Game-Time Blog

Blazers win and wave goodbye to the Rose Garden

2008-04-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the abrupt disruption in blogging. The wireless connection in the Rose Garden went the way of the dodo tonight. I hope you found one of the many other live blogs of tonight's game if you were relying on my updates. Again, my apologies.

After a shaky start, the home side turned it on and ended up pulling away in a 113-91 victory in front of a sellout crowd. Seven Blazers scored in double figures, which I believe is a first this season. My main man James Jones caught fire from beyond the arc, going 6-for-7 with the one miss being a desperation attempt at the shot clock buzzer that he wouldn't have otherwise taken.

LaMarcus Aldridge fouled out, Sergio Rodriguez threw two consecutive alley-oops to Travis Outlaw, Josh McRoberts and Von Wafer got some playing time, and the Rose Garden crowd gave standing ovations to anyone who left the game in the last three minutes. Not a bad way to end the home schedule.

So that's that. It's been a heck of a good time watching this team come together. They'll travel to Phoenix tonight to finish off the season against the Suns tomorrow. Nate McMillan's squad is guaranteed no worse than a .500 record this season, which I think just about anyone would have taken at the start of the campaign. After the last few seasons, it's nice to actually surpass expectations.

Let's do it again next season.

Raef save the day (or at least the play)

2008-04-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

Brandon Roy gets fouled in the act of shooting, and he'll get two free throws. Hits the first, clanks the second, but Raef is there to get the putback for the unconventional three point play. That's LaFrentz style.

The quarter ends with James Jones hitting a three from the baseline. That was needed in the worst way. That's buckets J-Hoops.

End of the first quarter. Grizz still lead 27-24.

And that's another dunk for Gay

2008-04-15T19:33:00.001-07:00

Rudy Gay gets behind the defense, corrals an outlet pass and throws it down with two hands with his back to the basket. This game, this is not my kind of game.

Grizzlies 22, Blazers 18. Memphis has 4 offensive boards and 6 second-chance points. The Blazers have 6 fouls to 1 for the Grizz. Where's the home cooking?

L.A. fading away

2008-04-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

Blazers struggling a bit here in the first quarter. Not too many easy shots (in fact, no easy shots). LaMarcus Aldridge, keeping up with the difficult shot theme, hits a turning away from the basket fadeaway for two.

L.A. does get an easy bucket on a fastbreak dunk. Rudy Gay had a two handed jam the play before that.

And keeping up with the many fouls theme, LaMarcus picks up his second with 4:30 to go in the first quarter. That brings Raef LaFrentz off the bench. He picks up his first foul after being in the game for about 30 seconds.

With 3:30 to play in the first quarter, it's Grizz 18, Blazers 14.

Frye's fast start stopped by fouls

2008-04-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

Channing Frye has all of the Blazers four points, but he's also picked up two of the team's three fouls. That's going to send Channing to the bench for the remainder of the first quarter and probably most of the first half. Travis Outlaw takes Channing's place, shifting LaMarcus to the center.

The Grizz are drawing fouls just about every offensive possession. The Blazers' bench is relatively light with Joel Przybilla and Martell Webster unavailable. Translation: Von Wafer and Josh McRoberts might get a little run in the last home game of the season.

With lucky 7:11 to play in the first quarter, it's Grizzlies 9, Blazers 6.

Welcome to Fan Appreciation Night

2008-04-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

This is it. Home game No. 41 out of 41. The Grizzlies are in town, which means a steady dose of Rudy Gay. He's good.

Juan Carlos Navarro, countryman and sometimes teammate of Sergio Rodriguez, gets on the board first with a runner in the key. The Grizz start a small back court consisting of Navarro and Mike Conley Jr. Rudy Gay is a hybrid sg/sf, so that helps.

Blazers have missed their first three shots. One from Blake, one from Jack and one from Aldridge. Navarro still has the only bucket with 10 minutes left to play in the quarter.

Game OVER

2008-04-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

The Trail Blazers have defeated the Mavericks 108-105 in a hard fought game. The Trail Blazers are now 40-40 on the season.

Brandon Roy scored 23 points. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22. Jarrett Jack had 19 points and 10 assists, while Channing Frye added 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Up by three!

2008-04-12T21:16:00.001-07:00

With 28.5 seconds remaining, Travis Outlaw hit a baseline jumper to give the Trail Blazers a 106-103 lead!

Up by three!

2008-04-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

With 28.5 seconds remaining, Travis Outlaw hit a baseline jumper to give the Trail Blazers a 106-103 lead!

B-Roy to LA!

2008-04-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

Brandon drove baseline and found LaMarcus for the layup AND the foul... LA made the free throw and the Trail Blazers lead 104-101 with 49.4 seconds to play.

One minute left, tie game...

