Denver 96, Portland 99

From time to time I have been highly critical of Allen Iverson as a guy who shoots too much for the percentage he shoots. Well, Friday he did it again. On the surface he had a really strong game, scoring 34 points. This time he took just 26 shots. And it was actually a useful 34 as his 12 free throws demonstrate he was drawing fouls and creating havoc for the Blazers defense. Anthony also had a very strong game with another 34 points and added a dozen boards. Had they gotten any help they would have won.

However, only one other Nugget could muster as much as 11 points and once you got past him they topped out at 5. This was a game where the stars did what they were supposed to do...and the role players did not show up.

On the other side of the court, the Blazers got good balance as 5 guys scored between 12 and 19 points. Aldridge and Roy had 18 each, though Roy struggled mightily from the field. However, Portland got a lot of help from their role players.

Outlaw struggled from the field but he made his free throws and had key blocks. Frye did not score a lot but he controlled the boards. Blake took just 2 shots, scoring 3 points, but he moved the ball and got the Blazers into their offense. Jones and Webster were efficient from the field.

In other words, though Roy and Iverson both had poor shooting games while Anthony and Aldridge were a bit better, the Blazer duo got help while the Nugget duo went it alone. That, in my eyes, backs up a bit further my ongoing critique of Iverson.

In his game, role players get used to standing around watching. With Roy, they are used to being needed and, more important, wanted. Guys like Outlaw know that even if they go 4-11 the Blazers need them to keep participating. The Nuggets had 2 guys with 26 shots, 2 guys with 8, and nobody else with more than 3. Iverson and Anthony completely dominate the ball. Meanwhile, for Portland there were 4 guys who took double figures shots, another with 7 and another with 6. It was a team game.

As Bryant discovered last year and Wilt Chamberlain discovered during his career, 1 or even 2 players having game after game where they and they alone are the offense, good TEAMS with no player able...or perhaps just not willing...to score with them will still beat them. Good team beats good individual play. And it crushes bad individual play.

This was not an example of bad play. With the number of 3s he shoots and the free throws he attempted, Iverson had a pretty good game. However, he never got other Nuggets involved and when crunch time came the Blazers were able to keep the ball out of his hands and in the hands of Kleiza who got his shot thrown back by Outlaw.

It is another good victory by Portland. Oh, and it pulled them within a half game of Denver for 1st place...

Off Topic: On Bad Broadcasters and Bad Officials

Since the Blazers package is on Comcast and we have the dish, there are times I do not get to see their games. Some other games I will watch, some I won't. The ones I won't are typically those dominated by dull, plodding players who are engaged in the wrong sport. Teams I will watch almost anytime tend to be those that run, score a lot, and are entertaining...I would include the Suns, Mavericks, Warriors in that group for sure, and some other teams are getting there.

So when ESPN had the Suns and Mavericks game it seemed like a good time to watch. Two talented teams that play a more open style, have the flash on offense and the ability to provide the occasional spectacular play on defense, this is my type of game.

Unfortunately, the broadcasters were no Statler and Waldorf. Since I tuned in at half-time and the first few minutes of watching were sporadic, I did not catch their names. That is probably a good thing or they might find themselves consigned to the "O 'Neal" list...that is, players I dislike watching for whatever reason.

It was the color commentator in particular who repeatedly made the comment(s) that just gets under my skin and points out a problem with the NBA game today. He was going off against "floppers" such as he was accusing Devin Harris of being.

Now, flopping is an art that we can pretty much do without. Laimbeer was really good at it and got under people's skins. That habit existed pre-Laimbeer and will exist long after Harris is retired. At the same time, it is a necessary tool because the NBA refuses to enforce its own rules.

If the defensive player establishes position and the offensive player initiates contact to move him from that position it is, by rule, an offensive foul. It is a charge and should be called as such. However, some players...yes, I am looking in the direction of Shaquille O'Neal here, a rugby player I have complained about before...are so strong that the referees would not call it.

