Tough one to swallow...
posted: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 at 9:23 PM
The Trail Blazers could not stop Manu Ginobili in crunch-time and the Spurs hit 4 straight three-pointers in the fourth quarter to edge the Trail Blazers 99 - 94.
Brandon Roy finished with 19 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds to lead the Trail Blazers, but the difference tonight is the three-point shooting.
The Spurs hit 8 shots from beyond the arc, and the Trail Blazers could only muster 4 from range.
The Trail Blazers owned nearly every other category, including rebounds (41 - 34), 2nd chance points (14 - 6), assists (24 - 22), dunks (2 - 0), and steals (8 - 3) but it wasn't enough to close out the red-hot Spurs who have now won 10 straight games.
30 seconds left...
posted: at 9:20 PM
Brandon Roy connected with LaMarcus Aldridge for a huge dunk and hopefully that will get the Trail Blazers headed in the right direction.
Michael Finley connected on a fourth-straight Spurs three-pointer to give the Spurs a 5-point lead.
There's 30.0 seconds left and Portland needs a stop! It's 97 - 94 Spurs.
Heartbreaker...
posted: at 9:15 PM
3 straight three-pointers have given the Spurs their first lead outside of the first quarter.
Manu Ginobili hit 2 straight and then Matt Bonner connected on a third for 9 straight points.
It's 92 - 94 Spurs, but there is still 1:07 left to play, which is an eternity in NBA years.
R.O.Y. again!
posted: at 9:12 PM
Now that's just nasty.
Another pull-up jumper for Brandon Roy and he now has 19 points in the game.
With 2:30 left, the Trail Blazers lead by 5, 90 - 85...
Thunder!
posted: at 9:06 PM
We got 'em shaking in the knees!
LaMarcus Aldridge just grabbed an offensive board and hit the put back for a clutch two points. It's 88 - 83 Trail Blazers with 3:04 to play.
Not enough can be said about how well Aldridge has played tonight. His 12 points and 3 rebounds really don't do justice to his defensive effort against Tim Duncan.
Aldridge has clawed, pushed, shoved, poked and blocked the perennial All-Star all night long. Duncan has 22 points in the game, but he's had to work overtime to try and score on L-Train.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
posted: at 9:00 PM
Sergio Rodriguez just dribbled up, under and through the Spurs defense before finding Travis Outlaw for two points.
And it only gets better! After another Spurs possession, Sergio drove the lane and then pump faked Tim Duncan right out of his shoes. Sergio hit the 5 footer for two more points!
It's so loud in the Rose Garden, they can hear us in San Antonio! Trail Blazers lead the Spurs 86 - 78.
Emotions running high...
posted: at 8:53 PM
Maurice Lucas, Nate McMillan and Zach Randolph are all up and yelling as referees have quickly shifted the momentum of the night's contest.
On three consecutive plays, the stripes hit Jamaal Magloire with either a warning or a foul call, and it's cut the Trail Blazer lead to 6-points.
Ironically, it was Bruce Bowen who was hit with the technical foul after he argued a call on an ensuing possession.
The Trail Blazers now lead the Spurs 80 - 74 with 8:11 left in regulation.
R.O.Y.
posted: at 8:44 PM
It's official, the Rookie of the Year race is over.
Roy has taken over the game here in the third quarter, despite playing against the suitable competition of Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan.
Roy now has 17 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds, and he's hit some absolutely ridiculous shots.
In the last 20 seconds of the third quarter, Roy isolated on Bruce Bowen, drove the lane like a 1957 Chevy, and then found Martell Webster, who had found some open space on the baseline.
Webster then hit the leaning jumper over Michael Finley.
For good measure, Fred Jones blocked Finley's buzzer-beater on the other end of the floor.
It's 74 - 65 Trail Blazers and we're almost on pace for Chalupas! 74 down and 26 to go!
More bad news for the Spurs...
posted: at 8:35 PM
Oregon State alum and current San Antonio Spur Brent Barry just took what looked to be an elbow to the head on a long rebound and he will likely be sidelined for the remainder of the game.
Barry was aided to the locker room by two assistant coaches and is most likely suffering from a severe concussion.
As the game restarted, the Trail Blazers immediately got back to work. With the shot clock at 1 second, rookie guard and super-hero Brandon Roy made Michael Finley pay for flopping.
Roy hit an impossible fadeaway jumper right as the shot-clock expired to extend the Trail Blazers lead back to 10 points.
It's now 68 - 59 with 3:24 left in the third quarter.
Strange night for Spurs...
posted: at 8:26 PM
It's hard to understand San Antonio's logic, but it's really worked out for the Trail Blazers.
First, Brent Barry started over Manu Ginobili.
Then, All-Star Tony Parker has been almost an after-thought to reserve point guard Jacque Vaughn.
