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Missing Ingredients
posted: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 at 9:16 PM

The Trail Blazers have lost something lately, and try as they might, they have yet to find where it went. After playing some of their best basketball of the last few years, Portland has fallen flat.

Tonight was no different, as the Trail Blazers were beaten handily, 99-81, by the New York Knicks. The loss continued the Trail Blazers difficulties against Eastern Conference teams at the Rose Garden (they are now 1-7, and many of those losses have come at the hands of less-than-stellar teams).

So the search for the missing ingredients begins all over again at practice Thursday.

The Trail Blazers recent futility is all the more upsetting because now we know how good they CAN be.

If there's any positives to be taken from tonight's game, it's got to be the production of LaMarcus Aldridge. In his short minutes, Aldridge was effiecent, certainly making a case for more playing time.

Until then, let's hope the Trail Blazers find what they're looking for.

Andrew R Tonry


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A New Lineup
posted: at 9:06 PM

Strange -- and a first-time -- lineup on the floor for Portland:

Sergio Rodriguez
Brandon Roy
Martell Webster
LaMarcus Aldridge
Raef LaFrentz

You could look at this two ways: 1.) McMillan is trying to shake things up and find some energy players that can get it going, or 2.) He's giving the Trail Blazers youth some extended minutes, as the game is out of reach.

I'd say it's a little of both.


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Martell Still Fighting
posted: at 9:02 PM

But unfortunately heart isn't turning into baskets. On the last posession Martell grabbed two offensive boards but was unable to make any of his three shots. It just seems nothing is going right for these Trail Blazers tonight...


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Martell Attacking
posted: at 8:57 PM

Martell Webster, who had a great practice Tuesday, is fighting hard to breath some life into this Trail Blazer offense -- but, oh my... I hate to say it, but Martell's fast break dunk attempt just got stuck between the backboard and rim, resulting in a jump ball.

Still, let's hope that the youngster doens't let the mistake damage his confidence because his active, hard-working play of the last few minutes is just what the Trail Blazers need!

Just under nine minutes remain, and the Knicks are up 15.


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Gotta Hand it to Blaze
posted: at 8:52 PM

In a moment that needed a little comic relief, Blaze the Trailcat delivered.

The Portland mascot blindfolded a fan in a Knicks jersey then pulled the ol' switcharoo, putting a sign that read "idiot" in his hand. The unsuspecting fan stood there as Blaze milked the moment, thinking the Trail Cat was going to dunk over him. Even veteran Dick Bavetta got in on the action by taking the fan's hand and raising the sign higher.

When the fan finally figured it out, it was WAY too late.


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McMillan Searching for an Answer
posted: at 8:45 PM

Things have gone a bit haywire for the Trail Blazers in the last few minutes. Passes have missed their man, shots have missed their mark, and rebounds have been given out.

Coach McMillan just sent Sergio Rodriguez in to try and shake things up a bit -- the Spanish rookie responded by nailing an outside jumper.

But on the other end, the going is no less rough. Ronaldo Balkman just powered in a two-handed baseline jam, followed on the next possession by yet another Eddy Curry alley-oop.

Travis Outlaw looks to have some sort of injury, as he was hobbling and squirming in pain.

Raef LaFrentz checked in, and Outlaw has left for the locker room. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that Travis' injury is nothing severe.

At the end of the third, the Trail Blazers are down 20.


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The Difference is Rebounding
posted: at 8:38 PM

New York holds a 31-17 rebounding edge of the Trail Blazers at the moment, and that is what's given the Knicks their nine-point lead. Portland is going to have to get in their and knock bodies with New York if they expect to stay in this game.

On the other end of the floor, Zach Randolph is fighting hard for position but rarely receiving the ball. He really wants some shots, which is understandable after his hot first-half. And for the Trail Blazers to have a chance, they're going to have to Randolph more touches.

In the meantime, Brandon Roy is asserting himself, head-first, into the offense.

And though things were getting a little quiet inside the Rose Garden, Jarrett Jack lit the crowd up with a beautiful behind-the-back pass in the paint that Jamal Magloire turned into an easy dunk.

Knicks 70, Portland 58.


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Curry Gets Up Again!
posted: at 8:34 PM

That's the third alley-oop dunk Eddy Curry's had tonight. None of them have been contested and are exposing some hole in the Trail Blazer defense.

After this last one Nate McMillan called timeout immediately -- giving away showstopping dunks inside is something he's not going to allow.

Six and a half minutes to go in the third and the Trail Blazers are down 11.


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New Defensive Scheme
posted: at 8:28 PM

In hopes of slowing Knicks center Eddy Curry, who's got a game-high 19 points, the Trail Blazers are sending weak-side help as soon as he touches the ball. This time it was Ime Udoka, who's also got the difficult task of covering Jamal Crawford.

The rest of the Trail Blazer team is going to have to step up and rotate quickly to avoid giving New York's complementary players open shots.

55-46, New York.