Actually, to be fair, that "non-call" was around before O'Neal and it is not his fault he took advantage of how calls were being made. A lot of post players do the same thing. Not as talented as a Hakeem Olajuwon with his "Dream Shake" or a David Robinson with his smooth moves or even...Laker-hater that I am, it is hard to admit this...the sky-hooking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, these post players don't bother to deke their opponent to get open, they simply run over him using their size/strength.

And commit uncalled offensive fouls.

Virtually every time he touched the ball Shaquille O'Neal ran over people and the poor sap on the receiving end got called for the foul. It was horrible, horrible basketball and just no fun to watch. When I want to watch big strong guys pushing and shoving I watch the NFL or wrestling. When I want to watch an athletic competition, I watch basketball.

But since the referees often do not call that charge, the defenders have to find other tools. One such tool is the flop. Sure, players fall more than necessary...but if they don't then officials don't call the charge.

This color commentator was so incensed about the second Harris flop that he said something along the lines of, "I hate floppers so much that even if they deserved the call I would not give it to them.". Guess we are all glad YOU aren't the ref then, aren't we? Picking and choosing which rules to follow and which ones not to follow is a recipe for disaster. It has led to the 90-84 snoozefests that have blotted the NBA schedule for a few years now. Gone are the free-flowing, up and down high scoring affairs. In their place we have walk the ball down the floor, have two guys play sumo for a few seconds until one throws up a shot, rinse, repeat.

Seriously, what NBA Finals has compared, in the last couple decades, to the year the Bulls and Suns combined for something like 3 million points in 6 games? Barkely, Jordan, that was a finals worth watching! Contrast that with the yawners produced by the Pistons, Heat, Nets...games so bad, so unwatchable that most of us didn't. And a lot of it goes back to the referees refusing to make the correct call.

If a guy moves a set defensive player by sheer strength and gains an advantage it is a charge and should be called as such. Let's open the game up a bit and make it the athletic contest that makes for entertainment and put the kibosh on the pushing and shoving that replaces skill and lets the strongman competition winners dominate the game.

Last night was a good example. Stoudemire got called for a couple of fouls for running over his defender. So the Suns shifted their offense a bit and soon, instead of him standing there with his back to the basket, waiting for the entry, then running over a guy, they started moving, passing, driving to the bucket...and yes, he was throwing down some ferocious cuts as the movement got him open. Instead of strength he was using speed and agility, showing some tremendous skill.

At the other end of the floor you saw much the same thing from Dirk Nowitski. When he did post up, he used speed, agility, and a great fake to unleash his Purvis-Short reminiscent shot. Beautiful. That is basketball as it should be played.

You can have skilled post play. For all his whining about foul calls, Duncan is a great post player. He gets his shot off with slick moves, not Gorilla Bench Presses. Portland's own LaMarcus Aldridge is another one who works a variety of fade-aways to score from the post. It does not have to be a war zone. It is more entertaining to watch when it isn't just big guys pushing and shoving. And when the commentators aren't blowing out your eardrums with their backwards comments praising boring, illegal basketball.

Toronto 96, Portland 101

When Aldridge went out for a 5 game stretch that included 2 games with the Jazz and one in Denver my high hopes for the season were on the ropes. After the debacle in Philadelphia, team confidence was down, despite the boost it got in Memphis, and they were struggling to identify where, when and how to score.

His absence, in the long run, might have been one of the best things that could happen for this young team. Brandon Roy stepped up in two ways. First, he took charge of the team, telling them they each needed to step up and help a bit on the boards and with points, "a couple of points each". Sure, they were going to hear that from Coach McMillan...but coming from Roy it might have an even better impact. Second, he stepped up his own game. Sure, he has had a few bad shooting nights...but he is penetrating, making things happen, and most important...doing it the entire game instead of waiting for the 4th quarter.

With Webster struggling, Jones and Outlaw inconsistent and Aldridge out the margin of error for the Blazers is too thin to have Roy coast through the first three quarters with 5 - 10 points and then turn it on in the 4th. They dig too big a deficit.

