Blazer's Edge - Complete Coverage: Blazers 115, Timberwolves 104The ultimate coverage and analysis of the Portland Trail Blazershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47543/blazersedge-fave.png2014-01-26T01:46:57-08:00http://www.blazersedge.com/rss/stream/51047052014-01-26T01:46:57-08:002014-01-26T01:46:57-08:00Media Row Report: Blazers 115, Timberwolves 104
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<figcaption>Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Spo</figcaption>
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<p>The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 115-104, at the Moda Center on Saturday night, improving their record to 33-11.</p> <p>The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 115-104, at the Moda Center on Saturday night, improving their record to 33-11.</p>
<p>This game brought to mind a recent debate with a certain ESPN.com (Insider) personality who, for the sake of his reputation, I will only identify as having a name that rhymes with Pevin Kelton. The subject of the disagreement, which nearly led to blood during a late-night, G Chat back-and-forth, was the definition of the word "dagger" in the basketball sense. Taking what I felt was a strict traditionalist's approach, I argued that a dagger was a shot that unequivocally sealed a game's outcome, the point of absolutely no return (not even with a miracle). Kelton offered a looser definition, which essentially amounted to an important, momentum-swinging late-game shot. Under my (correct) view, there can only be, at most, one dagger per game. Under his (incorrect) view, a knife fight between multiple dagger-wielders could ensue in the same game.</p>
<p>The conversation dragged on and on as we debated whether daggers worked better as pivot points between one and two possession games, or between two and three possession games, or if a go-ahead shot in the game's closing seconds could qualify, or if a pair of free throws could qualify, whether or not a dagger had to force the opposing coach to take a timeout, etc., etc. Look, we don't have a lot going on in our lives.</p>
<p>Portland's victory over Minnesota saw one of the most un-daggery daggers in recent memory: It didn't come in the game's final two or three minutes; it didn't prevent Minnesota from making another run; it didn't come in a one- or two- possession game and it was arguably more luck than skill. Normally, I think we would classify it as a "gut punch" rather than a "dagger," but that would drastically undersell the shot's reflexive impact on Minnesota.</p>
<p>The Timberwolves weren't getting doubled over in pain; they were going down -- straight down -- for the count.</p>
<p>With just over seven minutes remaining in the game and Portland holding a nine-point lead, LaMarcus Aldridge, who was wedged between Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic, launched a fade-away jumper from just inside the three-point line. Absorbing a light bump in the back, Aldridge held his follow-through and then collapsed backwards, all the way to the floor, hitting the ground before the shot hit the net. Chase Budinger flexed the ball over his head in frustration, Kevin Love looked out into the crowd, and the game was over. "If he's hitting that, it's a wrap," Minnesota's body language screamed, as Aldridge stepped to the line to hit the free throw.</p>
<p>Back-to-back baskets from Damian Lillard -- who heretofore hadn't been much of a factor -- twisted the knife, extending Portland's lead to 17 points. As the Timberwolves retreated to the bench to call a timeout, they slumped, totally and in unison. They knew they were beaten, they knew you knew they were beaten, and the rest would be about pride and saving face. Minnesota mounted a 9-2 run out of the timeout but never cut Portland's lead to under 10 points. They were done.</p>
<p>That dagger was not the culmination of a "You'll never forget where you were" showdown between Aldridge and Love. Instead, it was the high point of what Aldridge called a "let down" face-off between the two All-Stars, who wound up shifting out of the spotlight after two days of building hype. Aldridge, <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/24/5339748/media-row-report-blazers-nuggets" target="_blank">who told Blazersedge</a> that he felt he "definitely" deserved a spot in the 2014 All-Star Game's starting lineup, wasn't really able to deliver on Wesley Matthews' prediction of a "statement" game against Love, who did earn a starting spot.</p>
<p>Aldridge finished with 21 points (on 9-for-21 shooting) and 6 rebounds, and he said afterwards that he was satisfied with getting the victory against Love, who tallied 15 points (on 4-for-12 shooting) and 13 rebounds.</p>
<p>"I thought both guys competed," Aldridge told Blazersedge. "I felt a little tired. I could tell he was tired on a back-to-back. I thought both guys played hard."</p>
<p>Love had played 37 minutes on Friday night in a last-second loss to the Golden State Warriors, leaving that game with minor ankle and knee injuries before returning to finish with 26 points (on 7-for-18 shooting), 14 rebounds and 8 assists. Both he and Aldridge had trouble creating separation and space in one-on-one situations; there were plenty of sequences where bodies were meeting evenly like bumper cars before the ball was moved back out to the perimeter.</p>
<p>"[The match-up] is kind of much ado about nothing. We both particularly didn't have a great game," Love said. "This morning was one of those times where you jump out of bed and think, 'I don't know how I'm going to play tonight.' You get a good meal, a good nap and then you lace them up and hopefully that adrenaline flows. ... We're happy to have a day off [on Sunday]."</p>
<p>Thomas Robinson, for one, wasn't trying to hear the fatigue talk.</p>