2008-04-12T21:13:00.001-07:00

Dirk Nowitzki has the last two baskets and has tied the game at 101-101. There are 58 seconds remaining - can the Trail Blazers pull this one out???

Two-point game...

2008-04-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

The Mavs have scored four straight and the Trail Blazers now lead 101-99 with just over a minute to play...

Crunch time...

2008-04-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

With 2:56 remaining, the Trail Blazers lead 101-95. Let's see if the Blazers can clinch a 40 win season!

Coming down to the wire

2008-04-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

The Trail Blazers lead 99-93 with 4:12 remaining. This game will be coming down to the final moments.

Brandon Roy has 23 points. Channing Frye has 15 points and nine rebounds. Jarrett Jack has 17 points and nine assists.

Dirk Nowitzki leads the Mavs with 20 points. Tyronn Lue has come on strong with nine second half points.

Blazers extending their lead

2008-04-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

The Trail Blazers now lead 95-84 after two Jarrett Jack free throws. With just over seven minutes left, the Trail Blazers will need to stay composed in crunch time to keep their lead.

Big-shot Brandon

2008-04-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

B-Roy just buried a three to give the Trail Blazers a 91-82 lead. Roy now has 21 points to lead all scorers.

Trail Blazers starters on fire

2008-04-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

At the end of the third quarter the Trail Blazers lead the Mavericks 87-80. All five Portland starters have over 13 points.

Channing Frye, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Steve Blake and Jarrett Jack have combined for 78 points on 35-of-53 shooting.

Blazers get a cushion

2008-04-12T20:32:00.002-07:00

After the Mavericks pulled within three, the Trail Blazers scored four straight point and now lead 77-70. Jarrett Jack, Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge each have 15 points. Steve Blake has 14.

Mavs coming back

2008-04-12T20:32:00.001-07:00

The Mavericks have cut the Trail Blazers lead from 14 to six in the first few minutes of the third quarter. The score is now 72-66 with 7:09 remaining in the third.

End of the half

2008-04-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the first half and the Trail Blazers are leading the Mavericks 64-50. The Trail Blazers are shooting an impressive 64% from the field and have turned the ball over just 3 times. The Mavericks have been held to just 42% shooting.

Brandon Roy has 15 points and four assists. LaMarcus Aldridge has 13 points and four rebounds. Jarrett Jack has nine points and six assists. Steve Blake has 10 points and six assists. Channing Frye, in foul trouble since the first quarter, has eight points and four rebounds.

The Mavericks are led by 11 points from Dirk Nowitzki.

Let's see if the Trail Blazers can maintain their play in the second half and get one step closer to a winning season.

B-Roy jammin'

2008-04-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

Brandon Roy has 13 points and the Trail Blazers lead 58-43 with 1:27 remaining in the first half. Roy's dunk got the Rose Garden crowd on its feet and the Trail Blazers will try to maintain this pace through halftime.

Blazers keeping pace

2008-04-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Trail Blazers aren't slowing down. Portland leads 54-41 with 2:35 remaining in the first half after a Travis Outlaw three-pointer.

B-Roy down the lane

2008-04-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Brandon got Juwan Howard guarding him after a switch and took advantage of Howard's 31 year old knees. Roy shook him with a crossover and hesitation and cruised in for a layup.

Blazers still up 10

2008-04-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

The second quarter has been slow, but the Trail Blazers have maintained their lead and are currently up 39-29.

Trail Blazers still rolling after one

2008-04-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

The Trail Blazers are dominating the Mavericks and lead 37-21 after the first quarter.

The Trail Blazers have made 4-of-4 from three-point range and have 14 assists on 16 made shots.

LaMarcus Aldridge leasd the Trail Blazers with 11 points. Channing Frye has eight points, Brandon Roy has seven, Steve Blake has six, and Jarrett Jack has five.

LA gets nasty

2008-04-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

LaMarcus just skied over the Mavericks for a thunderous slam. He was fouled and hit hit free throw, giving the Trail Blazers a 28-16 lead.

Blazers on fire!

2008-04-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

Steve Blake hit a three and the Trail Blazers now lead 25-14!

Little men, big shots

2008-04-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

Jarrett Jack and Steve Blake each hit a three and the Trail Blazers now lead 20-14 with 5:24 remaining in the first quarter.

Channing for the lead

2008-04-12T19:13:00.000-07:00

The Trail Blazers are rolling and have taken at 14-10 lead behind eight points from Channing Frye. The Mavs have taken a timeout to regroup and break the momentum of the Trail Blazers.

Good start for B-Roy

2008-04-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Brandon came out and hit his first shot, so look for him to score in bunches tonight.

Starting lineups

2008-04-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

For the visiting Mavericks: Eddie Jones (SF), Dirk Nowitzki (PF), Erick Dampier (C), Jason Terry (SG), Jason Kidd (PG).

For the Trail Blazers: Brandon Roy (SF), LaMarcus Aldridge (PF), Channing Frye (C), Jarrett Jack (SG), Steve Blake (PG).

It's game-time here on the Trail Blazers Game-Time Blog, so don't go away!

Mavs in town to take on Trail Blazers

2008-04-12T18:40:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday night and the Dallas Mavericks are in Portland to face your Portland Trail Blazers.

The Mavericks are trying to get hot for the playoffs while the Trail Blazers need to win two of their final three games to clinch a .500 record for the season.

The Trail Blazers are struggling with injuries as the season winds down, and will be without Martell Webster and Joel Przybilla.

Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and the rest of the Trail Blazers will need to contend with Dallas' MVP Dirk Nowitzki and All-Stars Josh Howard and Jason Kidd.

Ten minutes to game time... get ready!

The streak is over, long live the streak

2008-04-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

If only we could play the Lakers for every home game. Whatever it is, we've got the juice when it comes to taking down the L.A. in the Rose Garden.

Final score: Blazers 112, Lakers 103. Channing Frye, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and just about everyone who got meaningful minutes played great in this one. The Blazers are back to .500.

Trust in Roy

2008-04-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

Kobe gets a seemingly uncontested layup. You can tell know one wanted to give the refs a reason to send Bryant to the line.

Roy gets it back with a driving two and a foul. That's a bigtime take. Brandon giving Kobe a bit of his own medicine.

Lakers throw up a brick, but Gasol gets the rebound. He goes back up with it, and it looks like LaMarcus gets a clean block, but it's called a foul. That's free throws. makes both.

Blazers break the halfcourt trap, and the Lakers, for some strange reason, don't foul right away. Precious seconds run off the clock before Kobe fouls Jarrett, sending him to the line. Jack makes both. With 20 seconds to go, it's Blazers 109, Lakers 103. It's looking good, but it ain't over.

Trouble on the inbounds

2008-04-08T21:27:00.001-07:00

The Blazers use two timeouts, and they still manage to turnover the inbounds play. The Lakers are going to apply pressure for the rest of the game. The Blazers need to be ready.

Blazers get nothing on the offensive end. Vujacic gets a good look at a three, and it's off, but Frye pushes Gasol in the back on the rebound, and he'll shoot free throws. Misses the first, makes the second. 102-96 Blazers. It's getting scary.

Blake misses a three, and the Lakers rebound. Vlad takes another three, which is probably unnecessary, and he misses. Blazers get the board, and Outlaw gets the layup.

Vlad doesn't miss twice when he's that open. Three is good. 104-99 Blazers.

Don't look now, but ...

2008-04-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

Kobe finds Vlad in the corner for three, and that brings the Lakers to within 9. Blake has to take a tough shot at the shot clock buzzer, and it's no good.

Farmar for three to cut the lead even farther, but it's off the rim. That would have been bad news.

Blazers call timeout with 2:54 left to go. Some people have started to file out, which is madness. You made it this long, just stick it out for the next 10 minutes.

'Beat L.A. Beat L.A.'

2008-04-08T21:15:00.001-07:00

Kobe draws just about every Trail Blazer on the court, and though I'm sure he thought twice about it, he passes to a wide-open Lamar Oden for the jam.

Roy gets the two back, getting the bounce on a runner while being fouled by Kobe. Brandon misses the free throw, which is bad, but they are shooting 82 percent from the charity stripe on the night.

Another great play. Channing almost loses the handle at the top of the key, but he manages to get the grip, find a wide open Blake in the corner for three, and it's good.

Kobe looks to go one-one-one against Travis Outlaw, but T-O picks his pocket. That's so sweet.

Farmar gets in the lane, and floats a pass to Gasol for the two. That's a smart move.

Brandon Roy's jumper at for two is smarter though, or at least just as smart. He's got 20 points, 12 assists and two rebounds. He's officially back.

Blazers 102, Lakers 89 with 4 minutes to play. The pressure must continue.

You can't stop Channing, you can only hope to contain him

2008-04-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

Kobe is in one-on-one mode. Don't expect him to pass much for the remainder of the game. He takes a off-balance shot and looked to the refs to bail him out. They don't, this time.

Next possession, Kobe gets and And1. He's got 32 on the night. He might end the game with 80 the way he's playing.

Channing for a deep two, count it. That's 22 for Channing tonight. No way you can't like that guy.

Oden is manning the red ball machine tonight. That's hard work.

With 7 minutes to play, it's Blazers 95, Lakers 85. A 10 point lead isn't close to large enough with Kobe on the floor.

Turnovers and tough calls

2008-04-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

Both teams start the quarter with turnovers, which is the ninth turnover for both squads. How about that.