It's hard to tell if nagging injuries are catching up with the Spurs or if they've been stretched thin by the rigors of a NBA schedule, but whatever it is, the Trail Blazers are capitalizing.
LaMarcus Aldridge has turned in two big jumpers for Portland and the Trail Blazers have extended their halftime lead to 10 points. It's now 65 - 55 with 6:18 left in the third.
Call the doctor...
posted: at 8:21 PM
Roy just nailed a jumper in Bruce Bowen's eye.
Apparently, "Kobe-Stopper" does not equal "Roy-Stopper."
And then Ime adds insult to injury with a three-pointer! It's 59 - 47 Trail Blazers...
Headed into halftime...
posted: at 8:05 PM
It's a great time to be a Trail Blazer fan!
Portland has all the momentum in the world heading into the locker room with a 54 - 47 lead over one of the NBA's hottest teams and a perennial playoff contender.
Ime Udoka has been a steady contributor all night long with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
Zach Randolph has also played superb despite the inside presence of first team All-NBA center Tim Duncan. He's got 11 points, 6 boards and 1 assist.
As Portland's own Groove Machine rocks the Rose Garden halftime show with their up-tempo beats, Coach Nate McMillan has to be telling his rookies not to be intimidated by the Spurs' reputation. The Trail Blazers have run through the notoriously strong San Antonio defense like coffee through a water filter and if they keep it up, it may just be a Chalupa Night here in the Rose Garden.
Brandon Roy is one player who could benefit by being a little more aggressive in the second half. Roy has quietly led the Trail Blazers with 9 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists.
24 down and 24 to go here in the Rose Garden! Trail Blazers lead the Spurs 54 - 47 at the break.
Just short...
posted: at 8:01 PM
One lucky fan was treated to an Adidas "Believe in 5" contest during the most recent Trail Blazer timeout.
It's one of the more difficult challenges of any of our timeout entertainment, but tonight's competitor nearly cashed in for an Adidas prize pack.
The contestant had 5 seconds to run the length of the floor and hit a deep three-pointer, but his shot fell just short. Better luck next time...
Hustle Board says it all...
posted: at 7:56 PM
Atmosphere, a relatively popular underground rap group out of Minnesota, explained that "the modern man must hustle."
That's exactly what the Trail Blazers are doing tonight.
They've out-rebounded the Spurs (18 - 11), stole the ball more times (4 - 2), and even dished more assists (13 - 10) on their way to a 48 - 45 lead with 1:33 left in the half.
The only reason the Spurs aren't down by a larger margin is the uncharacteristically poor free-throw shooting that has plagued the Trail Blazers in the first half. Portland has missed 7 free throws...
ZeBo having fun!
posted: at 7:50 PM
The best indicator of when a young team is playing well is when they're visibly having fun.
After Zach Randolph's deep three-pointer from the top of the key, everyone in the audience could see his ear-to-ear smile and he even held up three fingers to the amusement of the Rose Garden crowd.
I'm no expert, but that seems to be a pretty good indicator of when someone's having fun.
All this adds up to bad news for the San Antonio Spurs who still trail 45 - 38. Not only is their win streak in jeopardy, but they might very well get arrested by the Rose Garden fun police!
International backcourt...
posted: at 7:44 PM
One match-up that may have been overlooked heading into the night's game was Tony Parker versus Sergio Rodriguez.
Tony Parker, who's from France, and Sergio Rodriguez, who'se from Spain, both play similar styles of basketball in that they don't hesitate to push the ball and they focues on finding open teammates.
Sergio has 3 points and 2 assists while outplaying his counterpart in limited action.
Tony Parker has 2 points and 2 assists for the Spurs.
With 6:11 left in the second, the Trail Blazers lead the Spurs 42 - 37.
What a lineup...
posted: at 7:41 PM
It's a highlight film makers dream.
Sergio Rodriguez, an incredible passer with eyes in the back of his head, leading a lineup of explosive dunkers, including Fred Jones, Travis Outlaw and Jamaal Magloire.
The alley-oop was easily one of the best plays of the season, especially because it came against such a defensive minded team in the San Antonio Spurs, and they should continue to impress as long as they stay together.
Portland still leads 37 - 26 with 8:22 left in the second.
First quarter stats...
posted: at 7:33 PM
Ime Udoka has been the big star so far as he leads all players with 10 points. LaMarcus Aldridge, Jarrett Jack and Zach Randolph have all contributed 4 points.
For the Spurs, Tim Duncan leads all San Antonio players with 8 points.
During their win streak, San Antonio has held opponents to just under 81 points a game, but the Trail Blazers have started out on fire, shooting 70 percent from the field for the first 13 minutes and already have 32 points.
And the last basket was probably the most impressive of the season! Sergio Rodriguez broke down the perimeter defense and then pulled up at the top of the key. Expecting a shot, three San Antonio defenders leapt out to challenge the rookie out of Spain, but what they didn't see was Fred Jones running the baseline.