<p>"We didn't complain about being tired when we got whooped down there," Robinson said, referencing Portland's 120-109 loss in Minnesota on the second night of a back-to-back in December.</p>
<p>Robinson, who finished with 6 points (on 3-for-6 shooting) and 6 rebounds, was part of a solid showing from Portland's second unit that ripened up the Timberwolves for the fourth quarter blitzing. Mo Williams (16 points and 6 assists) and CJ McCollum (6 points and 2 assists) both had their moments, and those moments stood out compared to the vast nothingness Minnesota's reserves offered coach Rick Adelman. The Timberwolves' bench combined to shoot 5-for-21, and they had just eight points combined entering the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>Whether because they were rolling, because they were taking advantage of a favorable match-up, or a little bit of both, Portland's reserves looked like a true-blue functioning group. Williams found his own offense -- a search that comes naturally -- and he also found McCollum for a jumper. Robinson provided a second-quarter burst that included three quick scores and a highlight block, all in short order. The first of those buckets was set up by a pretty look-ahead pass from McCollum, who came up with a loose ball after swiping J.J. Barea and then, seemingly in one motion, found Robinson on the outlet.</p>
<p>While McCollum's individual offense is coming on somewhat slowly, coach Terry Stotts said he likes the developing interplay between the rookie and Williams, and his teammates viewed Saturday's game as evidence of McCollum's impact on the reserve group as a whole.</p>
<p>"The best thing to happen to the second unit is CJ," Robinson said. "It gives us another threat, another scoring threat. When Mo has help as far as scoring-wise, two of those is better than one. [McCollum] makes me and Joel [Freeland]'s job easier. I can strictly focus on my energy, crashing the boards, and then other things like scoring come out of that too."</p>
<p>Williams added: "The great thing about it is that [McCollum is] out there with me, a veteran guy, [so] he doesn't have a lot of pressure on him. He's going to have some really good nights for us, like tonight he got it going. I thought he did a real good job defensively. He had a couple of deflections on his man, doing what he is supposed to do."</p>
<p>That the bench, and an 11-point first quarter from Nicolas Batum (who finished with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists), took top billing in this one wound up being a nice change of pace, but it was't the mano-a-mano battle the fans had anticipated. The Moda Center crowd has generally built its momentum over the course of games this season, but the buzz was evident at the opening tip, as Aldridge knocked down an early basket and then blocked a Love attempt soon after. From there, the two stars, as dependable as just about anyone in the league, both failed to maintain their fast balls, and the building's tension had dissipated by the game's closing minutes.</p>
<p>"I thought they beat each other up, to be honest with you," Damian Lillard told Blazersedge. "Both guys wanted to outplay the other. I think the most impressive thing is that they both guarded each other. They made each other work."</p>
<p>Lillard finished with 14 points (on 5-for-17 shooting) and 5 assists, and he laughed when asked about his own match-up with Ricky Rubio.</p>
<p>"That wasn't the focus," he said quickly. "The focus was the two All-Star forwards."</p>
<p>Like Matthews' line about the "statement" and Batum's frustration at the All-Star results, Lillard's admission was another reminder that Aldridge's teammates track these things just like fans and media members do. Sometimes high-profile showdowns pay off with instant classics, like Kevin Durant's fourth quarter explosion on Tuesday, or Aldridge's career-high on Thursday. Sometimes, but not always.</p>
<p>"The media and we put more into [the match-up] than [Aldridge] did," Williams concluded. "I thought he just came out and played basketball, he didn't try to overdo it, he didn't try to do too much. He wasn't bigger than the game. [For him], the game was more important to win than the match-up with Kevin Love."</p>
<p>On that count, Aldridge succeeded, with a finishing move that wrapped up an early, low-stress victory.</p>
<p><b><u>Random Game Notes</u></b></p>
<ul>
<li>This game was announced as a sellout (20,006).</li>
<li>Here are the game highlights via YouTube user <b>portlandtrailblazers</b>.</li>
</ul>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cuMBylg6cHA?rel=0" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
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<li>This was a dine-and-dash post-game set-up for the Blazers, who rushed out of the locker room and immediately hopped on a flight to Oakland for Sunday night's game against Golden State.</li>
<li> <b>Erik Gundersen</b> of <b>The Columbian</b> asked Damian Lillard if he feels there is bad blood between the Blazers and the Warriors after their last game, which saw <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/11/23/5139114/video-two-blazers-ejected-following-scrum-with-warriors" target="_blank">multiple ejections, fines and a suspension</a>. "It might be," Lillard replied, smiling.</li>
<li>LaMarcus Aldridge on the match-up with the Warriors: "[I expect] a very competitive game. They're going to try to take care of business, maybe try to send a message. We're definitely ready for it."</li>
<li>Fast fact: Portland now needs to go at least 1-37 over the rest of the regular season to surpass last year's total of 33 wins.</li>
<li>Terry Stotts said that the Blazers have "put last year in the rearview mirror a long time ago" during his post-game comments, when asked about already matching the 33-win total from 2012-13.</li>