LaMarcus is left open just inside the three-point line. You know he's got range, and he proves it with the first bucket of the quarter. Aldridge has 19 points to go along with 14 rebounds. That's a great line, especially with Joel out.

Kobe, as he often does, draws a foul on the drive. That's free throws.

Outlaw gets called for an offensive foul against Kobe. That's a soft call to say the least. Only superstars get pampered like that.

Roy checks in to guard Kobe. KB24 pump fakes, gets Roy in the air, and jumps into him for free throws. Roy should know better than that. He uses the same move all the time.

Blazers 91, Lakers 80 with 9 minutes to play.

Roy making 'em pay

2008-04-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

Roy steps up to the line, hits two free throws, then goes subs out and heads to the locker room. He might need some treatment on his hip after that shot.

Jarrett Jack drives and it looks like he's cut off in the lane. He manages to squeeze a bounce pass to Aldridge, who throws in the baby hook. Nice play.

Kobe drives, get the bucket and the foul. But he misses the free throw and that's the end of the quarter.

With 12 minutes to play, the Blazers lead 89-73. This game is going to end closer than that, I can feel it.

A whole lot of shoving going on

2008-04-08T20:49:00.001-07:00

Channing Frye is playing out of his mind. Without hesitation, he cans a long two from the baseline and that's 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds for Frye. He's responded well to his starting role.

Under two minutes in the quarter. Roy running the point, takes a two that bounces around the rim and off. Aldridge gets the offensive rebound, the dunk, and the foul. That couldn't have turned out better.

Roy drives with 30 seconds left, and Lamar Odom hammers him with no intent of playing the ball. He's hit with a flagrant, and a scuffle ensues as Roy writhes in pain on the court. Travis Outlaw gets a technical for getting in someone's face, and Odom gets a tech as well to go along with his flagrant. An ugly scene for sure. There's something about the Blazers that Lamar just don't like.

You don't want to see Kobe angry

2008-04-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

No one stops a rally like Kobe. He elevates and hits the foul line extended jumper for two. Next play he hits a three. No one turns it on like Kobe. That's why he's the frontrunner for MVP.

Oh snap! Farmar drives and puts up a weak shot near the basket that LaMarcus spikes into the 10th row. Outlaw fouls on the inbounds play, sending Kobe to the line. He'll make both of these, and he does. The "Kobe Sucks" chant rises from the crowd, and though I like hazing just as much as the next fan, it's only going to fuel Bryant.

And just like that, Kobe gets a steal and a fastbreak jam. He's too good to piss off.

Blazers 77, Lakers 70. Portland needs to keep the pressure on.

Blake for three? Believe it

2008-04-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Gasol gets position in the low post and looks like he's got an easy two. Frye contests the shot, forcing Pau off just enough to cause the miss. Pau says he got hit on the head, and he might have a case.

On the other end, Roy dishes to Jones, who pump fakes, then passes to Channing, back to Roy, to Blake for the three... swish. Phil Jackson wants a timeout, and the Rose Garden crowd is eating it up with a shovel.

Blazers 77, Lakers 61. Now is the time to really put the proverbial boot down.

Frye for three? Believe it

2008-04-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

Channing was telling me the other day at practice that he's becoming more comfortable with his three-point shot. The truth hurts the Lakers, and Channing's three is the truth.

Speaking of being comfortable with the three, James Jones spots up and hits his third three of the night. He's starting to get that feeling again.

More Channing. This time he gets three the old fashioned way, drawing a foul on a layup. Hits the free throw, and that's 17 points for the Frye guy.

With 5:45 to play in the quarter, the score is Portland 72, L.A. 61.

It's raining (Laker) three's

2008-04-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

L.A. (the city, not the Blazer) closes the lead to seven right out of the gate thanks to three-pointers by Radmanovic and Derek Fisher. The Blazers have been pretty bad in the third quarter this season, so we'll keep our fingers crossed that they can weather this storm.

An offensive foul is called on Vlad, which he doesn't take well. Kobe has to pull him away from the ref, and it looks like the situation is calmed. But Phil Jackson takes up the complaining for Vlad, and he ends up getting hit with a technical. Nothing Zen about that. James Jones makes the free throw.

Fast and furious here in the third with the score Blazers 63, Lakers 54.

That Roy can finish

2008-04-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Brandon holds the ball near halfcourt. With 15 seconds to go, Roy makes his move for the basket, dunking and weaving his way to a nice layup with 10 seconds to go.

Kobe brings it down court, drives and kicks to a streaking Lamar Odom. Looks like he's got a thunderous dunk coming, but Aldridge or Frye (not sure who) strips him on the way up, and that ends the quarter.

Blazers 58, Lakers 47 at the half. This is the best the Blazers have looked in a month. But can they keep it going?

