A Tale of Two Halves in Game One
posted: 10/11/2006 at 11:21 PM
The energy and enthusiasm were certainly there, and the crowd at the Rose Garden was in fine form for a pre-season game, but the Seattle Supersonics used their veterans to bring home a 99-89 win over the Trail Blazers in the first pre-season game for both teams on Wednesday night.
The Blazers went deep into the rotation, as expected, in the first half, and took an 8-point lead into the locker room at halftime. But, Seattle then outscored the Blazers 54-36 in the second half. Seattle's final run of the game, with less than five minutes left, sealed the win.
Nate McMillan, who was called for a techical foul in the second half, was animated on the sidelines for Portland, and kept the team in a closed-door meeting for an extended period of time after the game. You don't normally see intensity like that from a head coach during the exhibition season, but this was an opportunity for his team to learn, and the coach was bent on using many examples to hammer home his points.
McMillan said he was pleased with the scrappy play his team showed, and even used the example of the crowd giving the team a standing ovation in the second half following a tremendous defensive stand, as effort he expects every night. But, he also talked about taking care of the ball, and how things can spiral out of control in a hurry for young teams if they don't execute. That's what happened down the stretch.
There were many positives to take out of the game for Portland. Jarrett Jack had a solid game at the point, scoring 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting. Zach Randolph finished with 20 points and 7 rebounds, and Joel Przybilla grabbed 9 rebounds in just 27 minutes of action.
Brandon Roy got his first start in this first game, but showed some opening-game jitters. It was understandable, being he was playing against the Sonics, the team he grew up watching in Seattle. Roy was just 3 for 10 shooting, and was frustrated with his four turnovers. Still, even on an off night, Roy showed glimpses of what is to come in his career.
The Sonics were led by Rashard Lewis, who scored 17 points and pulled down five rebounds. Damien Wilkins had 15 off the bench, as did Earl Watson, who played the bulk of the minutes at the point guard spot down the stretch. One of the big stories late in the season was the fact that Watson was playing, and Luke Ridnour was sitting in the fourth quarter of games. If this game is any indication, this is soon to be a story again. In fact, Ridnour, who did start, played only 12 minutes.
One of the bright spots for Portland was the play of its point guards. Jack was solid, and Dan Dickau and Sergio Rodriguez, were also productive. Dickau hit both of his three-point attempts, and had four assists in 20 minutes of play. Sergio played just over six minutes, and also hit two three pointers. Fans also got a taste of his passing ability, and perhaps his youth and inexperience, when he had a couple of unforced errors- one, an attempted no-look pass that landed in the middle of three Seattle players. Still, the talent is clearly there.
Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen was in the house for this first pre-season game, and at halftime jumped on the Blazers radio network for a quick interview with Jay Allen. To hear what the owner had to say,
click here. It's back to work on Thursday morning for the Blazers, as they are set to practice at 10am. They'll watch plenty of tape of the first game, and have plenty to build on. The next pre-season game is set for Tuesday night, when the Golden State Warriors visit the Rose Garden.
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I was there that game, and man was I impressed with Sergio. He's our LeBron James who can't dunk. Brandon Roy, I wasn't very impressed with. He looked a little low on confidence. Magloire has really made me a fan (of him). And Zach Randolph is in better shape than ever. His inside shot is getting MUCH better. Too bad the foul situation in the 4th didn't improve. And too bad we lost. But come on down and see this team. If you don't then yer missing out.
Hey MB,
everytime sergio scores a 3, we're gonna cheer "goooooooooaaaaaaaallllll"
hopefully it'll catch on.
also, Zach seemed to be the Zach of old. And thats not meant as a compliment. He was a momentum killer.
Hey MB, I'm just a little curious about the plans of Ime Udoka. Who in my mind is a very very good player.
Back when he was in college (Portland State) I used to watch him play and boy, he show great (mass) potential.
Now I dont wanna be "that guy" but, if I had to compare him, I'd say Derek Anderson, when he was in Kentucky ("And?" You say? Not streaky like DA). That was years ago, so I'm sure he has improved greatly, I believe he is 29, but I'm sure, don't quote me.
Nate, MB, whoever, look into this guy. You can say Roy #7, you can say Aldridge #12, maybe even Rodriguez #11, but I'll be saying Udoka #5.
Mike,
I'm pretty sure that pass Sergio made was thrown to where Juan Dixon SHOULD have been, but wasn't. I was very impressed with him, even though three times he made too good a pass to Joel. Once Joel and the others adjust to the idea of the ball magically appearing in their hands out of thin air, Sergio's assist numbers will skyrocket. Queremos mas Sergio!
I'll send you the pics I took, (the kid is adorable, BTW) and I hope our little group of loudmouths weren't too obnoxious sitting that close to you and your lovely wife.
P.S. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!
Even though we lost, the game last night was terrific. Going into the game the main attraction for me was Roy, and it was nice to see his first NBA jumper go in, even if it was just a preseason game. I also came away very impressed with how in shape Zach looked, even from the 200 section.
Nice to see the the new Blazerdancers as well, although the "Risky Business" themed number was a tad cheesy.
I have this to say about Robert Swift: is it just me or does anyone else think he resembles David Coverdale from Whitesnake?
I have been confused with both the media and the blazer oreganization's views on Zach's skills. Look back on how he earned his rep as a 20-10 player and got his contract. He was not the focus of the offense. He was a go-and-get-it offense rebounder who got some touches as an option within a balanced offense. Somehow, his attitude and the attitude fo the organization changed when his contract was signed. All of a sudden he is a go-to post player? He can score on guys, but that is not what got him here, and that is not his real strength. He is a naturaly a weak-side rebounder and hustle player who makes his own opportunities to score. We let Rasheed go. Zach is not that baseline player, a guy who you feed the ball because good things will happen. It is a shame that Zach and the organization turned him into a focal point for defenses rather than a roamer. The current philosophy on Zach drains touches from other players, and turns the offense sluggish rather than dynamic.
JC in Stumptown
Mike, even though i was kidding, i apologize for giving you a hard time for not giving a starting five prediction. I realize, now, you probably already knew who was starting and didn't feel it was your replace to reveal.
Travis was better at the 4 than the 3. I'll eat a little crow there, but i still think his best bet to make it in the league is to develop a 3-point shot. We didn't take a lead until Martell replaced him in the first quarter and opened things up by hit shots. Travis, though, played with intensity and was cat-like at the 4 spot defensively.
Mike, when was the last time you saw a guy 19 step on the floor for the first time in the NBA and bury two 3-pointers in a row? Not to mention the passes he was bouncing off Joel's head. I predicted when we traded for him he would become a fan favorite by the end of preseason. I was wrong. He already is a fan favorite.
yea...i was overall happy about the blazers. i mean, our guards shot pretty well...i say give roy a couple of games to work out butterflies and you're good to go. And also, give Sergio some time too. he's young, and give the kid some experience and he'll blow your head off!
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!
Hey MB,
Did you retire from blogging? Haven't heard from you in a few days! Just curious, that's all.
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