<li>Aldridge on 33 wins: "I'm not even comparing last year, that was a totally different year. We're playing great. I think this year is just different. Different goals, a different mindset. Guys are focused on taking it game by game." </li>
<li>Lillard on 33 wins: "I think I can speak for everybody, that's old news. We've got to move forward."</li>
<li>Matthews on 33 wins: "Hey, congratulations to us, got to keep it moving."</li>
<li>Robin Lopez on the bench: "The second unit played their asses off. They're attacking the basket, crashing the boards, they were playing defense very well."</li>
<li>The NBA needs to institute a new rule whereby if your team is wearing sleeved jerseys and you're wearing a protective face mask, a la Timberwolves guard Alexey Shved, then the face mask must have ear flaps. It's only right.</li>
<li>Unrelated to anything: Jefferson High's Terrence Ross had a career-high 51 points (previous career-high of 26 points) for the Toronto Raptors. <a target="_blank" href="http://t.co/T7yhznQHqH">Video highlights here</a>.</li>
<li>I mentioned my midseason grades on Thursday. <a target="_blank" href="http://nba.si.com/2014/01/24/nba-midseason-grades-heat-pacers-blazers-knicks-lakers/">Here's the link</a> if you're interested. </li>
<li>Burt Ward -- the original "Robin" from the Batman series -- was in attendance on Saturday as he was in town for this weekend's Comic Con.</li>
<li>Lots of signs: "Blazermania is here to stay," "Totally Love Aldridge," "No Love for Minnesota," "No Love At Home For Kevin," "Mo Williams, Mo Points," "Batum, You Rock-a-laka," "Send the T'Wolves home howlin," "Stotts Brought The Blazers Back," "Lillard for Prez," "Catch the L-Train because the Love Boat is sinking," "I Love Mike Rice," "Love Slap," "Red Hot and Rolo-ing," and then two girls had signs that read 1) "Let's Go Timberwolves" and 2) "Said No One Ever" -- with an arrow to the first sign. </li>
<li>Timberwolves TV analyst <b>Jim Petersen</b> had an interesting tweet about Blazers broadcasters <b>Mike Barrett</b> and <b>Mike Rice</b> (who were simulcast on <b>NBA TV</b>): "Please forgive Blazer announcers..they are pressured by team to be positive. [Play-by-play announer Dave Benz] and I are lucky to not be under same pressure." </li>
<li>Petersen later deleted the tweet and <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/JimPeteHoops/status/427312808460439553">wrote in a follow-up message</a> that his statement "wasn't cool. ... [Barrett and Rice] are great friends and broadcasters. We all love our teams & want them to win."</li>
<li>Thomas Robinson's block made one fan so excited that he spontaneously executed a jumping 360 in one of the baseline aisles.</li>
<li>Robinson's block only earned a silver medal, though, as Ronny Turiaf absolutely tossed a CJ McCollum lay-up all the way over Minnesota's bench.</li>
<li>Ricky Rubio found Corey Brewer with <a target="_blank" href="http://cjzero.com/gifs/RickyRubio60FtAlleyOopBrewer.gif">an alley-oop pass (GIF)</a> from well behind half-court.</li>
<li>Portland's transition defense was brutal but the Blazers managed to generate 17 fast break points of their own.</li>
<li>Kevin Martin led all scorers with 30 points. He's possessed one of the weirdest looking shooting motions throughout his entire NBA career and after one early make he seemed to do a hop, skip and a jump in celebration. For a split-second, I wondered if he would be doing that after every shot as part of an even more elaborate full-body stroke. </li>
<li>Aldridge took longer than usual in preparing for his media remarks and he apparently entered the cold tub before realizing that he hadn't taken questions. When he finally emerged, he jokingly called the smaller crowd of media members that was still waiting for him the "Last of the Mohicans." </li>
<li>Aldridge stopped mid-sentence during one question because his name flashed across SportsCenter and he wanted to know why. Turns out he was included on a list of 40+ point scorers this year in a graphic related to Ross's big night.</li>
<li>Aldridge was profiled on <b>NBA: Inside Stuff</b> this weekend. <a href="http://youtu.be/i54pEI-9W_Q" target="_blank">Video here</a>.</li>
<li>Same old, same old with the Chalupa/McMuffin business. No JumboTron prompt and no chanting.</li>
<li>Matthews on Portland's ability to win while hitting only 4-for-16 on threes: "A lot of people mention that we shoot threes and that's the only way we can win. I think we've shown when we don't shoot it that we can still be a tough team. We still have the best power forward in the game. We've still got guys that can attack the rim, make free throws, get their own shot. Our threes will fall at some point."</li>
<li>In the post-game notes sheet that goes out to media members, the Blazers made a point to include: "LaMarcus Aldridge is now 12-3 in his head-to-heads with Kevin Love."</li>
</ul>
<p><b><u>Terry Stotts' Post-Game Comments</u></b></p>
<p><b>Opening statement</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>I thought we played a good game from start to finish. Our bench was terrific. Our reserves were very good in both halves, made a difference in the game in both halves. The energy, just a little bit of everything. Mo [Williams] did a nice job of running the team, CJ [McCollum] took advantage of his opportunities, Thomas [Robinson] brought energy, Joel [Freeland] battled like he always does. Those guys really made a difference for us. But like always it was a team win. I thought our defense for the most part, they got behind us in transition, for some transition lay-ups, which is what they do.</p>