He'll get hot eventually

2008-04-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Roy and Aldridge throw the double-team at Kobe. He forces another fadeaway, and again it's no good. Kobe only has eight tonight, but he's bound to shake out of that funk.

And just like that, Kobe drains a three. There's no way you slow him down for a whole game. It's not possible.

One way would be to get him in foul trouble, and he picks up his second while trying to guard Brandon Roy on the drive. Roy makes both, and the Blazers are up 54-45.

Fisher fouls Jack for his third foul. That would be great, expect it brings in Farmar, who's almost just as good. Jack gets free throws with 42 seconds left in the quarter. Good and good.

Cries for "Defense" emanate from the crowd, but I guess the Blazers didn't hear it, as Gasol gets an easy bucket in the post.

20 second timeout with 25 seconds to play in the half. Blazers 56, Lakers 47. It would be nice if the Red and Black could tack on two more before the half.

No calls, no problem

2008-04-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Roy ties to take Kobe down to the block, but KB24 scratches and claws all the way to the hoop, and Roy ends up finishing short. On the ensuing possession, Kobe misses a baseline fadeaway, but no one blocks out Gasol, who gets the putback. 43-40 Blazers.

Kobe tries the same play, and he misses it again, but this time Gasol is called for an over the back.

Frye puts the ball on the court and is hacked hard by both Ronny Turiaf and Kobe, but the refs stay silent. Roy gets up corralling the loose ball, gets it to Jarrett, who drives for two. The Blazers are playing great team basketball right now.

3:14 to go in the quarter. Blazers extend their lead to 47-40.

James Jones on the inside

2008-04-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

Jones, who rarely gets points in the paint, cuts hard to the hoop and is rewarded with a perfectly placed bounce pass from Brandon Roy for an easy layin. JHoops has seven points and two rebounds tonight.

Roy has 10 points, two assists. Jack has seven points. Kobe has eight and Vlad has 10.

With 5:57 to play in the quarter, it's Portland 41, L.A. 38.

Make if Raef

2008-04-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

Raef LaFrentz digs out his second offensive rebound of the night. He's going to get extended minutes with Joel out for the season, and he's looking up to the task so far.

The Lakers turn it over on a pass to no one, but the Blazers are unable to capitalize on the other end. When you're having a tough time winning games late in the season, you've got to make the other team pay for mistakes.

Jarrett Jack has Sasha Vujacic all over him, but he still manages to hit a three over him. Blazers are shooting 43 percent from three.

Blazers get the steal, but Jack gets stripped by Farmar before he has a chance to turn up the floor. Raef gets called for a blocking foul, which is looked a bit suspect to me.

6:40 to play in the second quarter with the score Blazers 39, Lakers 38.

James Jones finally gets three

2008-04-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Jordan Farmar finishes with athleticism at the rim for two. I wasn't much of a Farmar believer when he came out of UCLA, but he's proved me wrong. First time for everything.

I guess the last three I attributed to James Jones was a two, but he just hit a real three, his first in the past three games. He's looking good so far tonight with five points.

Timeout on the floor with the Blazers leading 32-30. We've seen this nice starts a couple times during the current losing streak. Hopefully this one ends differently.

Kobe being Kobe

2008-04-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

Travis Outlaw, who doesn't handle the ball all that often, dribbles around Kobe (who proceeded to flop on the ground once he was beat), passes to Channing, who finds an open Roy for the three ... money!

Kobe gets that look in his eye like he's ready to score no matter what. He dribbles down court, posts up Brandon, and flips in the hook for two. That's Kobe.

Jack gets into the lane as he often does, throws up the floater and gets it to drop. Blazers shooting 63 percent from the field.

Vlad Radman gets another three over Jarrett Jack. His outside shooting adds a dangerous element to the Laker squad.

Roy goes one-on-one with Kobe for the last shot, but it fall short as time expires. End of the first with the score Blazers 28, Lakers 24. Blazers have had a heck of a time scoring over the last five games, but they put it together in that quarter.

Double fouls are double lame

2008-04-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

Vlad Radman cans a three at the shot clock buzzer to tie the game at 19s. Steve Blake breaks the deadlock with a long two. Blake with seven already tonight.

Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge have been quit on offense so far, but the other guys are getting it done. Everyone needs some help from time to time.

Steve Blake and Derek Fisher get tangled up, leading to a double-foul call. What's the point? Just let 'em play.

Jarrett Jack and Travis Outlaw check in. Nate's going to the bench early.

Timeout on the floor with the score Blazers 23, Lakers 19. 2:39 to go in the first quarter.

Frye starting out hot

2008-04-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

Channing hits a long jumper for his fifth and sixth points of the game. He's also got two rebounds.

Derek Fisher is left wide open for a three, but it rims off. Fisher hasn't missed many of those against the Blazers during his career. D-Fish is a notorious Blazer killer.