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A Time for Urgency
posted: at 8:22 PM

Now, I'm no mind reader, but I did get a pretty good look at Coach McMillan's eyes in the huddle before the second half began. He looked both pleading and serious, likely asking his team to display a sense of urgency immediately -- to leave it on the floor starting now. No late-game comebacks or personal heroics, just hard work and team work through this second-half.


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At the Half
posted: at 8:06 PM

The Zach Randolph, Brandon Roy pick and roll to end the first-half rimmed out, and though you could hear Roy yell "and-one", no foul was called despite what looked like a lot of contact.

42-51, New York -- not where the Trail Blazers want to be...


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And Just Like That...
posted: at 7:58 PM

Aldridge makes his presence known!

First a bigtime one-handed alley-oop from Jarrett Jack, then a monster block on the red-hot Jamal Crawford.

Rumble young man, Rumble!


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Trail Blazers Youth
posted: at 7:55 PM

Well, just like that Brandon Roy got involved in the offense. Unfortunately he took a pretty hard hit drawing that foul in the lane. But though he grimaced, Brandon got up, toughed it out, and made his way to the line.

LaMarcus Aldridge just checked in with four minutes remaining in the half. It's the first meaningfull playing time LaMarcus has seen in some time. No doubt the rookie big man will try and assert himself.

Great steal by Roy allows Jarrett to draw a foul on the break.

Roy hits a jumper and it's 38-41, Trail Blazers.


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Zach and Jack Back
posted: at 7:47 PM

Portland's offense has gone a bit stagnant, so the two starters are back in. In fact, now that Brandon's back in, that puts all five Trail Blazer starters back on the floor.

And speaking of Roy, expect something out of him soon -- the rookie has been pretty quiet so far, and that just doesn't figure to last.

Five minutes remain in the quarter, and the Knicks will be shooting free throws the rest of the way. Portland better be carefull as this foul trouble could put them in a halftime hole.


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Curry Bull's to the Hoop
posted: at 7:44 PM

The way the Knicks center keeps fighting his way to the rim, nicknaming him "The Bull" wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Curry's got 10, and the Knicks have managed to grab the lead. 31-30, New York.


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After One
posted: at 7:34 PM

The Trail Blazers came out strong, and appear to have shaken off the hangover of the Celtics loss. Zach and Jarrett, the two who had the most trouble Monday, look good.

But that said, the Knicks are hanging around. Jamal Crawford's hot hand is leading all scores with 12.

24-23, Portland.


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Monday's Anomaly
posted: at 7:28 PM

Zach Randolph posted a season-low nine points Monday against the Celtics. It was clear that Zach just wasn't himself.

That's not the case tonight.

The first quarter isn't over and Zach's already got 10, not to mention five boards. And with the three-point play opportunity coming after this timeout, Randolph can push it to 11.

He does, and all seems back to normal in Blazerland.


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The Basket's Over THERE!
posted: at 7:24 PM

Jarred Jefferies just missed a free throw by about a foot in each direction. One of the worst free throw misses I've ever seen... way too bad to be blaiming on the new-old ball... that was UGLY. The Rose Garden crowd took notice and let Jefferies have it.

Yikes.


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Bouncing Back
posted: at 7:19 PM

After one of their worst performances of the season Monday, team leaders Jarrett Jack and Zach Randolph seem to be bouncing back nicely.

Jarrett is attacking the hoop and hitting his outside shots, while Zach has already handed out two assists to go with his four points. It's just this kind of a performances the Trail Blazers need from their leaders -- especially early -- to regain their rythm.

17-11, Portland with just under five minutes remaining.


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Przybilla Firgures to Have Hands Full
posted: at 7:11 PM

Of all the centers Joel Przybilla has had to defend lately, few are the focal point of their team's offense like Eddy Curry.

Curry leads the Knicks with 17.2 points per game, and the ball has gone through him on the majority of the Knicks offensive possessions.

But so far Joel is doing a solid job and the Trail Blazers are off to a good start, leading 10-3.


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Trail Blazers and Knicks Shootaround
posted: at 6:59 PM

It's a big one tonight. And, yes, you might be hearing that a lot about the Trail Blazers lately, but it's no overstatement.

There's been two types of big games in the the last month for Portland -- big games to maintain momentum, and big games to break losing streaks... And with all of that, there haven't been many "ho-hum" games in-between.

Unfortunately tonights matchup against the Knicks is one of those get back on the right track games. The Trail Blazers have lost four of their last five games, and three straight. Portland's most recent loss to Boston was one of the season's most dissapointing. Portland weren't merely beat, they were outworked. The loss made Nate McMillan fume, and Tuesday he put the team through one of the most grueling practices of the season.

McMillan was happy with the team's effort at practice, but was not ready to relax. "Yesterday doesn't matter," the coach said. "It's today that matters."

And while the Trail Blazers have struggled recently, the Knicks have done no better.

Tonight New York is without Quenten Richardson, Steve Francis and others.

Each team has 13 wins, but one will leave tonight with 14. Right after these starting line-ups, we'll get a glimpse of who that might be -- the first few minutes should give an important look at the Trail Blazers' renewed energy and response to McMillan's call to get out there on the floor and WORK.


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