(Very) Shorthanded Blazers Fall to Clips
posted: 11/6/2006 at 10:24 PM
First off, let's discuss the biggest question that's on your mind. I wish I had a better answer for you.
Brandon Roy injured his heel late in the first half on Monday night against the Clippers in L.A., and didn't return. He warmed up at halftime, and was going to try and give it a go in the second half, but couldn't. It's just being called "pain in his heel" at this point. The Blazers are scheduled for practice on Tuesday and I'll try and find out more. I'll give you and update if I have any better idea.
The one thing I do know, is Brandon is a tough guy. If he could have been out there, he would have been. Hopefully it isn't serious, and that he was just held out for precautionary reasons. No reason to think anything other than that at this point.
The Clippers ended up getting the win over the Blazers, 102-89. All things considered, for the Blazers to be in this thing in the second half, was a testament to the guys who were out there battling. They were totally outsized, and were beaten on the backboards, but never gave up in the game. They had the Clippers lead cut to 2 late in the third, but the Clips immediately responded and went on a 17-1 run. The Blazers still wouldn't die, and cut it to 9 with 3 and a-half to go in the fourth, but could get no closer.
In the past few years in this series, Zach Randolph and Elton Brand have usually cancelled each other out in these games. It's always a great matchup, and they are players with very similar games. If you would have said going in that Zach would dominate Brand, I would have said the Blazers win the game. He absolutely got the best of Brand.
Randolph ended the game with 35 points, on 11 of 17 shooting, and also grabbed 13 rebounds. He got to the line, and shot 13 of 15. The biggest sequence by Zach, and one that showed his heart and desire, was with 3:55 left in the third quarter. He stumbled to the hoop, made a difficult shot, and then lost his balance and nearly went down. His man, Brand, flew to the other end of the floor on the fast break. Zach sprinted, caught him, made the steal on the entry pass to Brand, and took it all the way down the floor, scored, was fouled, and made a three-point play. That made it 61-59, Clippers. Then, the Blazers went cold. Again, that was with 4 minutes left in the third, and the Blazers didn't score their next field goal until the 8:47 mark of the 4th quarter.
They tried to fight back, and were difficult to put away. They got the Clippers' lead down to single digits, but finally fell.
The amazing thing about Randolph's night is that he was called for two quick fouls early in the game, and went to the bench. It was the last thing the team needed, and possibly in past years, it could have meant a long night for Zach. To his credit, he fought back and was called for only one more foul the rest of the way.
It was a solid first half for Portland, and to combat their lack of size, went with a zone defense that had the Clippers confused. It's the zone defense we've seen, where Portland matches up to make it look like man-to-man, and then switches into a zone. The Blazers briefly took a 5-point lead in the second quarter, but couldn't make it stick. The Clips went to the half with a 4-point lead. Good teams make adjustments, and the Clippers, confused by the defense initially, made the proper changes, and got the win.
It was also a good game for Jarrett Jack, who scored 17 points, on 8 of 14 shooting, and had 5 assists and only one turnover. Ime Udoka was the only other Blazer in double figures, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Next up for Portland is a game against the Lakers, at the Rose Garden, on Wednesday night. Hopefully Roy will return. Don't expect to see Joel Przybilla back for possibly the rest of the week. I talked to him today and he's still in a tremendous amount of pain, and is having trouble even getting around the house. He took a knee to the groin in the Golden State game, and even though the impact was actually slightly above the very sensative area (I'm trying to paint a picture here), he's had a tremendous amount of swelling, and as I said, lots of pain. He said it won't have lingering effects, and he should be available for possibly the Dallas game on Sunday, and says he plans on making the 4-game road trip back east.
If I get an update on Roy, I'll have it for you after practice on Tuesday.
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Cool stuff, I like the instant feedback and info on the players. Great web site this year and very much looking forward to seeing what the Blazers can pull off this year. Looks like we have a hard working and coach able team, something that has been missing. Let's cross our fingers they can gel and make some magic happen.
I knew something was fishy when I was watching the real time stats and it showed Roy only playing 13 minutes, but I held out hope. Now I am distraught, but will remain optimistic for this young blazer team.