Meanwhile, a primary problem for Portland during their losing streak was the third quarter. They would typically play really well in the first quarter, sometimes really well in the second, sometimes not so well, but usually it was a game at the half or Portland had a substantial lead. Then the third quarter would strike. Portland would throw low double digits up, seldom exceeding 20 points, while their opponent would often double them up. Then Portland would play well in the fourth but it would be too little, too late. So many games they should have won ended up in the L column.

While Aldridge was out Portland discovered a winning formula. They still habitually lose the third quarter...but instead of by 10 - 15 or even 20 points, now it is a manageable 3 - 5 points. And they are winning. And winning. And winning.

Naturally, I am a huge Aldridge fan. I have been saying most of the year that he and Roy, on this incarnation of the team, need to be averaging 22 - 25 points each to carry this team. I will listen to arguments that their 19 point averages are enough...but I believe they would improve the team by taking more of the scoring load on themselves as the best and most consistent scorers Portland has. This would open the game up more for Webster, Blake and Jones to bomb away. With Aldridge posting up, Roy and Jack driving almost at will, and the Webster/Blake/Jones triumvirate bombing away off kick outs for easy open shots you have the potential to have a dynamic, high-scoring team.

With that said, it really felt like they were messing with success a bit by having him return to the starting line-up last night. Sure, the winning streak STARTED with him in the line-up, but look at how effective Portland was in some tough places WITHOUT him...winning in Utah and Denver, scoring almost at will...

Now, it is hard to argue that moving Frye to the bench and putting Aldridge in the line-up can do anything but improve a team but there is such thing as chemistry.

Be that as it may, McMillan...who, despite some doubts during the losing streak I am fully behind again...pulled the trigger on putting his stud back in. Due to illness I could not attend the game but did listen to most of it and early on it seemed like the wrong move.

Portland was getting lost on offense. This is a team that fore several game stretches was shooting better than 50% and scoring well over 100. Now they were getting in each other's way and struggling to get good shots. This is when you need someone to step up. Preferably, it will be your big guns, the guys who bring you to the dance...Roy, Aldridge, I am looking in your direction here. However, what sets the great teams apart from the good ones is the great teams have "that guy" who figures out what a team needs on any given night and gives it to them.

Last night it was Blake early. He had 10 points in the first 7 minutes...and only 14 for the game. Early, when the offense was struggling he stepped up and made shots. That got Portland rolling and the ended up with a very nice 31 point quarter. Roy and Aldridge also were on pace for 20+ nights. Sadly, on the other side of the ball they weren't stopping anybody.

The second quarter started out okay, but then Portland hit a dry stretch largely revolving around Outlaw who was having a miserable night. At one point he was 1-7 from the field including having a dunk blocked. He can leap out of the building but the rim is still just 10' high...meanwhile, after over a 3 minute dry spell Aldridge rebounded a missed Jack shot and put it back in. By then there was but 5:51 left in the quarter and that pulled the Blazers to within 45-39...yep, 6 minutes and change into the quarter they had scored a whopping 8 points.

Down the stretch of the second quarter Roy scored 8 and Aldridge 6 to keep Portland close. By half time they only trailed 65-51.

That meant that, once more, the third quarter was make or break time. If Portland had one of their 10 - 15 point deficit quarters then the game might get out of reach. It started poorly. Aldridge and Roy each had a missed shot and turnover to start the quarter. Then the role players took over. Blake drove and scored. Webster dropped in back to back treys. Przybilla scored. In less than 2 minutes they stepped up and dropped in 10 points to carry Portland through a stretch where their stars were struggling.

And that is the sort of thing this team NEEDS. When Webster scored 11 for the quarter it provided the boost an otherwise anemic (25 points total) Blazer offense was desperate for. Their defense stepped up, though, holding the Raptors to just 27...so the deficit going into the pivotal 4th quarter was a large but manageable 7 points. They were not getting blown away or anything, they were scoring at a decent clip, they just needed to get a few stops.