Sergio saw the shooting guard and found him with a BOOM-SHAWK-A-LAWKA alley-oop dunk for two points and ESPN's play of the day.
Official scorecard...
posted: at 7:27 PM
After a large amount of team discussion, the Trail Blazers voted Zach Randolph as the team's best dancer.
Apparenlty, ZeBo brings some "pop-and-locking" and "dirty hip-hop" to the locker room. No word yet on whether Diddy will feature the power forward in his next video.
Martell Webster and Sergio Rodriguez were also mentioned as runners up in the dancing competition.
Speaking of Martell and Sergio, the two guards have checked in to end the first quarter. Fred Jones, Jamaal Magloire and Travis Outlaw are also in.
We're shooting 71% from the field and will take the lead into the second quarter, but the Spurs have tightened up the game. It's 29 - 22 Trail Blazers.
Battle for Texas...
posted: at 7:19 PM
It's a state that has seen it's fair share of war, but you can add a new one to the list...
Tim Duncan versus LaMarcus Aldridge.
Not only will the match-up likely have a large part in deciding tonight's contest but it's a rivalry that should develop over the next couple of years. Tim Duncan has become a staple of Texas (and San Antonio) basketball but LaMarcus Aldridge, as he develops, could become an even better Texas export.
Tonight, Aldridge has scored 4 early points and done nearly everything in his power to stop The Big Fundamental.
Duncan has 8 points.
The Trail Blazers are still leading the Spurs with 2:08 left to play in the first quarter. It's 25 - 15 good guys!
Big time match-ups...
posted: at 7:11 PM
Brandon Roy started the Trail Blazers scoring with a huge three-pointer as time was expiring on their first possession, and if he can hit that shot, the Spurs are in for a long game.
Every where you look, it seems like there's a great match-up in this game...
Jarrett Jack's size against Tony Parker's speed, Brandon Roy's scoring against defensive specialist Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan against "Tim Duncan of the future" LaMarcus Aldridge...
All that without even mentioning Zach Randolph!
It should be a great one here tonight in the Rose Garden. Find a TV, find a radio, or get to the Rose Garden because you don't want to miss this!
And by the way, the Trail Blazers have come out running here in the Rose Garden and they've stormed to an 11 - 7 lead with 7:13 left in the first quarter.
Uh oh...
posted: at 7:05 PM
There's a lot of San Antonio love as starting lineups are introduced... Forward Tim Duncan and Oregon State Alum Brent Barry received a very loud and warm welcome to the Rose Garden.
As always, the Rose Garden stepped it up a notch for the Trail Blazers introduction. Zach Randolph, Ime Udoka, Brandon Roy, Jarrett Jack and LaMarcus Aldridge are set to start for the Trail Blazers.
In other news, the brand new Ime Udoka jerseys are now available for purchase. It's always great to show your support for the Trail Blazers, but if you can also show love to a Portland State alum and a Jefferson High grad, then you're truly a fan of Northwest Sports.
Upset in the air?
posted: at 5:41 PM
There's nothing better than a sunny day in the Northwest. Sure, we may wait 8 months before the sun finally decides to grace us with its presence, but for those of us that have lived here for a while, we know that it's worth the wait.
Now, a sunny day in March may be rare, but having three teams in the Western conference all post win streaks of 9 or higher? That's just ridiculous.
Fans who have followed the NBA all season long know that this year is one for the record books. At one point during the season, we had three, not just one, but THREE teams chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan's 95-96 Chicago Bulls who won 72 games, including the Mavericks, the Suns, and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Suns and the Mavericks have nearly bogarted the national media's attention because of the growing drama in this year's race for MVP. Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks is a big favorite in this year's race, and not only because he stands 7 feet tall, but Phoenix's Steve Nash, a two-time MVP already, has been nipping at the heels of the German-born center.
However, one team has remained, for the most part, under the radar, which is ironic because they are the only team of the three that's actually won a NBA championship in the last five years. The San Antonio Spurs head into tonight's contest with the momentum of a 9 game winning streak and NBA analysts from around the league agree that any team expecting to walk away with a NBA championship will have to find someway around San Antonio.
During their win streak, the Spurs have held opponents to 80.3 points per game and an even more daunting 40.3 percent from the field.
A big part of Portland's success hinges on the play of the Trail Blazers front line. Zach Randolph has been averaging a very Duncan-like 23.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game this season, but his ability to score on The Big Fundamental will very much be a factor in tonight's contest.
Portland also needs a strong effort out of rookie center LaMarcus Aldridge, who continues to feel the ups and downs of a NBA season. If Aldridge can find his mid-range game and put in work on the defensive end, we might not just be celebrating sunny weather at the end of this one...
We'll be celebrating the end of San Antonio's 9 game win streak and a big W for a team aching for a late season playoff push.
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