Frye with the dunk for another deuce. That's eight for Channing in the first quarter. A solid night from Frye would go a long way toward helping the Blazers get a W tonight.

LaMarcus has some blood on his jersey, so he's going to have to go topless for a second in front of the crowd. Aldridge gets some catcalls from the Rose Garden. When you got it, might as well show it off.

James Jones, who's been in a bit of a shooting slump as of late, hits from three. Channing is fouled away from the ball during the play, and he'll get one shot from the free-throw line for his trouble. It's good, and Channing has nine.

With 5:35 to go in first quarter, it's Blazers 19, Lakers 16. So far, so good.

Kobe one-sixth of the way toward fouling out

2008-04-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

Brandon Roy draws a crowd on his way to the hoop, and ends up getting fouled by Kobe Bryant on the attempt. Brandon misses the first, but makes the second, and we're on the board.

Lamar Odom saunters to the rack for an easy two. That looked like a layup drill.

Steve Blake almost does the same thing and finishes with the same result. Easy buckets is what this team sorely needs, especially at the start.

Brandon Roy's pass is stolen, Kobe leading the break, gets it to Gasol, who's hammered by Channing Frye. Playing physical is the best way to get at Pau. He makes both.

With 9:41 to play in the first quarter, it's Blazers 7, Lakers 6

Pre-game: Lakers vs. Blazers

2008-04-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

The two times a season that the Lakers grace the floor of the Rose Garden are usually two of the best games of the year. I hope tonight is no exception, for the sake of the Red and Black and their fans. The Blazers have lost five straight, which would make a win tonight extra sweet.

On the injury front, Martell Webster has been declared healthy, but he'll be unavailable for the at least the next five days due to having a catheter inserted in his leg during his examination. Joel Przybilla's hand is still broken.

We're close to tip, so let's get the starting lineups:

L.A. Lakers

10 Vlad Radmanovic
7 Lamar Odom
16 Pau Gasol
24 Kobe Bryant
2 Derek Fisher

Portland Trail Blazers

33 James Jones
12 LaMarcus Aldridge
44 Channing Frye
7 Brandon Roy
2 Steve Blake

Portland Unable To Catch-Up, Lose To Spurs 65-72

2008-04-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

San Antonio played a tough defensive game, along with the loss of Joel Pryzbilla, and Portland was unable to close out with a victory. Catch Game Time blog next when the Trail Blazers host the Lakers!

Slow Final Period for Both Teams, San Antonio Leads 72-63

2008-04-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

Portland has scored just 11 points in the final period with a 1 1/2 minutes to go. San Antonio has scored 11 as well, as both teams struggle to finish out strong.

Six Minutes Left In The Ball Game- Portland Trails By 7

2008-04-06T16:58:00.000-07:00

Steve Blake sinks a two, bringing Portland to 59 points, with San Antonio maintaining a 6 point lead with 66 points.
Portland is going to have to make a big offensive push in the final minutes of the ball game if they want to capture the victory.

End of the 3rd Qtr.- Portland-52, San Antonio- 61

2008-04-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a low scoring affair so far, Portland has just 52 points entering the final quarter. Hopefully Brandon Roy will bring some of the momentum he conjured up in the 3rd into the final period.

Brandon Roy- Back to Back to Back!

2008-04-06T16:32:00.000-07:00

Brandon Roy sinks 3 buckets in a row, and leads the team in scoring with 15 points.

Also, it appears Portland still loves former player Ime Udoka, who gets loud applause when he checks in for the Spurs, but Damon Stoudemire's entrance on the court receieves mixed reactions from the fans, half booing, half cheering the former Trail Blazer.

LaMarcus Scores Back-to-Back Baskets

2008-04-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

After a lackluster start to the 3rd period, LaMarcus Aldridge lifts the Portland team back up again by scoring back to back baskets, cutting San Antonio's lead to 7, 42-49.

Loss of Pryzbilla Puts a Damper on Portland's Momentum

2008-04-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

After cutting the Spurs lead to 5 before the half, some of Portland's momentum seems to have worn off, as they now trail by 11, 38-49, with 8 to go in the 3rd quarter.

Joel Pryzbilla Breaks Hand- Out For Season

2008-04-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

Joel Pryzbilla broke his hand in the second period- and is going to miss the rest of the season. He was attempting to get a rebound when he hit his hand hard against the rim. Raef LaFrentz is currently substituting for him.

Brandon Roy Is Back!

2008-04-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

Portland felt Roy's absence this past week, losing all 4 of the games Roy sat out of before his return tonight. Brandon had a slow start, but now at the end of the 2nd quarter he has added 8 points and 3 assists.

Portland trails the Spurs by just 5, 34-39.