One of the side benefits of having NBA league pass is hearing what the other side is saying about you. Like being a fly on the wall. In yesterdays' case however is was almost unbearable. I know L.A. has little love for Portland but it was almost as if Ralph Lawler was giddy over taking jabs at Portland. Ralph, in particular, has endured many many losses at the hands of the Blazers over the years so I'm sure this feels ike redemption time for him. He even managed to throw in a J**lBlazer reference. Ugh. His partner though was a little more basketball saavy and was quick to point out Portland's obvious strengths much to Lawler's chagrin. The in-studio halftime guys actually referred to our team as "bad" and were almost shocked the halftime margin was "only" four. As if the Clips should have been up by thirty.
All in all, I felt like everyone but Zach sort of had the wind knocked out of them when Roy went out. Interesting how he is commanding double teams four whole games into his NBA career. Zach didn't see that until his fourth year.
Where to start? Losing Roy for what could be an indefinate period of time, was probably bigger than the loss itself. Considering they were playing small, they hung around. It was the 3-on-1 fastbreak in the 4th, down 9, with Dixon bricking a shot instead of passing off, that decided the final outcome IMO. It led to a fastbreak that pushed the lead into double-digets again.
Sadly, this is a bit of a repeat of last season so far: great game one night and inconsistancy the next. Though they played better than at G.S, Webster, Outlaw, and Dixon just had another up and down game. It seems that they have trouble doing it for 4-5 games in a row. For Portland to progress forward, guys like them need to be more consistant.
We also need to work on transition defense. It seems like every game they get beaten back down the floor at will. I mean 7ft. Kaman went from half-court and laid it up uncontested. Remember Wilcox in the Seattle game? Left Z-bo in the dust.
Got to hand it to Zach. I really feel if he has a great game we will ride his shirttails, but yesterday wasn't one of them.
What was once a strong position, the 5 and now even the 4, has gotten really thin with Joel, Raif, and LaMarcus out. It's a shame really, these guys have worked pretty darn hard, but those are bumps in the road that can be overcome in time. I'm really excited when LaMarcus can come in and show us what he's got. He can get up and down, has a nice mid-range and can play defense. He will be a great talent at our 5 when he inherits the job someday.
Hopefully Roy will be back soon. Go Blazers!
westside erik,
I was a little shocked myself at the things that were said on the broadcast. I certainly hope we don't ever come off that way on the air. Ralph and Mike are very good guys, but I was disappointed with the constant shots at the team, and in particular, the shots at Zach Randolph. They were extremely hard on Zach and Jamaal, and I guess were trying to be funny. It wasn't. It was also disappointing to hear them say that "it's a good thing Nate has a 5-year deal, because that's how long it will take to get this team competitive." I would hope if I ever get that way on the air you guys will bust me on it.
tigerman12,
Good comments. Inconsistency is usually, unfortunately, the mark of a young team. And, with all the injuries, and all the new combinations Nate is being forced to try, it's like they're starting all over again. Hopefully some of these guys will get healthy very soon, and the guys who are able to go are able to weather the storm, because the schedule is about to get very difficult.
MB
Just hoping for some kind of Roy update..
When an entity has endured as much weathering as did the Trailblazers, there comes a time to rebuild like that rusty old ‘66 Ford out in the storm shed since the winter of 1988. That’s exactly what the Portland Trailblazers are now in the process of doing.As a 7 year employee of the Trailblazers, I have experienced 7 opening nights at the Rose Garden where the Trailblazers call home. None have been quite as exciting as the most recent opening night game.Brandon Roy, the newest Blazer, promotes a swagger evident only in veterans that have been in the league for more than 5 years. For Roy, 22 years old, it was the first game on the Rose Garden hardwood in his young career. Roy was remarkable, finishing off the game guarding the opposing teams best player in the closing seconds. Roy is the hope, the bright yellow ray of light blinding the disbelievers certain the Portland Trailblazers never will regain the support of the cities faithful.
Roy is the new engine that drives the old 66 Ford that sat in the shed for too long. This is a complete overhaul, a rebuild of a franchise in dire need of a new brand. The jail blazers mantra seemed to be a distant echo, The Trailblazers are now a new brand of character mixed with a winning attitude, a well oiled machine. The Trailblazers are a rebuilt 1966 Ford.
I think Magloire is going to be a great defensive centre and he can also score, I remember his third year with New Orleans when Mashburn and Davis were injured he was the "Go To" averaging 18 points per game. If Portland shows this kid love he'll play his heart out for ya!!
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