<p>[Kevin] Martin was hot, I thought made some tough jump shots, cooled off a little bit. This is two games in a row where we make four threes in the last two games and we win it in other ways, whether it's getting to the paint. We had 60 points in the paint, which is not something we do a lot. It's good to see we can win games in different ways.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Trying hard to push the pace</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Not really. I like to do that every time. Every time we get a stop, I'd like to push it. I thought we had good energy, good legs, they played last night. Not usually different.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Defense on Kevin Love</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>I thought we were very attentive to how he gets his baskets. They run screens for him. LaMarcus did a very good job on him in the post, we kept him from getting easy baskets. For him to only have one offensive rebound, takes a lot of work because he's always around. If you do a good job on his post-ups, take away the offensive rebounds, that leaves perimeter shooting. I thought we did a good job of not necessarily giving him clean looks.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Team rebounding</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think every night is a team rebounding night. If one gets double figures rebounding, everybody has to be in tune and go after it, particularly on the defensive end. Offensively -- we've been a good offensive rebounding team all year. Going into this game, the turnover differential, the free throw differential, and offensive rebounding -- the rebounding differential -- were all really important because Minnesota is good at it on the offensive end and the defensive end in those areas. I thought we did a nice job in all three of those areas.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>What does 33 wins, equaling last year's mark, mean to you?</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Honestly, nothing. We put last year in the rearview mirror a long time ago. Early in the season, the comparisons to last year were understandable. I think everybody in the locker room and the team have certainly moved on from last year.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Nicolas Batum early offense </b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>It doesn't have to be any one particular guy -- Nic, L.A., Dame, Wes. Rolo, the way we play, you don't know which guy it's going to be. I like the way Nic came out, he was aggressive in transition, took the ball to the basket, that kind of sparks confidence with our team.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Developing interplay between Mo Williams and CJ McCollum</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Good. I think Mo -- we want to take advantage of CJ's offensive ability when he's in the game. To do that, we've either got to run some things for him or give him the opportunity, rather than just playing him off the ball. Mo has been pretty good about putting CJ in those positions. The way the rotation works, they're going to be in. CJ is going to be in with Mo most of the time, it's hard to work it out where he's in with Dame. Those two are learning to play off each other, CJ is getting more comfortable with what we need from him, particularly at the offensive end.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | <a target="_blank" href="http://ww.twitter.com/bengolliver">Twitter</a></p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/26/5346096/media-row-report-blazers-115-timberwolves-104Ben Golliver2014-01-25T23:25:09-08:002014-01-25T23:25:09-08:00Bench, Batum, Boards Lead Blazers to Victory
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<figcaption>Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Spo</figcaption>
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<p>The Blazers celebrate their city hosting ComicCon by entering Bizarro World against the Timberwolves. Nicolas Batum scores, the Blazers beat the 'Wolves in paint points, turnovers, and offensive boards, and their bench leads them to a 115-104 victory.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Portland Trail Blazers</a> and <a href="https://www.canishoopus.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Minnesota Timberwolves</a> clawed and scratched each other throughout a physical, emotional contest tonight. From the opening tip it was obvious that no quarter would be given, no dirty trick left unplayed in quest of a victory. The Blazers prevailed in that quest, dumping the Timberwolves in the fourth period and never looking back, but the 115-104 win wasn't the last chapter in the story. Fans of both teams might want to circle their February 8th matchup on the calendar. Despite disparity in the overall standings this is quickly becoming a rivalry.</p>
<p>Part of the intrigue between these two teams comes from nasty individual matchups. <span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span> vs. <span>Kevin Love</span> for Best Power Forward in the Game heads the list. But you also have <span>Wesley Matthews</span> versus <span>Kevin Martin</span> as scoring shooting guards, the defense-and-passing point guard versus the scorer as <span>Ricky Rubio</span> lines up against <span>Damian Lillard</span>, plus a cranked-up-to-11 war between <span>Robin Lopez</span> and <span>Nikola Pekovic</span>. Every...single...one of those individual battles brought intense skirmishes tonight. Oddly enough, they balanced out to the point that non-standard benefits ended up winning the game for the Blazers.</p>
<p>The game opened up with the Timberwolves playing inside-out offense against Portland's substandard "D". The 'Wolves went inside to Pekovic or drove past Lillard into the paint. When Portland sagged to help Kevin Martin made them pay with the triple. Aside from that, the Timberwolves also brutalized the Blazers with screens. Portland solved them late, went the wrong direction, or fell into uncharacteristic and mostly-ill-advised switches. Minnesota scored 29 points in the opening frame, narrowly missing joining the "We Pasted 30 in a Period on the Blazers" club. (They have cards and a stamp now. Do it 9 times and your 10th 30-point quarter is free.)</p>
<p>Meanwhile the Blazers plowed onward, taking advantage of a pair of surprises. <span>Nicolas Batum</span> put aside his "I'm not scoring because my finger hurts and I'm a passer anyway" ways, butchering the 'Wolves on a series of drives and fast-break finishes en route to 11 points in the period. Minnesota paid attention to everyone else, Nic's teammates found him, and he made them pay.</p>
<p>Offensive rebounding is hardly a surprise for the Blazers. They trade on it every game. But Minnesota is a good rebounding team with big bodies to throw at the glass. The Blazers made them look like a 6'5" and Under club in the first half. Robin Lopez started the fun and just about every teammate followed in his wake. The big men in black and blue stood flat-footed as the Blazers all but stuck their tongues out on neener-neener second-chance finishes. Throw in a few fast break points against Minnesota's slow transition defense and the Blazers managed 27 points against the 29 the 'Wolves posted.</p>
<p>This is usually the point where we bemoan how badly Portland's bench got beaten in the transition between periods but prepare yourself for the third big surprise of the evening. Not only did the Blazer reserves not give up the lead, they pushed Portland ahead...way ahead. <span>Mo Williams</span>, <span>Thomas Robinson</span>, <span>Joel Freeland</span>, and <span>C.J. McCollum</span> out-passed, out-classed, and kicked uhhh....behind against their Minnesota counterparts. Williams found open spaces and either hit shots or made pristine passes. Robinson blitzed the boards and actually kept decent spacing. McCollum played mini-Mo with his confident offense and Freeland rebounded and held himself to only 3 personal fouls on the evening instead of the foul-crazy rate he's been posting lately. Portland's reserves pushed a 2 point lead to 12 and still managed to hand back a 6-point spread for the starters to close with. After that it was an easy cruise to the half with the Blazers leading 65-57. Had Martin not been on fire from the arc for most of the half the lead would have been 15. Things were looking good.</p>
<p>Then everything fell apart at the top of the third period. The Timberwolves, content to lob jumpers for the opening 24 minutes, suddenly remembered that they had penetration and post powers. They brought out their big guns: Love, Rubio, and especially Pekovic. Pek scored 8 points in the first 5 minutes of the third with 3 dunks, all assisted by Rubio. Portland's defense reacted slowly, if at all. The 'Wolves wrested control of the boards from Portland and got to 50-50 balls first. The Blazers stopped moving the ball and players on offense, settling for slower isolation moves from their stars. That's not Blazer Ball and it showed. In a shake and a shiver Minnesota erased the deficit and took a narrow lead. The margin remained 1-2 points until Portland's bench players returned at the end of the period and Mo Williams hit a couple more buckets, pushing the lead back to 87-81 for the Blazers at the third quarter horn.</p>
<p>Williams, McCollum, and Robinson continued their sparkling play through the early minutes of the fourth. The Timberwolves found little scoring off their bench. When Minnesota's starters returned they looked drained, content to bomb away from range. There's an old adage in basketball that you never take the shot you fake, especially if it's a jumper. The 'Wolves seemed to want to win the game by triple-faking from 20 feet and then launching. It didn't work. The Blazers rebounded, whipped the ball downcourt, and caught Minnesota's defense napping. Portland's lead stretched and the Timberwolves couldn't answer, leading to the 115-104 final score.</p>
<p>Batum, Bench, and Boards gave the Blazers the edge tonight. It may not have been their "A" game but Triple-B was good enough. The Blazers managed 13 offensive rebounds to 8 for Minnesota and won the points in the paint battle yet again, 60-46. (Though to be fair the Timberwolves probed the paint seriously for maybe one quarter of this contest...a mistake they'll no doubt address before the 8th.) Minnesota hit 9 three-pointers while the Blazers shot only 4-16 for 25%. But the Blazers made up for it with a higher percentage from the floor (48%-43%) and more shots attempted (95-89). This is their new M.O. and so far it's serving them well. We're just about to the point where we can say those offensive rebounds are more important to Portland's attack than the triples. We'll see what happens when the league adjusts again.</p>
<p>Also of note tonight: Portland committed only 12 turnovers for 11 points against compared to 10 and 10 for Minnesota. This is a Timberwolves specialty on defense. Keeping even was a victory for the Blazers.</p>
<p><b>Individual Notes</b></p>
<p>Who was the best power forward in the league tonight, LaMarcus Aldridge or Kevin Love? Love scored 15 on 4-12 shooting and the Blazers did a good job denying him scoring position and offensive rebounds. He had 13 boards overall. Aldridge scored 21 on 9-21 shooting with 6 rebounds. Neither guy had their most efficient night, let alone most prolific. For the most part they canceled each other out.</p>
<p>Damian Lillard scored 14 on 5-17 shooting, hit 1 of 4 triples, and attempted only 3 foul shots (1 a technical). He had 5 assists and 3 turnovers. He struggled to find daylight tonight and never really managed to break free. Ricky Rubio shot 4-8 for 10 points plus 11 assists. He had 4 personal fouls and his lack of outside shooting allowed the Blazers to pack the paint.</p>
