Andre Miller will have a big impact on this game tonight. For some reason Portland has played poorly against these Warriors and Andre will be the one who settles the offense, changes the pace and manages the game.
His opponent, Stephen Curry, has really found a groove in 2010. Since the new year he's averaged nearly 20 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds per game. He may be one of the only decent players left standing on the roster and he'll create a ton of problems for our point guards.
PG
SG
Brandon Roy was solid in the win against Sacramento but tonight will be different. Because of the past struggles, he needs to be on his game in Golden State. His shot isn't quite there yet but it will get better. I think Roy goes big in this game.
The only kryptonite in this possible big game for Roy, is the potential return of Monta Ellis. When Ellis decides he wants to, he can shut Roy down. His quickness and leaping ability are tough on any guard. I still have a good feeling about Brandon here.
SG
SF
CThis Anthony Morrow guy continues to play well enough to stay on an NBA roster. With the Warriors, it's more like as a starter considering the injuries. Morrow can really shoot it and he never hesitates, he's also gotten Portland a couple times. But he's about to face the new and improved Nic Batum. Assuming Batum gaurds him, it will be shutdown city. I also know these Warriors hate defense so Nic as well as Martell Webster will have the freedom to bomb from deep. Blazers take it.
SF
PF
Anthony Tolliver, Anthony Tolliver, where do I recognize that name? Oh right! D league pick-up for the Blazers a few months back. Last thing I remember he was getting lit up by Michael Beasley. Could it really be true that he sometimes starts now for Golden State? Craziness. Well, I'm not too worried about Tolliver, but Maggette can be a thorn in the side of LaMarcus Aldridge at times. Despite past flopping by Maggette, I think Aldridge is also due for a big night. 20 and 10 baby, put it on the board!
PF
C
I don't really know what to say about this match-up, with Biedrins and Turiaf both out, Chris Hunter is the only option at center. This means that he won't play much and the Warriors will run serious small ball against Portland.
The good news at least, is we have a legit shot blocker in Marcus Camby who can deflect not only shots in the paint but also keep Golden State players for driving into the paint at times. I think it's a no brainer and the Blazers win!
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.
At the Trail Blazers Tweet-up last week before the Pacers game, Dustin Hawes took a few videos of the fans talking about their favorite players. Here's the video, look for the Bust a Bucket shout outs!
Dealer: "Here's an idea, why don't you give me half the money you're going to bet, then we'll go out back, I'll kick you in the nuts, and we'll call it a day!" -Dealer speaking to Clark Griswold, Vegas Vacation
I'd like to think that this will be a close game, but I just don't see it. I don't believe that Sacramento has the bench or the wherewithal to keep this game interesting. On a nightly basis the Blazers may presently be a riddle wrapped in an enigma, but that's only if you allow yourself to get bogged down in the details. In reality, Portland is becoming fairly predictable. Against bad teams they are able to open up big leads (whether they can hold them or not is a different story), against good teams they get punched in the mouth early and spend the rest of the game playing catch up.
I love this team and I like their chances in the playoffs, but I am prepared to be frustrated for the remainder of the regular season. Nate's perpetual tinkering will ensure that we as fans have something to talk about for the final quarter of the season, but when it comes time for the playoffs the tinkering will stop and that will allow the team to focus and its talent will thrive.
But tonight isn't the playoffs, it is a regular season game, which means the game will follow a predictable outcome. Sacramento is terrible on the road. Portland plays great against bad teams. The Kings should have save the money on airfare and just scrimmaged at their practice facility. That would have saved them some money. Take the Blazers.
Andre Miller continues to make plays to disrupt slow or lethargic offense created by the Blazers. Even more so than any stat line he provides, the change of pace and recognizing when the team needs a boost is what I've noticed lately.
Udrih and Miller put up similar numbers, Andre slightly better, but I think the thing that will set Andre apart in this match-up will be his game management. Bayless will get some run and Tyreke Evans may run point a little, but not enough to sway my decision!
PG
SG
Brandon Roy had a forgettable game against the Nuggets on Sunday, one where he was shut down for the most part and exposed as far as his predicatability on offense. A few fans went a little bonkers on the radio today, over reacting to the bad game, but he'll be back.
One of the tougher tasks in the league right now is guarding soon to be rookie of the year Tyreke Evans. Brandon faces an extremely athletic guy who has a similar game. Both guys run about 20, 5, and 5. I do think Roy along with Rudy hitting some threes will be enough to outlast Evans.
SG
SF
Considering Nicolas Batum's recent inconsistencies on offense and Martell Webster's downright struggles, this could be a difficult match-up for Portland. Casspi comes back from a night off and Donte Green provides an athletic target for Tyreke and Beno.
This match-up hinges on whether or not our guys can hit threes. Portland needs wing players to spread the floor and keep defenses honest by actually making the three ball. I'm afraid I can't envision it happening right now.
SF
PF
The Kings traded for Carl Landry a few weeks ago, and immediately put him to work on the interior. Since joining the Kings he's averaged 18 and 7 in 37 minutes per game. He and Jason Thompson will split time at the power forward position, causing what will inevitably be a lot of problems for LaMarcus.
