Blazer's Edge - Complete Coverage: Blazers vs. PacersThe ultimate coverage and analysis of the Portland Trail Blazershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47543/blazersedge-fave.png2014-12-05T00:14:07-08:00http://www.blazersedge.com/rss/stream/71024722014-12-05T00:14:07-08:002014-12-05T00:14:07-08:00In-Arena Report: Moda Center Tense, Quiet Tonight
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<img alt="The blimp and the offense crashed and burned together." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zSu6zN-xXPireiFpiHDlRznEUIg=/0x138:495x468/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44280166/pacers1.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The blimp and the offense crashed and burned together.</figcaption>
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<p>Special correspondent Andy P. files the In-Arena Report from a tense and frustrated Moda Center</p> <p>Special correspondent Andy P. gives us the view from a subdued Moda Center in tonight's In-Arena Report covering the <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/12/4/7338437/portland-trail-blazers-vs-indiana-pacers-damian-lillard-nicolas-batum" target="_blank">Portland Trail Blazers' victory over the Indiana Pacers</a>.</p>
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<p>The in-arena experience started off on a different foot tonight due to a planned protest in response to the lack of an indictment in the death of Eric Garner. Multiple entrances were closed outright or had only a few doors open, and there was a pronounced police presence in the Rose Quarter. This contributed to a very empty house during the player introductions. The Blazers once again switched the opening video, this time to a reddish cityscape backdrop and the players passing the ball to each other in various nifty ways.</p>
<p>The lack of crowd early in the 1st quarter, combined with some poor shooting on both teams, made for a quiet first quarter. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed some commotion down on the 100 level and saw this:</p>
<p>Pacers1" src="https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2521304/pacers1.0.jpg" /></p>
<p>There were a lot of funny comments in my area as people noticed the blimp had crashed. It foreshadowed the offense in this game.</p>
<p>Even as fans were finally able to enter the arena it was still very quiet. I looked up to see that the Blazers were only shooting 28%. They just weren't giving us anything to cheer for. After another few Blazer misses the crowd started getting grumpy. A lady behind me groaned, "Holy Toledo.." and I felt like that summed up the rough 1st quarter.</p>
<p>In the 2nd quarter <span>Wesley Matthews</span> started to give the crowd something to cheer for. When Pacers' coach <span>Frank Vogel</span> called a timeout the fans finally could let loose. Both teams traded baskets which calmed down the mood, enough so that I could hear the "oooohs" when CJ Miles hit a deep 3. A guy sitting in front of me pointed out, when the score was 32-31 Blazers near halftime, that we probably wouldn't be getting free french fries tonight.</p>
<p>Coming back from halftime the crowd was immediately fired up about <span>David West</span> and <span>Roy Hibbert</span> started throwing cheap shots at Robin Lopez. Bad move, because it was just the push the fans needed to get going. A <span>Damian Lillard</span> 3 off of a broken play got some people on their feet, then a Dame and-1 a moment later got the rest of them up. It was at this point that word passed along to me that the Moda Center doors were locked and there were riot cops on the scene. Did they lock the doors on the rims too? The Blazers and Pacers were still clanking shots to end the quarter.</p>
<p>[<i>ed. The Blazers issued a press release explaining that the Moda Center doors were not actually locked. They did claim a heightened police presence because of protests and thanked the police for their service. The full text of the press release can be found <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/12/4/7338537/portland-trail-blazers-moda-center-police-protests" target="_blank">here</a>.</i>]</p>
<p>In the 4th it was 64-64 when I heard someone behind me let out a frustrated "Come on!" kind of like what you'd say if your dog was taking too long in the yard. Overall this was an annoying game for the fans. You never felt that the Blazers were going to lose but they just never gave enough to get the crowd really going. A <span>Nicolas Batum</span> 3 out of a jump ball was exciting, there were some boos when Hibbert had a technical on Wes, and the Blazers hit enough shots in the end to pull out the win.</p>
<p>Jersey watch!</p>
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<p>This duo was rocking a Cliff Robinson and Jermaine O'Neal. Not a bad front line if both players were taken at their primes.</p>
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<p>Nice, signed by Mighty Mouse himself, <span>Damon Stoudamire</span>.</p>
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<p>This was cool too see. These shirts are produced by <a href="http://trillblazin.net/" target="_blank">Trillblazin</a>, a company with cool social media presence. I follow them on Instagram and Twitter and enjoy their commentary. Check ‘em out!</p>
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<p>Classic. This guy said "Don't include my face! I'm a Blazers season ticket holder but I was born in Indiana!" Ha ha... your secret is safe with me.</p>
