tonight.
Gameday Thread Comments of the Night:
Thanks to everyone who participated in tonight's Gameday Thread! As always, here are the most popular comments, based on the number of Rec's from their fellow fans: