Blazer's Edge - Complete Coverage: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Boston CelticsThe ultimate coverage and analysis of the Portland Trail Blazershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47543/blazersedge-fave.png2015-01-23T01:06:00-08:00http://www.blazersedge.com/rss/stream/76389162015-01-23T01:06:00-08:002015-01-23T01:06:00-08:00In-Arena: Team and Crowd Try to Redeem Bad Day
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<figcaption>The flame burns eternal over the Tomb of the Misused Draft Pick</figcaption>
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<p>Special Correspondent torridjoe shares his first In-Arena Report from the Moda Center on a tough night. How many beers and shooting contests does it take to get over the loss of your best player and a game all at once?</p> <p>We are honored to have the illustrious torridjoe joining us for In-Arena Report duties over the next couple weeks. He's a great writer. Enjoy the show!</p>
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<p>From the Center's Center--The Section 216 Scoop</p>
<p>Blazers v <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Celtics</a>, 1/22/15</p>
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<p>It was Coasters Night at the Moda Center, a night without much Yakety Yak from the home crowd, and plenty of talking back from the visitors. Anyone under 40 who doesn't get the joke, consult your nearest 1950s music expert or ask your parents. <span>Nicolas Batum</span> was the coaster boy for tonight's "Blazers Coaster" giveaway (to match last year's pint glasses?), and fittingly both versions of Nic were two-dimensional and gone fairly quickly.</p>
<p>I had an extra ticket for tonight and my politico buddy Carl met me for a pregame drink at Jack's Place around 5:15. Initially the joint seemed blissfully less crowded than the other two times I'd tried to Trailgate--but that didn't mean there were any seats. Carl and I enjoyed a couple of $7 crafts--cheaper and arrayed in front of you rather than dispersed around the arena, but also in smaller glasses it appeared.</p>
<p>The arena was still mostly quiet at 6pm, and though that's pretty early you knew it wasn't likely going to be a sellout (it wasn't; just 14,000+ fannies graced the seats). Usually Thursday Night games start at 7:30 but this one was scheduled for tip at 7:10 and was pretty close to schedule. One nice thing about Thursdays are the many TVs on the Club level that let you watch the first TNT game while you eat (<a href="https://www.blogabull.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bulls</a> waxed the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Spurs</a> in Chicago tonight).</p>
<p>Speaking of eating, if your love of Killer Burger pregame meals often coincides with the similar desire of a few hundred others and leads to rushed dinners or missed tipoffs, go to a midweek game against a poor non-conference opponent with one of your All-Stars missing. My Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon burger and a Pyramid "Schonz" Red came in less time than it took to say Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon. It sounds iffy, but it's terriffy. Give it a whirl next time you're there.</p>
<p>6:35pm--just got a text from the Blazers social media arm, saying <span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span> has a torn ligament and will be out 6-8 weeks. Ugh. That set me right off my PBPB, and I grasped at my Schonz for comfort. Even though Aldridge was never plausible for this game, the news cast a muted gloom over the audience-to-be. The goal for the rest of the regular season will be to try and hang on to the division lead as best they can, but it's gonna be a rough couple of months trying. Stiil, every tipoff holds hope, so once more into the bowl we went, dear friends.</p>
<p>The evening was sponsored by Legacy Health (which had to make the Moda execs itch a touch) and was NBA Fit night. The teams had the signature red warmups, and the Fit theme continued all evening. A children's dance team was out before warmings, showing surprisingly tight moves and fairly good togetherness. Honorable mention to the little (6-year-old?) MC Hammer busting his move and getting the attention of the camera. That guy was more composed and in control of his body and purpose than the vast majority of <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Trail Blazers</a>.</p>
<p>The anthem singer was a Portlandically bearded male with something of an opera tinge, not amazing but competent and sonorous. A lot of organized singing groups and well trained vocalists perform the anthem, but the team holds open auditions and some of them are just regular folk who can sing and this gentleman seemed like one of that group.</p>
<p>TRob got the start over Dorrell tonight; Kaman still at center despite disappearing in 2nd half of both of he last two games. The pattern would hold; Kaman had his shot working in the first half but did not see much of the court in crunch time. The crowd tends to expect moments of dazzle from the likes of Dame and Wes, but a Truck in high gear seems to disproportionately delight the attendees. And given both the opportunity and the need, for the most part the crowd was glad to be in Mr. Robinson's neighborhood.</p>
<p>How come I never noticed the Blazer Dancer skirt belts have a big pinwheel buckle?</p>
<p>Celtics win tip. Has Kaman won any opening tips? He doesn't seem to have the timing down.</p>
<p>What is WITH the recent trend of the Blazers stripping the ball away, only to have the other team scramble and get it back, usually to hit <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/british-open" class="sbn-auto-link">the open</a> shot in the resulting disarray? The trend continued as the very first basket for Boston came that way. It set the tone. Portland's first basket (after a couple early Kaman misses) came on the pick and roll between Lillard and Robinson, who then missed the and-one. We may--hopefully--see a fair bit more of that the next two months.</p>
<p>New this year: peripheral stats on jumbotron. They just showed effective fg%, which gives a bonus for threes made. I also have seen them track free throw percent (possessions with a FT) and turnover percent. Nice nod to sabermetrics!</p>
<p>Schonz took over for the usual Mercy Kersey to present the piece of the ‘77 court to another ‘70-'71 season ticket veteran. How many dudes are out there and still making it to games? It seems like every other one is a founding season ticket holder. I hope in 25 years a middle aged Lillard can present my crotchety 70+ year old self with a hologram from the 2016 championship.</p>
<p>Tonight featured a pedaling challenge for Fit night, from 1:49 left in the first to the first timeout of the 2nd quarter. Two women competed, including one who was fed a pep-chip offscreen before starting. "Amanda" won the challenge with over 4000 meters pedaled, a good kilometer ahead of her adversary.</p>
<p>Mike Holton fed a gentleman named "Robert" to take jumpers for $50 each. He made 5, then got a chance at a three for $500. Beautiful take, the man is a winner!</p>
<p>Solid sequence: a sadly headbanded <span>Kelly Olynyk</span> gets denied at the rack by a trio of Blazers including a still-playing Batum with the block, and a quick outlet to a streaking Will Barton--who missed the lay-in but got followup help from Robinson for the putback. We do also get a Bad TRob, as he misses an easy layin and then spends several seconds complaining to the ref about it, while his man can be seen streaking down the opposite lane for two points.</p>
<p>Random shots:</p>
<p>*Free throw guy accompanied not by "The Cuddler" tonight, but by a man in a tiger warmup suit.</p>
<p>*Halftime featured a few dozen kids doing fitness exercises on the court. Important yes. Entertaining? Uhhhh...</p>
<p>*<a href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Magic</a> Sword's "Battlefield" is the locally grown haltime music this evening.</p>
<p>*A generally stifled crowd did try to rouse a "let's go blazers" on their own early in 3rd.</p>
<p>*Batum headed to the locker room with 7:35 left and did not return. Time to step up!</p>
<p>*A fellow Blazers fan named Anthony was featured on the speed shot challenge. Juuust missed the 3rd bucket for $5k. Haven't seen one made yet.</p>
<p>*The crowd just LOVES a <span>Meyers Leonard</span> three. You can hear the anticipation and the cheer is lusty when he makes it. It still comes from being almost entirely unsuspective</p>
<p>*Name that tune is back! Almost no one figured out "Call Me Maybe," which I'm going to treat as a good thing.</p>
<p>*This sounds absurd, but Without TRob the middle is helpless. Can't believe I'm saying that.</p>
<p>*Damian took the monster jam down the lane to close the third, getting the crowd finally into things for the home stretch. But first...</p>
<p>...hobby horse racing! A photo finish occurs but the hipster in the blue silks is determined the winner. The third guy has trouble with his foam steed and is never a factor. . Guy in 3rd crashes and burns on his horse twice.</p>
<p>*50/50 raffle: $5621, pretty good for midweek vs poor opp from east</p>
<p>There was a point in the fourth where it looked and felt like the Blazers had the game in hand, but before you knew it the Celtics were back within striking distance--and this time there was no joy to be had anywhere in RoseVille. The Evan Turner three was about as (cough) deflating in person as it must have looked on TV, and the Blazers used both remaining timeouts on a single inbounds and still missed a wide open Wes Matthews for the potential winning shot. Blake went to Damian who double clutched and never got the shot off, and the Losers Shuffle was on in Section 216. Sigh. It's gonna be a rough time in Rip City for a while.</p>
<p>Signs--several as you can see, but no real zingers...</p>
<p>Batum's room (Moda)</p>
<p>No quit in us</p>
<p>Kid with Let's Blaze! :) as Wes threes to open half</p>
<p>Lightning Lillard</p>
<p>boston doesn't have much luck tonight</p>
<p>Paul allen's checklist</p>