Apparently, the Raptors also felt like getting a few stops. From the 10:56 mark until the 6:56 mark the scoring for the teams combined consisted of a Kapono jumper and an Aldridge layup. They combined to score a whopping point a minute. Why, if they continued that frenetic pace for an entire game we could see a 30 - 26 bundle of fun...However, that Aldridge lay-up was part of a 15-2 Portland run that gave them a 95-89 lead. Portland was, as is their habit lately, taking over in the fourth. They just decided to wait a while to do it...

The last 2 minutes were cardiac time for Portland. Clinging to a 97-94 lead they managed to have missed shots by Blake, Roy and Aldridge. But in the final 11 seconds Jones coolly sandwiched 4 free throws around a Chris Bosh dunk to give Portland the win...and the chalupas.

So what happened as a whole in this game? For starters, Roy had a huge game. He shot 10-16 (including 3-5 from downtown...a trouble spot for him lately), had 8 assists, 9 rebounds...he was all over. He had 3 turnovers in the first quarter but as the game went on his ball protection got better and he only had 1 the rest of the way.

Aldridge stepped right back in where he left off, 15 and 7 on only 15 shots...he needs to get more aggressive in seeking his offense, but coming back from injury, I am okay with that...

Webster stepped up nicely, providing 15 points on an efficient 5-7 from the floor including an astonishing 4-5 from the three point line...except it isn't that astonishing. This year the Blazers are blessed to have Jones and Webster, two guys who, when they get hot, it is surprising when they MISS from downtown. You just expect the ball to drop through the twine whenever they shoot. If they ever get consistent...look out. Portland just might have a juggernaut on their hands.

Assuming, that is, that Outlaw has more "ups" and less "downs" in the next little bit. He struggled from the field all night, ending just 4-12. On the bright side, he continues to rebound well (7) and is providing the intensity the Blazers need to make their zones effective.

This seems like a good time to mention that Portland once again won the battle of the boards, 40 - 35. Was that the Aldridge factor or a result of shooting 50% from the field?

Regardless, it was another great win for a young, fun, and improving Portland franchise that, if the playoffs started today, would be in 8th place. That gives rise to an interesting question; are they better served to (yes, still a long shot, but let's be positive) if they somehow squeeze into the playoffs this year only to go out in the first round or if they miss the playoffs and are in the lottery again? But that is a question for another time.

Charlotte 76, Portland 88

In their recent tear the Blazers have been shooting and scoring well, even without stud LaMarcus Aldridge. Into town comes one of the dirtiest teams in the league. Can you imagine the filth if they somehow got Shaquille O'Neal to team with Tyson Chandler?

In their prior meeting Delonte West went nuts. This time he was held in check, scoring 21 points but shooting just 8-19 and pulling down just 6 rebounds. Chandler had an outstanding game, shooting 8-8 and yanking 19 boards.

Roy was up to the challenge, however. On a night when Outlaw was a regrettable 1-12 from the field, Roy shot well, passed well (9 assists) and controlled the game.

Somehow, despite shooting only 41%, Portland outshot their opponents. They struggled on the boards. They struggled to score. But they held their turnovers down, got timely shooting, and took over when the game mattered, the third and fourth quarters.

This has been a trend lately. They still are struggling in the third, but now instead of 10 - 15 point deficits, they are only giving up 2 - 3 points. Then, in the fourth, they are closing out teams. They are letting their hot hands get the ball in places where they can score and winning games. It has been a beautiful sight.

It is also nice to see Outlaw playing with confidence where even if he has a rough night, he still continues to try to make things happen, getting to the line and making his free throws even if the shots aren't falling. It has been good to see his development.

Oh, and...for the first time all year, the Blazers have a winning record.

Portland 116, Denver 105

The first time Portland went into Denver they essentially laid down. They "knew" they could not handle Iverson and Anthony and they played like it. Of course, Iverson is easily one of the most over rated players of the last decade. Yeah, I know, that is not a popular opinion...but dude shoots WAY too much for the number of shots he makes. He is a case where less would be more. Sure, he can carry a team in individual games, but over the course of a series he will cost a team, also. Reminds me of John Starks, another guy who could shoot a team into, out of, into and out of a game...in the same game.