<p>I also saw, and couldn't get pictures of, a couple other Pacers' jerseys. A <span>Paul George</span> (hope he plays this year!) and a Danny Granger. What, no Rik Smits? Also seen was an extremely out of place <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> Shaq jersey. Ok? Side question for Pacers fans: Would it be in bad taste to wear a Ron Artest Pacers jersey because of the Malice in the Palace debacle?</p>
<p>Rough game overall. Lets hope the rims are more kind to the Blazers on this upcoming road trip.</p>
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<p>This is Andy's final In-Arena Report. We'll add a new correspondent to the rotation when the Blazers return from their upcoming 5-game road trip. We thank Andy for his words, the Jersey Watch, and putting his stamp on this project!</p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2014/12/5/7338631/portland-trail-blazers-vs-indiana-pacers-in-arena-report-moda-centerDave DeckardLetItBe5032014-12-04T22:50:24-08:002014-12-04T22:50:24-08:00Press Release Explains High Moda Center Security
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<p>The Blazers issue a press release regarding entry and exit to the Moda Center during tonight's game, bound up in anticipation of difficulty due to protests.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Portland Trail Blazers</a> have issued a press release correcting what they perceive as misinformation regarding entrance to, and exit from, the Moda Center during tonight's Blazers-<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Indiana Pacers</a> game. The text of the release follows:</p>
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<p>There were media reports tonight that Moda Center was in lockdown to prevent entry and exit by guests attending the Portland Trail Blazers game versus Indiana. These reports were false. As with any event, ticketed guests gained entry into the building. And when guests were ready to leave, they were allowed to exit. When the game ended, complete egress from the building was guided through safe and convenient exits.<br> <br>Tonight's heightened police presence in light of the anticipated public protests was a safety precaution for our guests and property. We greatly appreciate the men and women of the Portland Police Department, and our own internal Security, Guest Services and Operations staffs for their professional management of tonight's events. We also thank our Trail Blazers fans and Rose Quarter guests for their cooperation and understanding.</p>
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<p>A couple of things stand out:</p>
<p>1. They're unclear as to whether, and how, access to the stadium was controlled. "Cooperation and understanding" of what, exactly?</p>
<p>2. While it's understandable that they'd issue thanks to the police and their own security staff, it's an interesting move since protests across the nation involve critique of just such forces. This is not to impugn Portland's police officers nor to suggest that the Blazers should take sides, rather that their statement could be perceived <i>as </i>taking sides in a deep, complex, and charged issue...narrowing it down to their own needs and concerns. It'll be interesting to see whether this press release (to the extent it gets reprinted) will be taken at face value or will be seen by some as detachment from the issues being contested. One wonders if they wouldn't have been served by devoting a line of their statement to those who perceive themselves to be fighting for justice and issues far larger than basketball.</p>
<p>--Dave blazersub@gmail.com / <a href="https://twitter.com/davedeckard" target="_blank">@DaveDeckard</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/blazersedge" target="_blank">@Blazersedge</a></p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2014/12/4/7338537/portland-trail-blazers-moda-center-police-protestsDave Deckard2014-12-04T22:16:33-08:002014-12-04T22:16:33-08:00Batum, Lillard Highlight Rough Outing
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<figcaption>Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum had a pretty good game tonight, maybe his best since returning from injury. And that was about the only pretty thing in an eyesore of an outing for both sides which Portland ended up winning.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Portland Trail Blazers</a> defeated the <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Indiana Pacers</a> 88-82 tonight, pushing their home record to 10-2 and their overall record to 15-4, tied for 3rd place in the entire NBA. There's the good news...the only news that matters, really.</p>
<p>The bad news? Well, our <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/12/4/7337977/blazers-vs-pacers-final-score-portland-tops-indiana-defensive" target="_blank">Instant Recap</a> headline called this a "Defensive Bout". That's got to be a euphemism. This game was a bout with <i>something</i>, but I'm not sure defense was it. Try paying your taxes while waiting in a DMV line standing next to your in-laws as a Philadelphia 76'ers highlight reel set to Justin Bieber music plays on the TV. I guarantee you that you will experience more fun and excitement than this game provided. It will no doubt be used as a threat to force children to eat their vegetables...effectively too.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Game Flow</b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">WHAT flow?!? If you saw any, you're a better analyst than I. Both teams spent the first half shooting like stormtroopers. I once heard of a handicap scoring system that allowed 1 point for touching the backboard, 2 points if the ball hit the rim, and 3 if it actually went in. If either team played by those rules they'd have scored a billion tonight...by ones and twos. Aside from the foul line, the Blazers could ONLY score off of Indiana turnovers. 