<p>Free Freeland</p>
<p>surrender Now or be blazed</p>
<p>Blazer power Ka-Pow</p>
<p>Allez Nico/Je Suis Charlie</p>
<p>Rip city Al Dame day</p>
<p>Crabbe People</p>
<p>#futureblazer</p>
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<p>Thanks to torridjoe for the report!</p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2015/1/23/7876755/portland-trail-blazers-vs-boston-celtics-in-arena-report-both-crowdDave Deckardtorridjoe2015-01-22T23:04:26-08:002015-01-22T23:04:26-08:00Lady Luck Turns Her Back on Blazers Against Boston
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<figcaption>Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Blazers soldier on admirably in the absence of LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum but are downed by a last-second twist of fate.</p> <p>The Portland Trail Blazers fell to the Boston Celtics 90-89 tonight, dropping their record to 31-13 overall, 19-5 at home. It marks Portland's 3rd loss to an Eastern Conference team the season. While it wasn't the most indicative, it was certainly one of the more painful.</p>
<p>Prior to the game, news broke that <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2015/1/22/7875949/lamarcus-aldridge-injury-torn-ligament-out-6-8-weeks-portland-trail-blazers">LaMarcus Aldridge will require surgery for a torn thumb ligament</a> and is expected to miss the next 6-8 weeks. That was the most shocking event of the day.</p>
<p>Early in the 3rd quarter Nicolas Batum <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2015/1/22/7876449/video-nicolas-batum-injury-wrist-portland-trail-blazers">aggravated a wrist injury </a>and had to leave the game. His status at this time is unknown. The latest reports have him unable to put weight on the wrist. He'll have an MRI tomorrow. If recent history is any indication, we'll find out the results of that sometime around August. This was the second most shocking event of the day.</p>
<p>Understanding the limbo the team's walking through right now, a loss--even to the 14-26 Celtics--hardly registers on the shock-o-meter. For those counting, the Blazers are now missing their starting center, power forward, small forward, and their second-best reserve big off the bench. Like Curley, Chris Kaman is encasing his hands in Vaseline-filled gloves...at least until the chainmail gauntlets arrive from Under Armour.</p>
<p>All things considered, the Blazers played pretty well in this game...at least by their new, injury-riddled standards. The game was close throughout, neither team escaping from the other. Portland held a slight edge in rebounding, a large one in turnovers and free throws. The Blazers stayed even in the paint and on the break. Their defense was mostly adequate. Boston scored exactly 23 in every quarter except the 2nd, when they scored 21.</p>
<p>On the other hand, that means the Blazers stayed even with, and couldn't escape, a team that never topped 23 points in a quarter.</p>
<p>Once again guard play turned out to be a major culprit. Damian Lillard and Wesley Matthews scored 21 and 18 respectively. Each shot well from the arc, Lillard 2-5 and Matthews 4-8. But overall they shot poorly, hitting just 14 of 38 shots between them, managing only 6 free throw attempts combined. Absent any frontcourt threats, the Celtics felt free to hound Portland's guards every time they touched the ball. Boston spent the entire first half driving Matthews off of the arc with double-teams, resulting in a 1-10 three-point clip for the Blazers in the opening 2 quarters. Portland got more creative, and more open, in the second half, but the guards never got comfortable for long.</p>
<p>On the other end Avery Bradley torched the Blazers in the second half, finishing with an 8-16 mark from the field and 18 points to keep Boston in the game. Marcus Thornton and Evan Turner also did well. Portland's bigger defenders couldn't offer much help when a Celtics guard popped free off a screen because they had Jared Sullinger and Brandon Bass to deal with. Sullinger couldn't find his stroke from range but both forwards ended up bullying the Blazers from mid-range and in. Even Boston's modest attack took effort to stop. Meanwhile the Celtics expended less, having to contain only 2.5 players on a given possession instead of 4-5.</p>
<p>As the game wore on Portland's imbalance--both internal and external--started to tell. They shot only 37%, managed only 16 assists, hit 32% of their three-pointers. Every time you pulled the dipstick out they were a quart low. Lillard and Matthews keyed a magnificent run in the 3rd quarter as Portland scored 30. But Bradley and Sullinger kept the Celtics close anyway. By the time the 4th period came, the Blazers couldn't conjure enough mojo to keep the Celtics at bay. They looked tired. They had too little rebounding, transition defense, guard defense, and lane defense. It was Lillard and Matthews versus the world as Portland tried to cling to the game.</p>
<p>They almost managed it as well, except the last thing they had too little of was luck.</p>
<p>The Blazers led 89-87 with 26 seconds remaining after a Thomas Robinson offensive rebound resulted in a pair of free throws, of which Robinson made 1. Down 2 with a single possession remaining, the Celtics missed a three, then Sullinger grabbed his own miss. The Blazers had him trapped on the sideline but Boston managed a timeout. Portland again played impressive defense, forcing Sullinger to bobble the ball in the lane. It sprayed loose. With the clock ticking towards 0:00 bodies hit the floor scrambling to recover. Sullinger managed to retrieve while prone, twisted and sat up, then found Turner in the deep corner all alone (as everyone from Portland was collapsing on the dribble and fumble). Turner lined up the three and hit it with 1 second remaining, leaving the Celtics ahead 90-89.</p>
<p>The Blazers had 2 tries at the final inbounds pass for the miracle game-winner. Both times the Celtics knew exactly who they should guard. (Hint: It wasn't Aldridge because he wasn't there. Nor was it any of his replacements.) Lillard eventually caught the ball but he was 38 feet from the bucket and so well covered he couldn't get off a shot. The ballgame ended with the Celtics celebrating and Blazers fans shaking their heads like, "That figures."</p>
<p>With just a little bit more--a rebound, a tip-away, a free throw, the lack of a seated pass for a corner three after a good defensive stand, or hey...ANY STARTING FRONTCOURT PLAYER, PICK ONE--the Blazers would have emerged victorious in this game. As it was, lady luck jumping over to the Celtics side after so many long, delirious nights in Lillard's arms was just the last, predictable slap in the face. What are you going to do? Dames are fickle.</p>
<p>This is what it feels like to be Portland's opponent under normal circumstances. It kind of...hurts.</p>
<p>But hey, the news wasn't all bad tonight. Thomas Robinson, Victor Claver, Meyers Leonard, Dorell Wright, and CJ McCollum all had strong outings, each in their own way. Nobody played perfectly, but this was one of the best group efforts we've seen out of the bench (and the nominally-starting Robinson) in a long time. It's like they knew what was at stake and who had to step up. Will Barton had a neutral outing. Steve Blake didn't look great on either end. Chris Kaman did well enough with 9 rebounds and 13 points on 6-11 shooting. Batum was 0-6 from the field but had 4 assists before he headed to the locker room.</p>
<p>The Blazers have a day off before facing the Washington Wizards on Saturday. We'll bring you more updates on Batum's status as they emerge.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400578931">Boxscore</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2015/1/22/7876045/blazers-vs-celtics-final-score-portland-stunned-boston-final-seconds">Instant Recap</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.celticsblog.com/">CelticsBlog</a> will enjoy the evening much more than any of us will.</p>
<p>(sigh)</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/2015/1/22/7876585/portland-trail-blazers-vs-boston-celtics-evan-turner-damian-lillardDave Deckard2015-01-22T21:07:00-08:002015-01-22T21:07:00-08:00Video: Batum Leaves Celtics Game with Wrist Injury
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<figcaption>Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Batum aggravated his wrist issues on this third-quarter play.</p> <p> </p>
<p><b>UPDATE: </b>Batum reportedly cannot place weight on his wrist, and his unsure of his status. He's expected to get an MRI soon.</p>
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<p>Batum says he can't really use his wrist and doesn't know how much time he will miss. He's yet to get an MRI.</p>
— Erik Gundersen (@blazerbanter) <a href="https://twitter.com/blazerbanter/status/558499879576547328">January 23, 2015</a>
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<p><span>Nicolas Batum</span> left tonight's Portland Trail Blazers-<a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Celtics</a> game when he aggravated his ongoing right wrist injury.</p>
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<p>Nico aggravated his right wrist sprain on this play (look closely) and won't return. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PORvsBOS?src=hash">#PORvsBOS</a> <a href="http://t.co/i5Q9mWQTrG">pic.twitter.com/i5Q9mWQTrG</a></p>
— <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Trail Blazers</a> (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/558483049869221889">January 23, 2015</a>
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<p>breaking news report update: blazers enter wheelchair basketball league because everyone is injured</p>
— CIP RITY (@ciprity) <a href="https://twitter.com/ciprity/status/558482141978193922">January 23, 2015</a>
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<p>Plenty of room on Blazers bench. Anyone want a seat? <a href="http://t.co/gFRpZK2Tuq">pic.twitter.com/gFRpZK2Tuq</a></p>
— Bruce Ely (@bruceely) <a href="https://twitter.com/bruceely/status/558487473597059072">January 23, 2015</a>
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<p>Doesn't sound good re: Batum right wrist. Aggravation of old injury. Some swelling. Wearing brace.</p>
— Jason Quick (@jwquick) <a href="https://twitter.com/jwquick/status/558500275388809217">January 23, 2015</a>
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<p>Postgame: <a href="https://twitter.com/nicolas88batum">@nicolas88batum</a> talks about reaggravating his wrist against Boston <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PORvsBOS?src=hash">#PORvsBOS</a> WATCH: <a href="http://t.co/w4CM40bcOj">http://t.co/w4CM40bcOj</a> <a href="http://t.co/oiYCdARsCU">pic.twitter.com/oiYCdARsCU</a></p>
— Trail Blazers TV (@TBTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/TBTV/status/558504133553291264">January 23, 2015</a>
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<p>Nic Batum re-aggravated same right wrist injury he's been battling. Said usually pain goes away after "2, 3 minutes" but not this time.</p>
— Mike Richman (@mikegrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikegrich/status/558505261531267072">January 23, 2015</a>
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https://www.blazersedge.com/2015/1/22/7876449/video-nicolas-batum-injury-wrist-portland-trail-blazersDan Graves2015-01-22T17:30:02-08:002015-01-22T17:30:02-08:00CHAT: Ultra Short-Handed Blazers vs. Celtics!
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<figcaption>Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<div class="read-more">Tip-off: <b>7:00 pm</b><br>Watch: <b>KGW | NBA 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><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Robin Lopez</span></span></span></b> is out until at least late January with a fractured hand. <b><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Joel Freeland</span></span> </b>is out with a shoulder sprain. And <b><span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span> </b>has his thumb in a cast, so he's probably not expected to play.</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/2015/1/22/7874845/gameday-thread-boston-celtics-vs-portland-trail-blazersTimmay!2015-01-22T00:47:53-08:002015-01-22T00:47:53-08:00Blazers vs. Celtics Preview
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<figcaption>Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Blazers head home tonight to host the Boston Celtics in the second half of a back-to-back.</p> <p align="center"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> (13-26, No. 13 in the East) vs. </span><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Portland Trail Blazers</a> (31-12, No. 2 in the West)<br>Thursday, January 22<br>Moda Center; Portland, OR | 7:00 p.m. PST | Local TV/Radio: KGWHD; 620 AM<br>Out for the Blazers:<span class="sbn-auto-link"> <span>Robin Lopez</span>, <span>Joel Freeland, </span><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span></span><span> </span></span>| Out for the Celtics: <span>James Young</span> (day-to-day)<br>SBN Affiliate: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.celticsblog.com/">CelticsBlog</a> | <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/10/28/7082097/portland-trail-blazers-2014-15-season-preview-tv-viewing-guide">Timmay's Viewing Guide</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 tonight to host the Boston Celtics in the second half of a back-to-back.</p>
<p align="left">Portland took the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Suns</a> to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2015/1/21/7870385/portland-trail-blazers-vs-phoenix-suns-damian-lillard-wesley-matthews">final seconds last night</a> in Phoenix, but a spirited comeback in the fourth period fell short as a 40-point first quarter by the Suns proved insurmountable for the injury-depleted Blazers.</p>
<p align="left">Forward Dorell Wright got the start at power forward in place of the injured LaMarcus Aldridge, as Blazers coach <span>Terry Stotts</span> opted to go with the 28-year-old veteran's experience and ability to stretch the floor with the starters. Center Chris Kaman got the nod opposite Wright in the starting frontcourt and bigs <span>Thomas Robinson</span> and <span>Meyers Leonard</span> played significant minutes off the bench, while forward <span>Victor Claver</span> was left out of the rotation.</p>
<p align="left">Aldridge will again be out of the lineup today as the team <a target="_blank" href="http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2015/01/mri_results_on_lamarcus_aldridges_injured_left_thu.html#incart_2box">awaits further MRI results</a> on his injured left thumb, and Stotts will likely stick with a similar rotation tonight against the Celtics.</p>
<p align="left">Boston has had its own share of roster-shuffling the last several weeks, after President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge shipped long-time point guard <span>Rajon Rondo</span> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> in return for forwards <span>Jae Crowder</span> and <span>Brandan Wright</span> (since waived), point guard <span>Jameer Nelson</span> and a few picks. Last week, forward <span>Jeff Green</span> -- the team's leading scorer to that point -- was sent to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a> in a three-team trade that netted the Celtics wings <span>Tayshaun Prince</span> and <span>Austin Rivers</span> (since traded) and more picks.</p>
<p align="left">Ainge clearly has Boston in rebuild mode, acquiring a mind-boggling amount of current and future draft picks that are nearly impossible to keep track of due to a <a target="_blank" href="http://imgur.com/JzzAbT6">confusing number of protections and potential swaps down the road</a>. The short story, though, is that the Celtics are eschewing competitiveness in the short term for the chance at better draft picks down the road and with the interest of developing the young talent already on the team.</p>
<p align="left">Boston coach <span>Brad Stevens</span> has moved <span>Evan Turner</span> into the starting lineup at point guard, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2015/01/boston_celtics_notes_james_you_5.html">a position he's never played</a> full-time before in his five-year career. The results have been as expected, as the Celtics have gone 1-3 since the Green trade last week. Turner's responded to his positional shift by increasing his production as a distributor but struggling to hit his own shots, creating more of his own offense than any of his teammates the last five games but making just 35.9 percent of his field goals and 20 percent of his three-pointers in that span.</p>
<p align="left">As a whole, Boston's offensive production has been fairly average lately, but the pace has slowed significantly as Stevens is integrating new players into his system and operating without Rondo and Green, his two best players prior to their respective departures.</p>
<p align="left">Guard Avery Bradley starts across Turner in the backcourt, shooting mostly three-pointers and jumpers, struggling with both lately. Bradley sometimes gets into the paint but isn't a great finisher and doesn't create much offense for teammates.</p>
<p align="left">Forward Jae Crowder has found his way into the starting lineup for Bradley, and he's capitalized on his increased minutes recently by hitting 55 percent of his shots the last five games. Crowder's best shooting comes from the midrange, but he can also score inside.</p>
<p align="left">Perhaps no other Celtic has seized the opportunity for an uptick in minutes the way power forward <span>Jared Sullinger</span> has the last few weeks. His production on the glass has been solid and his occasional work in the paint has gone well recently, but Sullinger's increased shot attempts haven't translated to more made jumpers or three-pointers, as he's 28.6 percent from deep the last five games on over four attempts per night. Center Tyler Zeller is an <a target="_blank" href="http://www.celticsblog.com/2015/1/15/7553447/how-tyler-zellers-development-on-defense-helps-the-boston-celtics-synergy-sports-stats">underrated rim protector</a> defensively and has been a bright spot for the team amidst all the roster turmoil, but his offense hasn't quite been there even though he rarely strays from the key.</p>
<p align="left">The Celtics <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/01/17/brandon-bass-continues-give-celtics-maximum-effort/IqLNOPsKeOHUrWrcXVzZEO/story.html">most efficient production comes off the bench</a>, with forward <span>Brandon Bass</span> hitting half his shots the last five games and scoring a dozen points a night in that span. Reserve center <span>Kelly Olynyk</span> is putting up similar numbers and doing most of his damage inside, while Bass steps out for jumpers more often. Rookie guard <span>Marcus Smart</span> shoots mostly threes and has canned over 40 percent of his attempts from outside the last several games, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/post-011915-smart-brings-3-point-sizzle-downtown-la">earning praise from his coach for developing his perimeter game</a> this year.</p>
<p align="left">Guard Marcus Thornton plays big minutes off the bench and can be a bulk scorer for Boston, his best shooting coming from deep right now. Guard Phil Pressey and forward <span>Gerald Wallace</span> have earned many DNP-CDs this season and are outside of the rotation at the moment. Prince suited up for Monday's loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a>, playing 19 minutes. Stevens <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2015/01/celtics_notebook_prince_plays_into_plans_for_now">seems likely to continue getting him playing time</a>.</p>
<p align="left">Boston's Achilles' heel right now is its young, inconsistent defense. <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/557558822672531457">Smart is active on that end and plays excellent perimeter D</a>, but his teammates can't mimic his efforts and the Celtics have the worst Defensive Rating in the league over the last five games, according to NBA.com. They allow plenty of points and assists, giving up a league-worst 42.5 percent from deep in that span.</p>