Contrast that with someone like a Garnett. He could score 30 a game if he really wanted to, but instead he involves his teammates and lets the ball move around. I would rather have half a Garnett than 10 Iversons.

It was the second performance of the year for Portland I found disappointing (the first being their loss to the Hornets in what I still believe was a game they should have won. Portland is a better team than New Orleans regardless of where that game is played.)

Despite their win in Utah I was still not a believer coming into this game but Portland proved me wrong yet again. This is the team I thought we had. They can beat any team, any place. Denver in Denver? No problem.

Channing Frye exploded for 20, the first time he has had a dominating offensive performance.Blake, Jack, Jones, and Roy also scored with abandon. They shot 54% for the game. They out rebounded someone...yes, that is right, Portland won the battle of the boards. That does not happen often.

Ironically, Iverson had an excellent game (38 points, 6 assists, 50% from the field). Anthony had an okay game. But the Denver role players disappeared while the Blazer role players stepped up in support of Roy. In the absence of Aldridge they spread the ball around, worked the boards, played defense, and took down a game that shows they can play anywhere. It was a superior performance where they led wire to wire and, when their lead started to evaporate, they stepped up and rebuilt the lead. A very satisfying win.

Jazz 91 at Portland 99

If you had told me the Blazers would beat the Jazz in Utah WITH LaMarcus Aldridge I would have questioned it. If you then told me they would come home on a back to back and hold the Warriors under 100, also without Aldridge, and win I would have been even more doubtful. And finally, for them to beat the Jazz twice in a week without Aldridge...well, that just isn't going to happen. Sure, I am optimistic...I am the only person I know who in the preseason predicted a potential playoff birth for the Blazers, a possible 45 win season, and so forth...but even I was not this optimistic!

So how did Portland beat the Jazz again? It started with defense as they held the Jazz to under 40% shooting. Boozer was 10-20 but other than that the Jazz shot very, very poorly. Meanwhile, Roy, Jones and Outlaw all had very good games, shooting well enough and getting enough help from players like Webster to make things happen.

Once more Portland struggled on the boards, giving up 18 offensive rebounds (and fifty total), but they also turned back 6 Jazz shots.


Once more a scrappy effort by a team few people expected much out of this year.

Golden State 95 at 9-12 Portland 105

Early in the year I would have done a preview in which I would have predicted a Portland win. Later, I would have predicted a loss, particularly without Aldridge. This is the type of game where he would be HUGE, running the floor, scoring at will, rebounding when needed. I would say the keys were Aldridge to come up big, Webster and Jones to have strong games, and Roy to make his standard contribution.

I clearly have lost my feel for this team. Roy had a decent game, though his shooting was again ragged. Aldridge did not play at all and Webster had a bad, bad game from an offensive standpoint...he scored but 2 points, took only 4 shots, and played only 9:28 due to a flu.

Fortunately, they got unexpected points from an unusual source. Przybilla gets his offense primarily from offensive rebounds and broken plays. There is a reason he averages just 5 or 6 points a game. So when he exploded for 15 points, it was a huge advantage. You can tell how active he was by his 5 offensive rebounds.

Meanwhile, this is the type of game James Jones loves, where he is going to get numerous open looks at 3s. He responded with 21 points and Outlaw also likes it as he can run and gun, dunk, run around the floor like a madman...and he continued his recent strong play with 22 and 8.

At the other end of the floor Stephen Jackson had a miserable night, just 3-15 from the floor. Davis had a typical game for him with 23 points, 8 boards and 11 assists...but nobody stepped into the gaps of Jackson and Monta Ellis, who missed the game.

The Warriors ended up with a miserable shooting night which was needed as Portland gave up a double digit lead to briefly trail before rebuilding their lead. They proved they can win without some of their best players as other members of the team are stepping up. It is getting exciting again.