13 of their first 22 points came off of Pacers miscues, 19 of the whopping 38 they scored in the first half. The Pacers were even worse. They could ONLY score off of offensive rebounds, of which they got precious few considering the 62,000 shots they missed. 15 of their 33 first-half points qualified as second-chance points.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">And you read that right. The score was 38-33. At the half. Moda Center stood for <i>Make One Damn Attempt! </i>No such luck. The halftime shooting percentages were so low that we can't print them here. You'll have to click "Add to Cart" to see them. But don't bother, it's not really worth it.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The teams traded runs in the third quarter, sending shooting percentages soaring towards 40%. Portland ripped off a 10-2 run followed by Indiana's 7-0 answer. It seemed like a flash flood after the previous drought. This left the score at 62-59 for Portland after three.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The Blazers churned out a final 11-0 run in the fourth to put the game away...a couple of threes and a handful of layups made the difference. The Pacers scored inside enough to keep it close (note: not "keep it interesting") but the Blazers never faltered...more than they already had. Portland walked away with a 6 point win, which is like 42 in dog years and in terms of the total scoring level in this game.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Analysis</b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Yuck.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Good win, though.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Fun With Numbers</b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">--Blazers 40% shooting, Pacers 40% shooting. And it took a strong second half to get there.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">--Pacers 5-18 (28%) from distance, Blazers 4-21 (19%). When your three-point percentage is less than the alcohol level of your average girly drink, you're not having a good night.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">--Portland 5 offensive rebounds.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">--Pacers 17 turnovers for 24 Blazers points .</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">--Portland 18-23 free throws, Indiana 5-8. The refs were letting a lot of bumping go and Indiana could not get a call. Half of Portland's attempts came from <span>Damian Lillard</span>, many of those off of drives. Basically big men could take nail-driven 2x4's to each other in this game without a whistle but driving guards drew them. Lillard drove, Indiana's guards not so much. The Pacers had 2 free throw attempts total in the first three quarters.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Individual Notes</b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>Nicolas Batum</span> and Damian Lillard had good showings for the Blazers, looking somewhat normal. Batum took a more active role than he has over the last couple of weeks, 3 steals and 2 blocks providing his highlights.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span> had 13 rebounds and hit a couple of nice-looking threes.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>Chris Kaman</span> had 7 rebounds and 4 assists in 18 minutes but his personal offense went bonk for the third game in a row.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>Joel Freeland</span> and <span>Allen Crabbe</span> had opportunistic nights, Freeland on the boards and Crabbe on the run.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Everybody else looked mired in mud.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The Blazers will begin a 5-game East-heavy road trip on Sunday in New York.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400578566" target="_blank">Boxscore</a> (Make sure you have a strong stomach.)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.indycornrows.com/">Indy Cornrows</a> might be more used to this kind of thing? Pity them if that's so.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Don't miss our <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/12/5/7338631/portland-trail-blazers-vs-indiana-pacers-in-arena-report-moda-center" target="_blank">In-Arena report from the Moda Center</a>.</p>
<p>You can now phone in Mailbag questions to our<a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/12/2/7321613/portland-trail-blazers-podcast-lamarcus-aldridge-wesley-matthews"> weekly podcast with Phil Naessens</a> at 234-738-3394. Try it out!</p>
<p>Since it's the season of giving, don't forget to help underprivileged youth, children, and chaperons see Portland's March 30th game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> by contributing tickets to Blazer's Edge Night. The cost of a ticket is low ($13-$16) and the joy it brings into the life of a child who otherwise wouldn't get to see a game is immeasurable. We're looking to send over 1000 kids this year. You can find all the details <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/10/28/7085127/blazers-edge-night-2015-announced" target="_blank">here</a>. Please help with a ticket or two (or 10!) if you can.</p>
<p>--Dave blazersub@gmail.com / <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/2014/12/4/7338437/portland-trail-blazers-vs-indiana-pacers-damian-lillard-nicolas-batumDave Deckard2014-12-04T17:30:02-08:002014-12-04T17:30:02-08:00Chat: Barton Back Against The Pacers?
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<figcaption>Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<div class="read-more">Tip-off: <b>7:00 pm</b><br>Watch: <b>CSN NW | League Pass<br></b>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>
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<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>
<p><b>Injury update: </b>For the Blazers, <b>CJ McCollum</b> is out with a broken finger, and <b>Will Barton </b>has been upgraded to probable. However, <b>Dorell Wright </b>is out due to the now-infamous upper respiratory illness. <b>Victor Claver </b>will remain active, in Wright's place.</p>
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<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>
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<p>Hang out and enjoy the game! -- Tim</p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2014/12/4/7337149/gameday-thread-indiana-pacers-vs-portland-trail-blazersTimmay!2014-12-04T01:15:38-08:002014-12-04T01:15:38-08:00Blazers vs. Pacers Preview
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<figcaption>Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Blazers take on the Indiana Pacers at home tonight. Roy Hibbert and David West, two key players for the Pacers, recently returned to action after missing time due to injuries. </p> <p align="center"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Indiana Pacers</a> (7-11) vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Portland Trail Blazers</a> (14-4)<br>Thursday, December 4<br>Moda Center; Portland, OR | 7:00 p.m. PST | Local TV/Radio: CSNNWHD; 620 AM<br>Out for the Blazers: <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>C.J. McCollum</span>, </span><span>Will Barton</span> (day-to-day) | Out for the Pacers: <span>Paul George</span>, <span>George Hill</span><br>SBN Affiliate: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.indycornrows.com/">Indy Cornrows</a> | <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/10/28/7082097/portland-trail-blazers-2014-15-season-preview-tv-viewing-guide" target="_blank">Timmay's Viewing Guide</a> | <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/10/18/7001525/indiana-pacers-2014-15-nba-season-preview">BE's 2014-15 Pacers Season Preview</a> | <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/10/28/7085127/blazers-edge-night-2015-announced" target="_blank">Blazer's Edge Night</a></p>
<p align="left">The Blazers return home to the Moda Center tonight to host the Indiana Pacers before embarking on a five-game road trip next week.</p>
<p>The Pacers have lost four of their last six games and two straight, coming into tonight's matchup at 7-11 on the year.</p>
<p>For the season, Indiana is statistically in the bottom-third of the league in many offensive categories. However, the Pacers started the year with a 1-6 record, skewing their early-season numbers quite a bit. Since, they've played at more of an average level -- over the last five games, Indiana ranks no better than No. 14 but no worse than No. 19 in points per game (101), assists per game (22.8), field goal percentage (44.9 percent) and free throws attempted per game (22.2). The Pacers do a few things fairly well, like limiting their turnovers and hitting three-pointers. They get up a lot of shots but don't push the ball often.</p>
<p>Indy coach <span>Frank Vogel</span> hasn't had a near-full roster to work with all season until recently -- forward Paul George is still doubtful for the year and guard George Hill won't play his first game for at least a few weeks -- having to patch together rotations while center <span>Roy Hibbert</span>, forward <span>David West</span> and guards <span>Rodney Stuckey</span>, <span>C.J. Miles</span> and <span>C.J. Watson</span> all missed significant time at one point or another.</p>
<p>Now that the Pacers are as healthy as they've been all year, Vogel has dialed in a 10-man rotation.</p>
<p>In his first game back from a four-game absence, Hibbert led the team in field goal attempts in a <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400578552">116-99 loss</a> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Suns</a> Tuesday night. He shot 6-of-14 from the floor, half his attempts coming inside and the rest from the midrange, where he was much more efficient. On the season, Hibbert's been a reliable scorer in the paint and an average jumpshooter, not hesitating to step out for shots about 10 feet out.</p>
<p>West hasn't been shy getting shots up since joining the Pacers lineup for the first time all season three games ago against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Magic</a>. He's been dynamite in limited attempts in the paint, connecting on 75 percent of his shots at the rim, but West's midrange jumper -- which accounts for two-thirds of his shot attempts -- has gone in only 34.5 percent of the time. Many of his looks come in catch-and-shoot situations, unlike Hibbert, who creates his own offense half the time.</p>
<p>Stuckey attacks the basket fairly often, but has made only 52.9 percent of his shots at the hoop the last five games. He also likes the midrange jumper, but has been good on only about 42 percent of them in that span, his best shot coming from the right elbow.</p>
<p>Stuckey's starting backcourt mate, point guard <span>Donald Sloan</span>, leads the team in assists the last five games but has struggled with his own shot in that time, making just 38.3 percent of his field goals and 21.4 percent of his threes. Starting small forward <span>Solomon Hill</span> doesn't look for his own shot often, and when he does, he's been inconsistent the last couple weeks, most recently shooting 1-of-5 against the Suns.</p>
<p>Power forward <span>Luis Scola</span> is a scorer off the bench, hitting over half his midrange shots the last five games but unable to score inside efficiently. Backup center <span>Ian Mahinmi</span> played well when Hibbert missed a string of recent games, and he's hit almost two-thirds of his 5.4 shots per game, which come almost exclusively within a few feet of the basket.</p>
<p>Reserve forward <span>Chris Copeland</span> is a huge threat to score from deep off passes, knocking down 47.1 percent of his threes the last couple weeks, all of them assisted. Miles gets up more three-pointers than any of his teammates, but he's been cold lately. Watson doesn't take a lot of shots in his backup role, but when he does, he's scored well inside and from beyond the arc lately. Though they played pretty substantial minutes when the Pacers lacked depth due to injuries, forwards <span>Lavoy Allen</span>, <span>Damjan Rudez</span> and <span>Shayne Whittington</span> only played in garbage-time against Phoenix and probably won't see meaningful minutes against the Blazers tonight, barring unforeseen circumstances.</p>
<p>Indiana's defense has played pretty mediocre lately. The Pacers <a target="_blank" href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indystar.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fnba%2Fpacers%2F2014%2F11%2F29%2Fpacers-get-first-look-new-cavs-leave-loss%2F19686395%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blazersedge.com%2F2014%2F12%2F4%2F7331657%2Fportland-trail-blazers-vs-indiana-pacers-preview" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">do not defend uptempo teams well</a>, and though they don't allow the opposition to get up a lot of shots, they've been the worst defending team within the arc the last five games, allowing 50.5 percent overall from the field for opponents in that time. Indiana defends the paint effectively and doesn't allow easy passing by opponents, but also doesn't seal the perimeter well.</p>
<p>Portland has won 11 of its last 12 contests, dating back to almost a month ago. The Blazers' offense has been mostly solid but also unspectacular at times lately, like the 8-for-28 three-point shooting performance in the loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a> last Friday or the 5-for-22 outside shooting debacle two nights ago in Denver.</p>
<p>Portland relies on power forward <span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span> for much of its offense. He's attempted over half his shots from the midrange the last five games, where he's been good for 44.6 percent on them, mostly coming at the left elbow or baseline. Heading into the fourth quarter trailing the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Nuggets</a> on Tuesday, though, Aldridge willed his team to victory by taking advantage of an undersized Denver frontcourt and muscled his way throughout the paint for most of his touches. He finished with 39 points on 16-for-30 shooting, helping to seal the win over the Nuggets by picking up the game's final assist on a pass to center <span>Robin Lopez</span> down low after receiving the ball at the top of the key on an inbounds play with less than five seconds left.</p>
<p>Point guard <span>Damian Lillard</span> has continued his recent struggles scoring from game-to-game. His three-point shot has been off the mark the last five contests, going in just 26.7 percent of the time for the third-year guard who shoots 41.5 percent from deep on the year. Almost three-quarters of Lillard's scores within the arc come off the dribble, and his pull-up jumper has been on target lately, but he's been unable to score inside with consistency, often going to the floor after trying to draw contact but only going to the line 4.4 times a game the last five. Mysteriously, Lillard's struggled to hit foul shots recently after starting the season among the league-leaders in free throw shooting percentage. He's been good at holding onto the ball and has been a good distributor when necessary.</p>
<p>Guard Wesley Matthews was in the midst of a dominant stretch of outside shooting heading into the game against the Nuggets on Tuesday night, but he connected on just one of his 10 three-point tries. Matthews' found ways to score on shorter jumpers, though, and most of his threes were clean looks even though nine of the 10 clanged off the rim. He gives up a bit of length to Stuckey and Miles, but is bulkier than any of the Pacers' backcourt players and should be able to supplement his scoring with his back to the basket if he has another off-night from deep.</p>