<p align="left">The Blazers bombed their way to 40.6 percent shooting from deep last night against the Suns, making 13 of their 32 long-range attempts, and you can expect more of that tonight against an undisciplined Boston defense. All five of Portland's starters scored at least 14 points in Phoenix, and the predictable issue was a distinct lack of bench production as the reserves shot a combined 4-for-14 from the field.</p>
<p align="left">Blazers point guard <span>Damian Lillard</span> finished 6-of-22 overall and 2-of-10 from outside last night as the leading man in Stotts' offense. His six assists were promising, but five turnovers could be concerning, especially with a defender like Smart in line for big minutes opposite Lillard in the backcourt. He'll need to get used to his offense being more and more difficult to find as opposing teams can gameplan to slow him down in the absence of Aldridge. Stotts may opt to play Lillard off the ball with reserve point guard <span>Steve Blake</span> --who struggled last night in 10 minutes -- running the show a little more often in order to find the All-Star point guard better shots.</p>
<p align="left">Guard Wesley Matthews chipped in 22 points against the Suns, making two of his five three-point tries and half his shots within the arc. He'll again be looked at for extra offensive production tonight and should be able to find pretty solid looks from outside against a weak Boston perimeter defense.</p>
<p align="left">Forward Nicolas Batum momentarily bursted out of a months-long shooting slump last night, going 9-for-15 from the floor and an astonishing 6-for-8 from deep, along with five assists. That's the kind of production Stotts needs from the French swingman, who may be able to parlay extra defensive attention toward Lillard and Matthews into more open shots from the perimeter. If nothing else, Batum's 27-point outing against the Suns should give him a boost of confidence in what's been one of the most trying stretches of his career.</p>
<p align="left">Kaman and Wright manned the starting frontcourt in Phoenix and played well offensively. Wright looked for his own field goals relatively often and finished with 15 points on 3-for-6 shooting from outside, playing actively on offense as a floor-spreader. Kaman kept most of his attempts in the paint last night and converted seven of his nine field goals, a solid game for the veteran big man.</p>
<p align="left">Stotts' bench was, well...not that great. Robinson made all three of his shots and hit the boards hard -- as did Leonard -- but neither Blake, McCollum, nor Barton could make much happen from the backcourt. Leonard's aggressive demeanor that he'd adopted since the Freeland injury a few weeks ago was absent when he had the ball. He'll be needed tonight, as the Celtics can spread the floor with Sullinger, Bass, Olynyk and Crowder up front.</p>
<p align="left">Portland's defense was -- as expected -- pretty shaky without bigs Aldridge, Joel Freeland and Robin Lopez in the lineup against the Suns. Phoenix' guards got into the paint and finished with regularity, and while the Blazers have the personnel up front when healthy to erase perimeter defenders' mistakes, Kaman, Wright, Robinson and Leonard aren't exactly great rim protectors. Lillard, Matthews and Batum need to help ease the burden on Portland's shallow frontcourt rotation with better defense around the outside, which should be much, much less difficult tonight against Turner, Bradley, Smart & Co. instead of <span>Goran Dragic</span>, <span>Eric Bledsoe</span> and <span>Isaiah Thomas</span>.</p>
<p align="left">The Celtics haven't been particularly proficient on the glass lately, but then again, neither have the Blazers. Both teams struggle to corral their own misses on the whole and Portland is just slightly better on the defensive boards. Kaman, Leonard and Robinson have put in pretty good rebounding efforts with a dinged-up frontcourt, but they'll have to manage Olynynk and Sullinger, both of whom do work on the offensive glass. Zeller is effective in somewhat limited minutes and Turner is a very active rebounding guard.</p>
<p align="left">The Blazers will no doubt be missing Aldridge and his other injured companions up front, but they're catching a Boston team that has been stripped of most of its proven, veteran talent recently with an eye toward the long-term future. Tonight's game provides a good opportunity for a weakened Portland lineup to pick up a galvanizing win over another struggling team before the second-place <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> come to town Saturday night.</p>
<p>-- Chris Lucia | bedgecast@gmail.com | <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://twitter.com/ChrisLucia_BE" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p>
<p><i>Sam Tongue's Key Matchup:</i></p>
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https://www.blazersedge.com/2015/1/22/7870573/portland-trail-blazers-vs-boston-celtics-previewChris Lucia