Coming Back Steadily

2008-04-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

With team leaders LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy putting their first points on the board, the Trail Blazers team are coming back after trailing the entire quarter. Portland has cut the San Antonio lead to 4, 27-31, with 3 to go before the half.

Half Way Through Second, Blazers Trail by 6

2008-04-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

San Antonio maintains the lead over Portland,m 27-21, but the Trail Blazers are coming back. Brandon Roy made his first basket of the day, and hopefully it wil be the beginning of a run for Portland.

First Quarter Comes To End, San Antonio Leads 17-13

2008-04-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

Travis Outlaw leads Portland with 7 points, Tim Duncan leads San Antonio with 8.

Travis Outlaw Bringing Portland Back!

2008-04-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Travis Outlaw hit a massive 3-pointer after Steve Blake made a 3 point play, and the combined efforts put Portland back within 2 of the Spurs. After Aldridge committed a hard foul on Ginobli, sending him to the line, Travis Outlaw came back on the other end of the court with another bucket. Outlaw now has 5 points in his 3 minutes of play time. Portland trails San Antonio by just 4, 11-15.

San Antonio Goes on 1st Qtr. Run

2008-04-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

San Antonio leads 11-4 with 5 to go in the first period. The Spurs have gone on a 7-0 run in the past 3 minutes. Tim Duncan leads the Spurs with 6 points.

Joel Off To Quick Start for Portland

2008-04-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

At 2 1/2 minutes into the game Portland and San Antonio are tied at 4 apiece, with Joel Pryzbilla picking up both of the Trail Blazers baskets. He also has 2 rebounds.

James Jones in the starting line-up

2008-04-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

James Jones will be starting for the Trail Blazers today, along with Steve Blake, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Joel Pryzbilla.

Starting for the Spurs are Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen, Fabricio Oberto, Michael Finley, and Tony Psrker.

Minutes Away From Tip-Off Against San Antonio Spurs

2008-04-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

Here at the Rose Garden the Trail Blazers are getting ready for tip-off against the Spurs; the game gets underway in 8 minutes! Brandon Roy is expected to play after missing several games with injury. Stay tuned in to Game Time Blog for updates throughout the game!

A tough loss to a good team

2008-04-03T21:51:00.001-07:00

The Trail Blazers lost to the Rockets tonight 95-86.

In a game full of runs by both teams, Tracy McGrady took over to score 26 of his 35 points in the second half.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Trail Blazers with 23 points. Jarrett Jack scored 19 points. Travis Outlaw had 14 points and six rebounds, while Channing Frye and Steve Blake each scored 12 points. Joel Przybilla led all players with 15 rebounds.

This loss drops the Trail Blazers to 38-38 on the season. They will need a strong finish if they want to finish above .500 this season.

McGrady making a comeback difficult

2008-04-03T21:51:00.000-07:00

Tracy McGrady is making it very hard for the Trail Blazers to get back in this game. He has nine of Houston's 11 points in the fourth quarter, as they have maintained their 11 point lead over the Trail Blazers. The score is 85-74 with 5:36 remaining.

Channing at the line again

2008-04-03T21:44:00.001-07:00

Channing Frye now has 12 points, six coming in this fourth quarter. The Trail Blazers are down by nine points. They've played well, but Tracy McGrady is on fire with seven points in the quarter.

Slow start to the quarter

2008-04-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

After three minutes of the fourth quarter, the only points are a Jarrett Jack three-pointer. The Rockets lead the Trail Blazers 74-66 with 8:58 remaining in the final period.

Bad sign...

2008-04-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

The Rockets are 17-0 when leading at the end of three quarters on the road this season... let's see if the Trail Blazers can break that trend.

End of the third quarter

2008-04-03T21:34:00.000-07:00

Tracy McGrady's last-second tip in capped an 11-0 run by the Rockets to close the third quarter. The Trail Blazers went on an impressive run to take their first lead since the opening quarter, but the Rockets took over at the end of the quarter. McGrady scored 14 points in the quarter.

LaMarcus Aldridge leads the Trail Blazers with 19 points. Travis Outlaw and Jarrett Jack each have 12 points. Joel Przybilla leads with 13 rebounds.

The Trail Blazers will need another big run to get back in this game. As we know, anything can happen with a shift in momentum, so let's see if LA, TO and the rest of the Trail Blazers can get back in this one.

Rockets running

2008-04-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

The Rockets have scored the last nine points and now lead 72-63. A terrific start to the quarter for the Trail Blazers, but a poor finish.

T-Mac to the Rockets' rescue

2008-04-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

Tracy McGrady has scored the last five points for the Rockets and the game is tied 63-63 with 2:54 remaining in the third quarter.

What a run

2008-04-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

The Trail Blazers have taken the lead by starting the second half with a 16-6 run. Add that to the 9-2 run that capped of the first half and the Trail Blazers are on a 25-8 run since the 2:38 mark of the second quarter.

