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Photo: iamatrailblazerfan.com
The Blazers struggle offensively but rely on fantastic perimeter defense down the stretch to get a much needed win at home against the Sacramento Kings.
Tonight was 1990's night, continuing this season's celebration of the organization's anniversary. I hate to say I am happy I missed a game at the Rose Garden because the atmosphere is very special, but I am actually glad I did not have to deal with the thousands of scrunchy wearing, ripped t-shirt adorned fans.
The Blazers organization honored the epic teams of the 1990's (can you believe that was 20 years ago?!? I am old!) with a visit from legend Bill Walton , a pre-tip off speech from 90's legend and recent jersey retiree Terry Porter, and the players wore those god awful red , retro jerseys (most memorably seen at the Rose Garden when Greg Oden went down).
This should have been an easy win at home for the Blazers , instead the game was more tense than expected as the Kings tied up the score late in the fourth quarter. In the end however, the Blazers relied upon solid defense and timely shooting to get the 88-81 victory and stay in the playoff hunt.
Marcus Camby, who finished with 8 rebounds and 5 blocks, said after the game to Mike Barrett on Comcast Sports Net, "coach likes to call it a business game, business games, it wasn't pretty tonight but we got a win" .
The largest lead for Portland was 12 points but they struggled to shut out the Kings and at times found themselves down by as many as 7 . What was not there on the offensive end for the Blazers was certainly there on the defensive end however, as they held the Kings to 81 points. Sacramento is averaging 102.8 points per contest this season.
Indeed, the story of the night was defense and apart from some arena-rocking dunks by Brandon Roy and Nicolas Batum, the star of the night was Marcus Camby who shut down the Kings in the last three minutes of the game when he smothered Hawes, Greene and Udrih on the perimeter on three consecutive possessions.
Marcus Camby finished the game having played 33 minutes on 2 sore ankles , contributing 6 points on 3 for 5 shooting , 8 rebounds , 5 blocks (!) and 2 assists. A fantastic all around game from the man whose defense certainly helped win the game for the Blazers.
Brandon Roy played almost 40 minutes and appeared to have found his rhythm after a dismal showing against Denver. He went 8 for 16 from the field, wracked up 19 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and dished 3 assists. He had several key lay ins late in the game to seal the victory for the Blazers. Roy moved much better tonight and seems to be less hampered by the strained hamstring with each game he plays. It was nice to see him make cuts on offense, run smoothly , and be more active on the defensive end. His health is crucial to the Blazers success , It appears he is close to being 100%.
Nicolas Batum played almost 30 minutes including key minutes down the stretch, scoring 14 points on 6-7 shooting including 1-2 from the three point line. Batum looked especially fantastic next to Marcus Camby late in the game on defense. When those two pair up ,whether on the switch or not, the combination is deadly. Although the Kings aren't exactly the most difficult opponent to guard (23rd in offense), Batum and Camby showed a flash of what they can do with their length, quickness, defensive skill and size on the perimeter.
LaMarcus Aldridge finished the night with 13 points and 7 rebounds but was largely absent down the stretch of the game. Andre Miller went 4 for 9 from the field and finished with 14 points. He was perfect from the free throw line and thankfully made no three point attempts.
Jerryd Bayless went 0 for 4 , 0 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists in 10 minutes.
The Sacramento Kings only have 21 wins, but they played like a team vying for a playoff spot. Tyreke Evans moves so well off the ball, handles the ball like a 10 year veteran and got to the basket seemingly at will . I remarked on twitter that he is quickly becoming my favorite NBA non-Blazer. Evans completed the game with 18 points.
As I mentioned above, the Kings were held to just 81 points even though they average far more per game this season. Carl Landry had a match-up advantage and finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Beside Landry and Evans, the Kings struggled to score but where allowed 40 points in the paint by the Blazers. Sacramento shot a dismal 23.1% from the three point line and were held to 43% shooting overall.
The Blazers have on day off before traveling to Oakland to take on the Golden State Warriors. Despite the Warriors' less than stellar record, that team has out-run the Blazers in Oakland (and often in Portland) handing the Blazers many frustrating losses. Regardless, the Blazers need every win to close out the season , especially against sub .500 teams. I hope the Blazers can get a win on Thursday.
Sophia Brugato | Twitter: @sophiabiabia | S.Brugato (at) Gmail (dot) Com
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