07 Blazers (9-9) Blazers Shoot Down Hawks / 5th Straight Win

i dont think blazers should be 21 in the power rankings. sonics have same record, and they are 15th.

I hope you can beat orlando. they have a fairly good record.

It would be a fair effort if you could win atleast 2 games in that 6 game road trip for december.

Keep it up!!

Scoop

I don't agree with the power rankings at all.


I forget which teams they are, but a few in the top ten have beaten garbage like Memphis, New Orleans, Atlanta, Utah .. lol And they don't even have 10 wins yet .. they're a few above .500

BLAZER'S GAME 17

Pre-Game Report

AT

When: December 1st @ 730pm
Where: The Rose Garden Arena, in Portland, OR
Blazers Record: 7-9
Magic Record: 11-5

Inside The Magic -

Team Leaders:

Scoring: SF Grant Hill (19.8)
Rebounding: PF Dwight Howard (12.3)
Assists: PG Jameer Nelson (4.6)
Steals: PG Jameer Nelson (1.69)
Blocks: PF Dwight Howard (2.25)

The Magic are a dangerous team, with some dangerous leaders in Jameer Nelson (15.1 ppg, 4.6 apg) Grant Hill (19.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and Dwight Howard (16.8 ppg, 12.3 rpg). They have an effective inside/outside game, but the thing to it all is that it's relatively one-sided .. as in one side of the court. While the Magic may have some serious outside shooting in Nelson, Redick, Garrity, Turkoglu and even Arroyo and Milicic, their inside presence is made up of one guy and one guy only -- Dwight Howard. Orlando is at their weakest on the glass, where occasionally SF Grant Hill (7.6 rpg) will make an appearance, otherwise it's usually up to Howard (12.3 rpg) Milicic (6.3 rpg) and the veteran Bo Outlaw (6.0 rpg) to get it done. If this team is hitting from the field, then they're bound to win. But if they're missing, they're bound to get a low percentage of their bricks .. and are pretty much screwed.

Portland's Priorities -

Team Leaders:

Scoring: SF Darius Miles (14.1)
Rebounding: SF Darius Miles (8.0)
Assists: SF Darius Miles (5.8)
Steals: SG Martell Webster (0.63)
Blocks: SF Darius Miles (0.44)

Portland has what it takes to beat the Magic regardless of where they play. In fact the Blazers may have one of the best inside games in the NBA, simply because of how easily Coach Nate McMillan can rotate his talent, keep them fresh, and keep them out of foul trouble .. while effective and active on both ends of the floor at all times. Orlando does not match up against the Trailblazers at all. The Magic lack any inside game outside of Dwight Howard, and they certainly don't have the bodies and size to eliminate the combination of Magloire (10.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg) Randolph (12.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Aldridge (12.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) from getting rebounds and putting up points. For Portland, this will be a game won in the paint. Howard will be expected to get his rebounds and points, but if the Blazers can limit the production around him they should be able to log their 4th straight victory.

Look For:

The Blazers to use a larger line-up on the outside (Udoko, Miles, Outlaw) around the perimeter to disrupt Orlando's shooters and force more missed shots for their big men to clean up underneath, where they'll certainly have an advantage.

The Rose City Sports Page Report

Blazers Reveal Secret To Magic


Once coined the "Best Player to Never Play" back when he spent
many a day injured and limping around, Grant Hill of the Orlando
Magic has since returned to some type of NBA Basketball form, but
it was not enough to defeat the rising Portland Trailblazers. Hill
scored 20 in his team's 6th loss of the year.

96
102

Box Score: (Click here for Full Team/Player Statistics)

Game Summary:

The Blazers came out in the first quarter looking more like the Phoenix Suns, with plenty of running and shooting .. quick to take a 13-8 lead as the Magic would clearly demonstrate an inability to shoot with Portland's perimeter Defense playing tight. Starting guard Keith Bogans of the Magic would leave the game just minutes in due to an upper torso injury suffered on a foul during a lay-up. Guard Keyon Dooling subbed in, and barely disappointed en route to dropping 6 points and 3 rebounds. Orlando forward Dwight Howard in the mean time would make a living on the glass (5 rebounds) as leader Grant Hill accounted for 9 of the team's 23 first quarter points. The Magic played tough down the stretch, rebounded beautifully and finally captured a 23-21 lead with just 36 ticks to play .. before a Blazer offensive rebound put-back by forward Zach Randolph with 0.9 to play tied the contest back up making it a fresh game at the start of the second. (Tied 23-23)

But the second quarter proved more difficult than the first as the Blazers would really struggle to get going .. at first running, but eventually settling down despite the Magic and rebound-hawk Dwight Howard gradually pulling away by as much as 6 points. Portland eventually came back, and with a minute and some change a Webster three ball would fall to put the Blazers down by a point (42-41) .. only for Dooling of the Magic to drop in one of his own from the corner with 56 ticks to play. Both teams would trade baskets afterward, then a Blazer 3 second call would rob them of a possession .. only for a Fred Jones steal on the other end to give Portland the ball right back for a strong finish. Miles would find Aldridge under the basket with a few seconds left to play for a reserve dunk, and the Blazers heading into the half would sit down by a few .. with forward Darius Miles leading the way (7 pts, 8 reb, 3 assist, 2 steals) and Orlando's Dwight Howard (16 pts, 12 reb, 2 blocks) simply blowing up the stat sheets. (ORL 47-45)

Coming out firing once again to start out the third quarter, the Blazers would get a rude awakening as the Magic would stand fast .. both outside and inside where forward Dwight Howard would reject a pair of Portland lay-ups to set the tone. Seemingly everything would go wrong for the Blazers in the first 7 minutes of the quarter, as the Magic would out-rebound them with put backs, while lighting it up from the outside (namely Jameer Nelson). Finally with 4:49 to play Blazer coach Nate McMillan would use a time out to rejuvenate the boys .. down 68-59 at this point .. the most thus far. Surprisingly the combination of Outlaw, Jones and Aldridge taking the floor would be what the Blazers needed to get back into this one. Portland would out score the Magic 10-5 to wrap up the quarter .. with Aldridge leaving with a few minutes to go due to foul trouble. (ORL 73-69)

Down for most of the game the Blazers would get up and on the glass in the fourth quarter, and battle back into this one entirely as a Webster lay-up with 9:47 to play in the game finally gave them the lead back (77-76). A D.Howard dunk (off rebound put-back) and a pair of Grant Hill free throws would give the Magic the lead again, but a LaFrentz three on the possession to follow simply tied things up with 8 minutes to play. Both teams would pretty much trade baskets all the way down to the 3 minute mark .. where finally a three point play by the Blazers (Miles) would give them a 92-91 lead. Over the course of the next 2 minutes both teams would trade baskets again, bringing the score to 94-93 .. Portland ahead with under 70 seconds to play. Forward Zach Randolph in the post would hit a cutting Jamaal Magloire for a dunk and foul, and Magloire similar to the case of the entire Blazer's team .. would fail to convert on the free throw with 53.5 ticks (up 96-93) and give the ball back to the Magic with plenty of time to dump in a three to tie it up. Unfortunately young Dwight Howard would miss a short jump hook, and the Blazers Brandon Roy releasing quickly would take the ball down the left side of the court before unloading down the middle to Magloire for another dunk in an empty lane .. Portland up 98-93 now with 41.9 ticks. An Offensive foul by Darko Milicic in the post with 38 ticks handed the ball back to the Blazers, and finally with 36.8 to play Martell Webster would head to the line for Portland following the first of what's sure to be many of intentional fouls to come. Webster would connect on both free throws .. for a team that had hit just 5 of 15 free throws up to that point. Down by 7 (100-93) the Magic would come out of their third consecutive time out and dump in a three off a Grant Hill jumper .. but only after wasting too much time. With 15.8 ticks to play Webster for Portland went to the line again, burying two more free throws to put Portland back up by at least 6 (102-96). Following a Nelson missed three at the other end Blazer forward Darius Miles would clear the boards, draw a foul with 5.1 ticks .. then clank two free throws for the Magic to collect and fire across court aimlessly. Portland wins their 4th straight. (POR WINS 102-96)



Reality's of the Game:

Predictably was Portland forward Darius Miles voted the Gatorade Baller of the Game for his game-long efforts in registering 17 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists for the Blazers. Miles also recorded 3 steals against the Magic, though he turned the ball over 4 times and clanked 6 of 7 free throws to ruin what could of been a 20+ point evening.

Orlando forward Dwight Howard was a terror for the Magic, and a likely canidate for Player of the Game even despite the team losing. Howard absolutely tore Portland apart on the glass where he snagged 19 rebounds, 8 of them Offensive. He also scored a game high 27 points, blocked 4 shots and dropped in 11 of 15 shots from the field. Perhaps the only flaws in his evening were the 7 turnovers he committed, and the 5 of 11 free throws made from the charity stripe.

The Blazer big men were active against the Magic, and led by Center Jamaal Magloire, whose 18 points scored stood as a game high for Portland. Other Portland scorers in the paint were forwards Zach Randolph (10 pts 7 reb) and Raef LaFrentz (11 pts, 7 reb) who shot an impressive 5 of 5 from the field .. including a 25 footer from the top of the arc.

Orlando floor general Grant Hill had a solid evening with 20 points scored, 7 rebounds snagged and even a three ball knocked down in the closing seconds of the game to keep his team alive. However like most other players in this game, Hill missed a few free throws (good on 5 of 8) and turned the ball over twice.

Portland guards Martell Webster and Brandon Roy continue to seem as if they've flipped roles. Against the Magic it was Roy who dumped in just 6 points (and 6 rebounds) while Webster (13 pts, 6/6 FTs) was the more efficient guy despite playing half as many minutes.

Players that definately disappeared in this one were Orlando's Darko Milicic (7 pts, 6 reb) and the Blazers LaMarcus Aldridge (4 pts, 4 reb).

Game Photos:


Darius Miles of the Blazers (pictured) was his usual self against the
Magic, with a few dunks on the evening, a few baskets and the
[b]Gatorade Baller of the Game[/u] honors once again in his
possession by the final buzzer. The Portland forward scored 17
points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished 7 assists during the game,
along with stealing a few balls (3 to be exact) from the Magic.


Orlando guard Jameer Nelson (#14) had a fair performance against
the Blazers with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 4 dimes dished on the
evening. Nelson, who knocked down 4 of 10 shots including 2 of
4 from down town, also accumulated a couple of steals on the night.


Portland forward Raef LaFrentz (pictured) continues to impressive
the Blazers Coaching Staff with his play off the bench at both the
center and power forward positions. Against the Magic (and
particularly Dwight Howard) Raef shot perfect from the field
(5 of 5 FGs, 1/1 3pt) and en route to scoring 11 hard-earned points.
LaFrentz also snagged 7 rebounds as well.

BLAZER'S GAME 18

Pre-Game Report

AT

When: December 3rd @ 830pm
Where: The Rose Garden Arena, in Portland, OR
Blazers Record: 8-9
Hawks Record: 5-9

The Hawk's Nest -

Team Leaders:

Scoring: C Lorenzen Wright (18.7)
Rebounding: SF Josh Smith (11.1)
Assists: PG Speedy Claxton (5.6)
Steals: SG Joe Johnson (2.14)
Blocks: SF Josh Smith (1.43)

Conveniently enough the Atlanta Hawks are a team that's absolutely loaded with talent, but judging from their record you'd never think such a thing. They're young all the way around with the exception of center Lorenzen Wright (18.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg) who is looking more and more like he'll be the top big man available via free agency at the end of this season. Both forwards Marvin Williams (14.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg) and Josh Smith (12.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg) are having excellent years otherwise, while guards Joe Johnson (17.4 ppg, 5.4 apg) and Speedy Claxton (13.4 ppg, 5.6 apg) have combined for over 11 assists per contest and 30+ points. The injury bug has been kind to this team, so why the poor record? It's because of roster situations that leave players such as PG Tyrone Lue and 27 y/o Slava Medvedenko as the veteran support off the bench. Youngsters such as Josh Childress, Salim Stoudamire, Shelden Williams and Zaza Pachulia are all still trying to develope. This squad is the epitomy of error prone, disorganized and easily-disoriented .. at least for now.

Portland's Priorities -

Team Leaders:

Scoring: SF Darius Miles (14.3)
Rebounding: SF Darius Miles (8.2)
Assists: SF Darius Miles (5.8)
Steals: SG Martell Webster (0.59)
Blocks: SF Darius Miles (0.41)

Portland won't need much of a game plan to take down the Hawks, other than to stay focused and persistent with finding open shots, and working the glass. Although forwards Josh Smith and Marvin Williams are averaging 10+ rebounds a game each, a stout body will usually take care of high-jumpers as themselves. The Blazers should be able to win this one both outside and inside, where the Hawks have little presence outside of Lorenzen Wright and a handful of youngsters off the bench. Taking care of the ball will be a priority as well, since young on-the-fly teams such as the Blazers opponents this evening are usually looking for steals, and high-light dunks on the break. Portland will simply look to stay in a half-court set for most of this one, and force the Hawks to play organized and intelligently .. which is what they've failed to defend all year.

Look For:

Coach Nate McMillan to use either Brandon Roy, Martell Webster or even Darius Miles to guard the likes of 6'8" poing guard Josh Childress of the Hawks when he takes the floor.

man it is getting sooo frustrating. i am waiting for miles to get a triple-double lol.

you should beat the hawks. only 1 more game to get .500

man it is getting sooo frustrating. i am waiting for miles to get a triple-double lol.

you should beat the hawks. only 1 more game to get .500

I'm trying to figure out how he hasn't done it yet .. lol .. he basically runs the Offense due to my total lack of being able to keep any of my PGs on the floor for some minutes due to all of their fatigue ratings sucking ass.

I have no choice but to go with him, but his Defense around the outside is awesome .. he creates so many more missed shots.

Opponents shoot over Jones, Dickau and Jack like it's nothing.

The Rose City Sports Page Report

Blazers Shoot Down Hawks


In just 20 minutes of action Portland guard Jarrett Jack dumped in a
team high 28 points on a perfect 9 of 9 shooting from the field, including
3 of 3 from beyond the arc. The 2nd year former Georgia Tech star
even spilled in 7 of 8 free throws for what turned out to be the finest
single-game performance of his short NBA career.

96
109

Box Score: (Click here for Full Team/Player Statistics)

Game Summary:

Looking to stay focused and aggressive, the Blazers wound up a bit shocked when hosting the Hawks at the Rose Garden Arena, when they'd hit the court to find out that Atlanta was just as poised. In fact both teams would rebound hard, foul hard and trade baskets throughout the bulk of the first quarter until a Miles lay-up (fouled by Pachulia) would result in the Blazers stud forward heading to the sideline bruised up on the play to be examined. Martell Webster would step in for the do-it-all Blazer, and knock down a pair of free throws to give Portland an 18-17 edge with 5:20 to go. 34 seconds later a Magloire lay-up would put Portland up 20-17 before a Ty Lue three from the corner tied up the score at 20-20 with around 4 minutes to play. And it was then that the Blazers, following a time out, re-took the floor with a fresher line-up (Outlaw, Roy) and ran .. out-flying the Hawks youth at a 14-5 scoring spree to wrap up the first 12 minutes of action with a nice lead. (POR 34-25)

The tables turned however with the start of the second half as the Hawks would come out more poised than before, and this time determined. Led by guards Joe Johnson and Speedy Claxton Atlanta would trade baskets effectively with the Blazers for the first 7 minutes of the quarter, effectively putting a stopper in the waterfall of momentum that Portland had led loose during the final minutes of the first period. Then, toward the end they'd slowly chip away at a 10+ point lead, getting good production out of both Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams (14 pts combined) .. as the Hawks would out score the Blazers 26-21 in the second period with Joe Johnson standing out as their halftime stud (14 pts) and Jarret Jack as the Blazers (16 pts). (POR 55-51)

Both teams would stay competitive right into the third quarter where the Hawks would remain aggressive, and keep the Blazers within a 6-8 point reach through the first 6 minutes. In that time guard Jarrett Jack would dump in another 8 (of 18 scored by the team thus far) points for the Blazers, who would maintain a lead at 73-67 with his exit at 5:29 remaining in the period. McMillan's unit to follow was a quicker, more flowing group, and in the final minutes of the quarter it'd show as Portland would out-run the Hawks 13-8 .. effectively extending the lead back to 11 with the close of the game's first three quarters. (POR 86-75)

At the start of the fourth quarter Atlanta would clearly come out looking to run back into this contest with a strong effort .. including an 9-2 start that would see the Hawks down by as much as 4 (88-84) with 9 minutes still to play. Yet the Blazers would recooperate and bounce back efficiently, as Magloire would put back a rebound for a slam on one possession, followed by a Brandon Roy lay-up on a fast break to follow, giving Portland a more comfortable 8 point cushion. And the cushion would ultimately remain .. with the Blazers gradually adding a few more points to it until they'd sit up by 13 with just under 2 minutes to play in the game. Atlanta wouldn't gain anything more, and Portland would finally wrap up their 5th consecutive victory. (POR WINS 109-96)

Reality's of the Game:

Portland point guard Jarrett Jack may of had his best NBA performance of his short career against the Hawks where his efforts earned him the Gatorade Baller of the Game honors probably by the end of the third quarter. Jack, who actually only played 20 minutes, led Portland in scoring with 28 points on a perfect 9 of 9 shooting from the field, as well as 3 of 3 from beyond the arc. He also knocked down 7 of 8 free throws and registered 3 assists.

Leading for Atlanta was shooting guard Joe Johnson, who blew up for a game high 36 points on a pretty solid 15 of 24 shooting from the field. Johnson also knocked in a pair of three balls, went a perfect 4 of 4 from the charity stripe, and dished a pair of assists while grabbing a couple of rebounds in only 34 minutes of action.

Portland's guards in Darius Miles (13 pts, 6 reb, blk) Brandon Roy (10 pts, 3 assists) and Martell Webster (8 pts, 3 reb) all had pretty decent evenings against the Hawks lesser back court.

Hawks point guard Speedy Claxton had a pretty memorable night with 14 points and 10 assists .. statistics that led to his first double double of the year.

Though they weren't very active on the glass, the Blazer big men in Zach Randolph (14 pts, 5 reb) LaMarcus Aldridge (11 pts, 3 reb) and Jamaal Magloire (12 pts, 8 reb) combined for 37 of the team's 109 points.

The Hawks combination of forwards Josh Smith and Marvin Williams combined for just 29 points and 13 rebounds on the night. The team's regular season top scorer, center Lorenzen Wright, as held to only 4 points by Portland's inside presence.

Game Photos:


With other Hawks struggling, Atlanta guard Joe Johnson (#2) took it upon
himself to score for his team, but his game high 36 points would not
be enough in the end. Johnson poured in 15 of 24 shots from the field.


Portland center Jamaal Magloire (pictured) was a stud with 12 points
scored and 8 rebounds snagged against the Hawks. The starter also
registered a steal and block in a great Defensive effort of a game.


Atlanta point guard Speedy Claxton (#12) who spent most of the first quarter in foul trouble, proved
to be a total liability for the Hawks throughout the rest of the game. The quick, yet small-framed
point guard gave up 28 points alone to Portland guard Jarrett Jack in just 20 minutes. Claxton in
the mean time registered a double double Offensively with 14 points scored and 10 assists dished.

nice win. good to see you at .500 now.

bit of a surprise seeing jack have such a good game. looking forward to more updates

Great chise thus far. Good job on getting the blazers back to .500

Good to see Blazers on such a winning streak. Jack surprised with great game, 9/9 FGM, good job

Nice job holme Nice Win streak, I will comment