Lately, LaMarcus Aldridge's game has been quiet. He racks up a few garbage points and doesn't seem to hit the boards like he was for awhile there. I think he'll have more trouble with the Sacramento duo. Kings win.
PF
C
The probable return of Marcus Camby tonight will be a much needed defensive presence for the Blazers. Portland desperately needed him against the Nuggets and it showed. Having Camby disrupting things inside will make the whole team work better as a defensive unit.
Spencer Hawes hasn't been much of a threat at all and I think a healthy Camby will exploit Hawes even more. This match-up definitely won't make or break the game, but I like OUR chances. Blazers win!
One more tid-bit of news from the Blazers involves the first of 4 decade nights. Tomorrow will be 90's decade night (which has its Bust a Bucket implications) and the team will wear Hardwood Classic red jerseys and their will be Blazermaniac T-shirts available in the fan shop. Here's the release:
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Trail Blazers will host the third of four ‘Decade Nights' this season, honoring key players, contributors and moments from the 1990s during tomorrow night's game between the Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings at the Rose Garden.
The Trail Blazers will recognize Jerome Kersey and Terry Porter during a halftime ceremony hosted by Bill Schonely. The ceremony will feature a highlight package on the big screen, followed by some of the players' favorite memories of the 90s. The Trail Blazers made the playoffs each season during the 1990s - including NBA Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992 - the only decade in franchise history to make that claim.
"We were like a family," Kersey said of the teams of the 90s. "We spent so much time together over the years; it was tough not to have good chemistry."
Continuing the season-long 40th anniversary celebration, the Trail Blazers will wear the Hardwood Classic replica of the '77 Championship team jerseys, a red "road" jersey with vertical Blazers lettering and a stripe down one side. Hardwood Classics apparel - including a limited-edition BlazerManiac T-shirt - will be available at the Fan Shop.
Also on Tuesday, the most famous Trail Blazer to wear the featured jersey, 1977 NBA Finals MVP Bill Walton, will be in attendance.
The Trail Blazers wore the Hardwood Classic jersey for two seasons, 1975-76 and 1976-77 (their sixth and seventh years in the NBA), amassing an overall record of 86-78. Only 23 players donned the jersey style during its two-year reign, but their accomplishments assured its place in history. Walton scored more points (2,033) in the jersey's two-year existence, than any other Trail Blazer.
Portland has worn six different uniforms during its 40-year history, with four of them coming during the first decade. The style worn from 1975-77 was the third.
"We switched jerseys so often early in our history because we wanted to find the right fit," team founder Harry Glickman said. "We wanted something both the players and the fans liked."
Following the 1976-77 season, the Trail Blazers seemed to find ‘the right fit'. The current look has gone vastly unchanged for the past 30 years, with only minor changes to the font and trim.
Portland is one of six NBA teams participating in the NBA's Hardwood Classics jersey program, joining the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors. The final Decade Night, Thursday, March 31st vs. New York, will celebrate the 2000s.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla underwent successful surgery this evening to repair a re-ruptured right patella tendon.
Dr. Don Roberts performed the two-hour procedure at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center in Vancouver, Wash.
No timetable has been set for his return to the court.
Przybilla originally ruptured his right patella tendon in a Dec. 22 game at Dallas and underwent season-ending surgery on Dec. 24. He re-ruptured the tendon March 6 after slipping in the shower at his home in Milwaukee, Wis., where he was rehabilitating.
Przybilla, 30, averaged 4.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.43 blocked shots in 30 games (nine starts) this season before the injury. A six-year Trail Blazer, he ranks sixth in franchise history with 593 blocked shots.
So you probably know about this already, but I'll give you the official details regardless:
PORTLAND, Ore. - Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla will undergo surgery on his right patella tendon in the next few days.
Przybilla re-ruptured his right patella tendon Saturday morning after slipping in the shower at his home in Milwaukee, Wis.
He returned to Portland today to undergo an MRI, which revealed the rupture.
Przybilla originally ruptured the tendon in a Dec. 22 game at Dallas. He underwent season-ending surgery on Dec. 24 and was in Milwaukee rehabilitating the injury.
No timetable is available for his return to the court.
Honestly, given Joel's age and the fact that it's a re-rupture, I think this is potentially worse than the first injury.
Can Joel recover from this?
He has to be psychologically destroyed right now, a set back of this magnitude is enough to make most big men retire as soon as possible. But Joel is not your average Joe, he's the toughest SOB in the NBA and I doubt he'll give up that easy. I really wish him all the best in the recovery and hope to see him back at full strength sometime next season.
Last week I wrote 6000 words about the different views one could have regarding the Portland Trail Blazers' chances to make this year's playoffs. I sent it off for editing only to find after sending that the file was corrupted and the entire piece of work lost. 6000 words up in smoke, just like that. I can't help but think this to be an ominous sign.