<p>Wesley Matthews and Kevin Martin both had good nights. Matthews scored 18 on 6-10 shooting, though he missed 4 of 5 from distance. In a good news-bad news situation he drew 8 foul shot attempts but hit only 5 of them. He contributed 6 rebounds. Martin, meanwhile, hit half of his 22 shots, fired 6-10 from beyond the arc, and scored 30.</p>
<p>In similar fashion Robin Lopez and Nikola Pekovic had fine outings. Lopez had 10 rebounds, 3 offensive, and scored 15 on 6-10 shooting. Pekovic went 9-18 for 23 points and 11 rebounds. Lopez put plenty of extra mustard on a late-game swat of a Pekovic half-hook, sending a message. Ironically the streaking ball almost landed in the lap of Burt Ward, the original Robin from the 60's Batman TV series, in town for ComicCon.</p>
<p>Adam West wasn't in attendance, but the Blazers' Batman got his team off to a fine start in that first quarter and finished the game with 13 points on 5-10 shooting with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. The rest of Batum's night didn't measure up to the first 12 minutes but he did enough.</p>
<p>Mo Williams made a bid for the role of Superman off the bench, hitting 6-12 and damaging the 'Wolves with 16 points on a night when their entire bench managed only 15. Add in 6 assists and 5 rebounds and you have maybe the nicest game Williams has put in this season. Seriously, all you had to do in order to appreciate Williams tonight was to contrast him with Minnesota's <span>J.J. Barea</span>. Reportedly Barea was upset with playing time a couple weeks ago. He got 11 minutes tonight and filled them with multiple wheelbarrows full of limpid suck, pure and uncut. Be glad that guy's not riding Portland's bench.</p>
<p>Thomas Robinson also had one of his better games. 6 rebounds and 6 points in 14 minutes isn't that unusual for him. Committing 0 turnovers and only 2 personal fouls plus staying the heck out of the way when everybody else was trying to work made those stats productive. Nicely done.</p>
<p>C.J. McCollum may not qualify for never having met a shot he didn't like, but he sure glad-hands plenty of them and might be able to win public office if shots could vote. He looked confident tonight from every range, splashing home 3-6 for 6 points in 16 minutes. Even better, he added 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block.</p>
<p>Joel Freeland didn't look dominant but at least he didn't hurt his team, Minnesota's smaller non-Pek bigs probably feeding into that. 6 rebounds in 14 minutes helped to keep the bench roll going.</p>
<p>The Blazers face a tough contest tomorrow night facing the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Warriors</a>. Stay tuned for Ben Golliver's Media Row Report from the Moda Center and Chris Lucia's preview of the West Coast War that will ensue in Oakland.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400489526">Boxscore</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346222/final-blazers-tame-wolves-115-104-tying-2012-13-win-total">Timmay's Instant Recap and GameDay Thread Review</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.canishoopus.com/">Canis Hoopus</a> might be grumpy about this game.</p>
<p>Your <a target="_blank" href="http://blazersedge.aglimmeringwreck.com/">Jersey Contest results and the form for tomorrow's game</a>.</p>
<p><u>Tonight's Contest Answers:</u></p>
<p>The Blazers win <b>2</b> quarters.</p>
<p>The Blazers commit <b>12</b> turnovers.</p>
<p><b>Kevin Love</b> gets more combined points and rebounds than LaMarcus Aldridge (by 1).</p>
<p>The Timberwolves score <b>under</b> 106.5 points.</p>
<p><b>Oldschool </b>predicted this game the best, earning 93 out of a possible 100 points.</p>
<p><b>MavetheGreat </b>still leads the monthly contest with 502 points and a 62.8 average but a couple players are right on his heels.</p>
<p>--Dave (blazersub@gmail.com) <b>Twitter:</b> <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/DaveDeckard">@DaveDeckard </a> <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/blazersedge">@Blazersedge</a></p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346620/portland-trail-blazers-vs-minnesota-timberwolves-nicolas-batum-mo-williamsDave Deckard2014-01-25T21:18:00-08:002014-01-25T21:18:00-08:00Final: Blazers Tame Wolves 115-104
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pGHXbsvAAr44JHnlTrqaqChAfBw=/0x65:2893x1994/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/27481755/20140125_jla_sx3_081.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Spo</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Minnesota Timberwolves defended the three-point line and starters well, but the Portland Trail Blazers pulled away in the fourth to win their 33rd game, equaling their total from the 2012-13 season.</p> <p>The Blazers were led by LaMarcus Aldridge (21 points, 6 rebounds), Mo Williams (16 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds), Wesley Matthews (18 points, 6 rebounds), Robin Lopez (15 points, 10 rebounds), Damian Lillard (14 points, 5 assists), and Nicolas Batum (13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists).</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400489526">Box Score</a></p>
<p><b>First Quarter:</b> The Timberwolves had a quarter to dream of. They hit four three-pointers, they got fouls whenever they wanted. Rubio even burned Lillard for a layup. The Blazers missed all five three-pointers. It was everything the Wolves could want in a quarter. And they only had a two point lead when it ended.</p>