<p>Forward Nicolas Batum only got six shots up in 36 minutes Tuesday night, instead setting up his teammates, raking in 13 assists -- half Portland's total as a team. When Batum's not scoring -- and he hasn't lately, hitting just 32.7 percent of his shots the last five games and an abysmal <i>4.2 percent of his threes </i>-- he's proven he can still contribute by getting the ball to his teammates for open looks.</p>
<p>Lopez hit all five of his field goal tries against Denver, including the go-ahead layup at the end of the game after sealing off Nuggets forward <span>J.J. Hickson</span> to get the open look from Aldridge. Lopez had been struggling from the field recently heading into Tuesday's game, so his solid outing may be an indicator that he's ready to get back to his early-season form when he was hitting well over half his shots.</p>
<p>Center Chris Kaman has been the most productive player off the bench for Blazers coach <span>Terry Stotts</span> all season, but went just 2-for-6 against Denver and has been struggling from the field the last several games. After a hot start to the year, Kaman's been unable to connect lately on his jumper and has also seen his efficiency in the paint shrink significantly, as well. The Pacers won't present many easy opportunities for him to get his scoring back to where it was earlier in the season, especially considering Hibbert is healthy again and West is back on the court for Indy.</p>
<p>Reserve point guard <span>Steve Blake</span> had struggled all season from the floor before Tuesday's game, but he hit all five of his shots -- including three triples -- against Denver to supplement his excellent passing. Guard Allen Crabbe played 17 minutes but didn't hit a shot, though he's been over 40 percent from deep the last five games and backup center <span>Joel Freeland</span> picked up 10 minutes. He's not likely to shoot much, but when he does, Freeland's been bankable with his jumper. Stotts' rotation has tightened up recently to feature just nine players.</p>
<p>Portland's defense has been fairly mediocre lately, outside of its defense of the three-point line. Over the last five games, the Blazers have only allowed opponents to attempt 13 threes a night, giving up just 30.3 percent on them. In that time, though, they've allowed easy passing, haven't forced turnovers and have given up 48 percent field goal shooting to opponents. Hibbert, West and Scola will be a tough frontcourt rotation to defend, as they all are capable of stepping out of the paint for jumpers.</p>
<p>The Pacers are one of the better rebounding teams in the league for the season, but have dropped off slightly as they've been working West and Hibbert back into the rotation lately. With Allen heading to the end of the bench, Indy's rebounding has taken a hit as Scola has secured most of the backup power forward minutes behind West. The Blazers are the fourth-best defensive rebounding team and are No. 8 in offensive rebounds the last five games. Percentage-wise, Portland is top-8 on both ends of the floor for the season, with Freeland, Kaman and Lopez leading the charge on the offensive end while Aldridge mostly cleans up the glass defensively.</p>
<p>The Blazers have been out-rebounded in two of their last three games, though, and that includes a loss to the Grizzlies and a 2-point win over the Nuggets that required a spirited comeback. Hibbert is a big body and West and Scola will pull Portland's defenders away from the rim, so the Blazers won't be able to come out with another flat performance on the boards and expect to win easily.</p>
<p>Portland has the No. 8 pace factor in the NBA, <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats/_/sort/paceFactor">according to ESPN.com</a>, and the Pacers struggle defending teams that push the ball. Facing top-10 teams in pace five times this season, Indiana has won just a single game -- against the lowly 1-17 Sixers, who hadn't won until last night against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canishoopus.com/">Timberwolves</a>.</p>
<p>If the Blazers keep their tempo up -- they don't score on the break often but have gotten up more shots the last couple weeks than every team but the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> -- they'll force their style of play on Indiana, a team ill-equipped to deal with fast opponents. The Pacers don't have a true go-to player offensively, instead relying on a balanced scoring attack. They do, however, play much better when Hibbert has his offense rolling, so Portland needs to limit his easy looks to get the best chance at a win tonight before heading out on the road for five straight.</p>
<p>-- Chris Lucia | bedgecast@gmail.com | <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ChrisLucia_BE" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Twitter</a></p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2014/12/4/7331657/portland-trail-blazers-vs-indiana-pacers-previewChris Lucia