To begin the season, the entire team and organization made it clear that they would make the second round of the playoffs and they stayed on message like Barack Obama during the 2008 campaign. Team members, color analysts, general manager and owner all repeated at every possible moment, "we want to get to the second round of the playoffs". However, entering the final stretch of the season after every obstacle has been placed in front of the team; this confident goal now seems more like an idealistic dream.
No longer is anyone mentioning potential second round match-ups. The Blazers simply want to get into the playoffs and are hopeful to avoid the 8th seed.
Looking at the Blazers' schedule for the remainder of the season, one can assume that the Blazers' shouldn't have any trouble getting at the very least an 8 seed. But what I am concerned about is the April schedule, during which the Blazers close out the regular season playing the Mavericks, Lakers, Thunder and Warriors. Although March is a fairly easy month comparatively speaking, the Blazers have not shown a consistent ability to close out weaker teams and have little room for mistake in April.
Starting out March with 2 wins is a great start. The Blazers have a huge game against the Denver Nuggets, which most assuredly will be a loss and then play several games on the road against teams the Blazers' have struggled to dominate. This leads me to predict that the Blazers end the month of March with 7 wins. This could potentially create a problem for the Blazers going into April when teams like the Hornets and Grizzlies close in on the 8th seed. The Blazers would be forced to string together several meaningful wins against title contenders in April.
Good luck with that.
As I have written before, the Blazers' success at this point is based upon whether Brandon Roy is healthy and playing. If he's injured, taking nights off or doesn't play for a couple games in a row, the team doesn't make it. Since Roy is seemingly here to stay and will contribute big minutes, even during blow out wins against horrible teams, it is safe to say the Blazers will have just enough to secure a spot in the playoffs.
George Michael: "That's Ann. She's my girlfriend." George Sr.: "Her?" George Michael: "Yeah... she's really funny." George Sr.: "Let's hope so." -Arrested Development
Oh Indiana, what do you have to hope for? Your image as some hoops heartland, built strong on the backs of Hoosiers and Bobby Knight, is all but a distant memory. Your team has the incredibly talented Danny Granger, but he's surrounded by the sporadically effective play of Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy, the unathletic Roy Hibbert, and the NBA's biggest A-hole Jeff Foster. Oh, and University of Indiana basketball program has been terrible since Bobby Knight was run out of town on a rail (What's that? They made the national championship game in '02? Doesn't count because those were still Bobby Knight guys, and besides their best player was Tom Coverdale!). You poor, identityless basketball fans...
What percentage of Pacer fans watch "Hoosiers" in a drunken stupor and reminisce about the glory days? Is it over 10%? I say yes.
Now, the Pacers do scare me a little bit. Between Dunleavy, Murphy and Granger they have guys that can shoot and score. Granger can't do it all by himself, but if those two yokels get hot then this team can put up some points. And, with Hibbert shoving people around down low, we could have our hands full. In the days before Camby, Juwan Howard and Andre Miller I would have been concerned, but not anymore. Their veteran presence will insure that we keep the role players from contributing too much, and the raw ability of our young studs will overwhelm Indiana and run them out of the building.
I wouldn't want to be a Pacer fan for the next, oh, let's say ten years. And I certainly wouldn't want to be one tonight.
Behind all of the Nicolas Batum hype of late, Andre Miller has been quite good himself. His only lackluster game was the blowout in Minnesota. In the other 4 games of the road trip he averaged 16 points and 8 assists.
TJ Ford is still trying to get back into game form and may still need some adjusting while Earl Watson is mostly just a fill-in. With Bayless backing up Miller, I like our point guards to win this match-up.
PG
SG
Brandon Roy has been steadily regaining his BRoy game during the recent road trip and tonight it should get even better. I picture Brandon being a big part of the offense as our bigs try to defend Indiana's front line.
Brandon Rush has had his moments in his sophomore season, but nothing too special. He and Dahntay Jones will have a the task of chasing down Rudy and trying to stop Roy. I think Rudy continues his solid play and we win the match-up.
SG
SF
A truly difficult task for Nicolas Batum will be trying to contain Danny Granger. Granger is a stud, one of my favorite non-Blazer players in the league. He's battled injuries this year but appears to be back for the most part.
Nic has been tremendous on offense as well, and he'll be tested all around tonight against a team with two quality small forwards. Nic and Martell will have their hands full, and they won't be able to contain.
SF
PF
LaMarcus disappeared again on Monday in Memphis as far as the stats go. He did however make things somewhat difficult for Z-bo, but 13 and 2 is pretty brutal from our PF.
LA will have to deal with another strong rebounding power forward in Troy Murphy. Murphy is having a solid year and can be a threat from deep. LA will have to do work to hang with Murphy.
PF
C
Having Marcus Camby is so nice when an opponent has a huge center who isn't neccessarily overly skilled. Don't get me wrong, Hibbert has been solid, but Marcus will make him work hard and prevent him from doing much at all offensively.
The combination of Camby and Juwan Howard should be enough to keep Hibbert in check, the question is, can they help enough in rebounding to counter the efforts of Granger, Dunleavy and Murphy? We shall see, but they win this match-up.
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Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. Here are some of our high-priority areas that we're specifically looking to grow. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 