<p><b>Minnesota 29, Portland 27</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Good run by the bench so far. I hope that signals a growing trend. T-Rob and McCollum are getting more and more comfortable, so it very well might.<br>by <b>Corwin71 </b></p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Second Quarter:</b> Portland's bench jumped on the Wolves as the second quarter opened, pulling ahead by 5, then 10. As the starters returned, Aldridge ended up in foul trouble and Minnesota fought back, cutting the lead back to 5. But despite ending the quarter 1-10, Portland maintained control with their inside play, and outscored the Wolves by 9 in the quarter.</p>
<p><b>Portland 65, Minnesota 57.</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>"Blazers rely heavily on three point shooting." Blazers score 65 in a half while hitting 1 three pointer.<br>by <b>jnewhouse </b></p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Third Quarter: </b>Another quarter of struggling for Portland. Minnesota rebounded well, and held the Blazers to just one shot attempt. When the shots stopped falling, the Blazers' lead melted away. As always, Kevin Martin burned the Blazers for three after three, and the Wolves took the lead in the second half of the quarter. But Mo Williams had another nice stretch, combining with Aldridge to keep tenuous control of the game.</p>
<p><b>Portland 87, Minnesota 81</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Mo Williams has bailed us out of this game twice now<br>by <b>Tyler Durrden</b></p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Fourth Quarter:</b> Again the Blazer bench helped keep their team ahead, but a few well-timed flops kept Minnesota close. Mo Williams again took control, and forced a Minnesota timeout, down 9. Rookie CJ McCollum had another nice run, and Aldridge and Love returned when the Blazer lead reached 11. Aldridge and Lillard quickly took over, and suddenly the lead was 17 at the halfway point. 5 quick points kept Minnesota close, and when Kevin Martin hit a jumper to cut the lead to 10, Portland called timeout with 3 minutes left. But Portland easily held on.</p>
<p><b>What's Next:</b></p>
<p>Out of the frying pan, into the fire, as the Blazers travel to Oakland for a 6pm game with the Golden State Warriors tomorrow night. I'm sure both teams remember the last game.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, stay tuned tonight for Dave's Analysis and Ben's Media Row Report.</p>
<p><b>Gameday Thread Comments of the Night:</b></p>
<p>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:</p>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<thead><tr>
<th width="60"># Recs</th> <th>Commenter</th> <th>Comment Link</th>
</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/bustabucket">bustabucket</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212085787">Go Blazers!</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>8</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/pdxthomastran">pdxthomastran</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212094297">Woooo!! On my way to the game now! It's about to be a great showdown! Go Blazers!!!!</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Timmay!">Timmay!</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212092291">For those who haven't seen it yet:</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>7</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/XBlazerfan">XBlazerfan</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212091493">Go Portland Trail Blazers!!!</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/KingLamarcus">KingLamarcus</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212087065">Go Trail Blazers!!</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>5</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/williamswonder">williamswonder</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212093879">Go Your Portland Trailblazers!!!!</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/patrickroy">patrickroy</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212086057">Kevin Love out due to injury to his beard. ;)</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>4</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/DonkeyShins">DonkeyShins</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212103669">By all that is holy</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/occassia">occassia</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212086793">Timmay! didn't mention a beard injury</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/gumbypuppy">gumbypuppy</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346420/gameday-thread-wolves-vs-blazers-second-half/in/5104705#212125815">No.</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/cavejunctionblazer">cavejunctionblazer</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346420/gameday-thread-wolves-vs-blazers-second-half/in/5104705#212129795">LMAND1!</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Uncleblaze3">Uncleblaze3</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346420/gameday-thread-wolves-vs-blazers-second-half/in/5104705#212129309">2J!!!!!!!</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Mortimer">Mortimer</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346420/gameday-thread-wolves-vs-blazers-second-half/in/5104705#212129857">LLAMA BALLDRIDGE</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Timmay!">Timmay!</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346420/gameday-thread-wolves-vs-blazers-second-half/in/5104705#212123179">Rec for an amazing, noteworthy accomplishment.</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/blazermaniac32">blazermaniac32</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346420/gameday-thread-wolves-vs-blazers-second-half/in/5104705#212130389">Get a room. </a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/colbymac">colbymac</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346420/gameday-thread-wolves-vs-blazers-second-half/in/5104705#212130343">Mortimer loves you too and peace be with you</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Mortimer">Mortimer</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346420/gameday-thread-wolves-vs-blazers-second-half/in/5104705#212125679">I bet Lillard will be fine.