Joel v. Dikembe

2008-04-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

Joel Przybilla and Dikembe Mutombo have traded shots over the last few minutes. A few minutes after Przybilla was knocked down by a Mutombo elbow, he retaliated and was called for a technical. Minutes later, Przybilla rejected a Mutombo shot, leading to a fast break and a Jarrett Jack layup and foul. Jack's free throw gives the Trail Blazers a 59-58 lead, their first lead since the first quarter.

LaMarcus drop stepping...

2008-04-03T21:14:00.000-07:00

LaMarcus just worked the drop step move to perfection over Carl Landry. He now has 17 points to lead all scorers.

Good start to the half

2008-04-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

Jarrett Jack hit a shot, Travis Outlaw made a three and Steve Blake hit a jumper... the Trail Blazers have started the second half on a 7-0 run. The score is now 52-50 Rockets lead.

End of the first half

2008-04-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

The Rockets took a commanding lead after a 14-4 run, but the Trail Blazers clawed their way back with a 9-2 run of their own to end the half. The score is now 52-43 in favor of the Rockets.

LaMarcus Aldridge leads the Trail Blazers with 15 points. Joel Przybilla has nine rebounds. Travis Outlaw has seven points and two blocked shots.

Dikembe Mutombo leads the Rockets with 10 points and has two blocks. Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier and Luther Head each have nine points. The Rockets have made 7-of-13 from beyond the arc so far.

The Trail Blazers finished the first half with the momentum in their favor, so let's see if it carries over to the third quarter.

7-0 run!

2008-04-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

A LaMarcus jumper capped a 7-0 Trail Blazer run to bring the score to 50-41!

LA throws one down

2008-04-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

Travis and LaMarcus worked the pick-and-roll to perfection and LaMarcus finished with a big two-handed dunk.

Update: A three-pointer by Jarrett Jack brings the score to 50-39.

Broken open

2008-04-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

The Rockets have taken control of this game. The score is now 50-34 with 2:32 remaining in the first half.

LaMarcus Aldridge has 11 points to lead the Trail Blazers.

Dikembe Mutombo leads the Rockets with 10 points and Tracy McGrady and Shane Battier each have nine.

TO back in to guard T-Mac

2008-04-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

As soon as Tracy McGrady stood up off the Rockets bench to check back in the game, Travis Outlaw stood up off the Trail Blazers bench to do the same. Outlaw has done a solid job of defending McGrady so far.

Cold...

2008-04-03T20:31:00.002-07:00

The Trail Blazers are shooting just 34% from the field and have not made a three-pointer yet. They do, however, have 11 second-chance points off of six offensive rebounds.

Slipping away?

2008-04-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

The Trail Blazers need to pick up the pace if they're going to stay in this game. The Rockets now lead by seven after a three by rookie point guard (and U of O alum) Aaron Brooks.

Channing Frye's four points this quarter are the only points by the Trail Blazers in the first four minutes of the second.

Channing on the board

2008-04-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

After the Rockets scored the first five points of the second quarter, Channing hit a deep jumper to bring the score to 28-25.

UPDATE: Two free throws by Channing make the score 30-26.

What a play!

2008-04-03T20:10:00.001-07:00

Off of a missed TO jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining, LaMarcus caught the rebound, made a bank shot, and was fouled! He made the free throw and the first quarter ends with the Trail Blazers down 23-22 to the Rockets.

LaMarcus leads all players with nine points. Steve Blake has four points, four rebounds and three assists.

Subs pick up the pace

2008-04-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

With both teams bringing in reserves, the pace of the game has gotten noticeably faster. The Rockets lead 22-19 with 1:20 remaining in the quarter.

Huge block by TO

2008-04-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

As Tracy McGrady came across the lane for a runner, so came Travis Outlaw for a rejection. Outlaw's block led to a fast break that ended in two Steve Blake free throws, giving the Trail Blazers a 15-14 lead.

LaMarcus again

2008-04-03T20:06:00.001-07:00

After going scoreless for the first half of the quarter, LaMarcus now has back-to-back baskets and has tied the game at 13-13.

LaMarcus in the lane

2008-04-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

LaMarcus took it right over Scola for a basket to bring the score to a 13-11 Rockets lead.

Martell Webster update

2008-04-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

From the Trail Blazers injury report: Martell Webster has flu-like symptoms and dizziness and has been sent to a local hospital for further evaluation. He will not play tonight.

Let's hope Martell is alright and that the Trail Blazers can pull out a victory for their ailing teammate.

Another bucket for TO

2008-04-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

LaMarcus found Travis out on the break for a baseline jumper and the Trail Blazers have cut the Rockets lead to 8-7.

Update: the Trail Blazers are down 10-9 after a Steve Blake basket. Shane Battier has 6 points for the Rockets.