</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Mortimer">Mortimer</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346420/gameday-thread-wolves-vs-blazers-second-half/in/5104705#212130161">DAME IS BACK IN ALLSTAR CONSIDERATION</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/williamswonder">williamswonder</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346420/gameday-thread-wolves-vs-blazers-second-half/in/5104705#212127993">[no title]</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/RipCityLifer!">RipCityLifer!</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212095381">I really liked him early on. But he's done nothing to improve his game. I'd hesitate to call him a great player. I think he's still riding his image. He's really pretty mediocre.</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Tyler%20Durrden">Tyler Durrden</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212108825">He'll forgive when he drinks the blood of their first borns!!!</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Mortimer">Mortimer</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212104037">SMACK</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/occassia">occassia</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212112437">No, I usually have to watch without video</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Mortimer">Mortimer</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212115929">Stotts was a moron to not play him till 8 games ago</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Mortimer">Mortimer</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212111327">I heard after the sleeved-jerseys movement, the NBA is next gonna propose phasing out shorts in favor of white linen capris</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Corvid">Corvid</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazers/in/5104705#212088831">From the Star Tribune reporter</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346222/final-blazers-tame-wolves-115-104-tying-2012-13-win-totalTimmay!2014-01-25T20:14:38-08:002014-01-25T20:14:38-08:00CHAT: Blazers Lead Wolves at Halftime!
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HR67IJ7RVh3YOinfyn2AsYZh8jA=/0x179:3241x2340/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/27479157/20140125_rnb_sx3_235.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Spo</figcaption>
</figure>
<div class="m-entry__body">
<p>Welcome to the Gameday Open Thread at Blazer’s Edge! This is a place to hang out and enjoy tonight’s festivities with your fellow fans. Treat it as if you’re watching a game at the local watering hole, but hopefully without the language. Expect some disagreements, and a fair amount of changing emotions. But we'll get through it together.</p>
<div class="read-more">Watch: <b>CSN NW | NBA TV</b> (No League Pass!)<br> Listen: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/broadband/alp_schedule.html">NBA Audio League Pass</a> <b>620am</b><br> Links: <a href="http://www.nba.com/gamenotes/blazers.pdf" target="new">Media Notes</a> <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/10/29/5044302/the-2013-guide-to-watching-the-blazers-on-tv-and-online" target="new">Viewing Guide</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/blazersedge" target="new">Updates on Twitter</a>
</div>
<p>-----------------</p>
<p>The usual Gameday Thread rules apply:</p>
<p>1. No swearing<br>2. No pictures<br>3. No discussion of unlicensed Internet streaming<br>4. Be cool to each other!</p>
<p>Hang out and enjoy the game! -- Tim</p>
</div>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5346420/gameday-thread-wolves-vs-blazers-second-halfTimmay!2014-01-25T17:31:01-08:002014-01-25T17:31:01-08:00CHAT: Blazers Get Another Chance at Wolves!
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LJQMjEwBa0kvinJi7wXtiIbrzbI=/0x32:3201x2166/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/27373523/20131218_pjc_ah7_218.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sport</figcaption>
</figure>
<div class="m-entry__body">
<p> </p>
<p>Welcome to the Gameday Open Thread at Blazer’s Edge! This is a place to hang out and enjoy tonight’s festivities with your fellow fans. Treat it as if you’re watching a game at the local watering hole, but hopefully without the language. Expect some disagreements, and a fair amount of changing emotions. But we'll get through it together.</p>
<div class="read-more">Game Time: <b>7:00 pm</b><br> Watch: <b>CSN NW | NBA TV</b> (No League Pass!)<br> Listen: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/broadband/alp_schedule.html">NBA Audio League Pass</a> <b>620am</b><br> Links: <a href="http://www.nba.com/gamenotes/blazers.pdf" target="new">Media Notes</a> <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/10/29/5044302/the-2013-guide-to-watching-the-blazers-on-tv-and-online" target="new">Viewing Guide</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/blazersedge" target="new">Updates on Twitter</a>
</div>
<p>-----------------</p>
<div class="m-entry__body">
<b>Injury Updates:</b> None yet, check here for further updates.<br>
</div>
<div class="m-entry__body"><br></div>
<p>-----------------</p>
<p>The usual Gameday Thread rules apply:</p>
<p>1. No swearing<br>2. No pictures<br>3. No discussion of unlicensed Internet streaming<br>4. Be cool to each other!</p>
<p>Hang out and enjoy the game! -- Tim</p>
</div>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/25/5340640/gameday-thread-timberwolves-vs-blazersTimmay!