19-13 Portland at 12-18 Chicago

Will the real Chicago please stand up? Are they the team that went 49-33 with half of a Ben Wallace? Or are they the team that started this season 8-17, struggled against everyone and quit on Scott Skiles? Recently, they have looked more like the team from last year.

One suspects this recent turnaround in which the Bulls have gone from hapless to dangerous has a lot to do with the change in coaching. Ironically, Bulls (interim) coach Boylan made a comment that dove-tails nicely with my own philosophy: "Sometimes you go the way the game is going,'' Boylan said."

That quote was in reference to the extended playing time he gave to Noah who responded with a career high 17 points in just 18 minutes. I take it to mean when he sees a line-up that is working, he is going to let them run for a while. That kind of coaching can lead to win streaks.

Chicago has made some changes that are working for them. Ben Gordon is able to dominate most benches as he has shown since being moved to Chicago's bench. Hinrich and Deng are starting to look like the players they were last year and even Wallace seems to have come out of his funk. Suddenly, this is a dangerous Chicago team that thinks they can play with anyone.

And they probably can. They have a deep, talented team that can play a variety of styles. And I am having second thoughts. My first thought was this was a should-win game for Portland. However, I did not realize how much they had improved since Skiles was released. This is the team Chicago thought they had.

Unlike Minnesota, in Chicago you really do have a team that is better than its record. They certainly have the talent to beat Portland in Chicago...the question is which team will want it more. Portland is wanting to prove their long winning streak was A) no fluke and B) not strictly fueled by being at home. They are coming off a road win, they have seen what a good team looks like when that team is struggling but at home (Utah), and they know what to expect.

This game is going to come down to execution. If former Bull LaMarcus Aldridge (okay, so for about 10 minutes on draft day...but it still amuses me to say that) and Brandon Roy can continue their strong play, a couple of the second tier guys...say, Outlaw and Jones...have solid games, this is a winnable game for Portland. On the other hand, if they come out shooting 39% again, this could be a loss by 10+ points.

Here is where I say something that hurts. In the Utah game, despite the records, I believed Portland was going into a building where they were playing a better team in an away game and should probably lose. I hate Utah and hate admitting they have a better team. But they do.

In Chicago, I actually think the teams are pretty close to even, no huge advantages either way. If the game is in Portland, I think Portland wins it. But since it is in Chicago I suspect the Bulls will pull it out, probably in the 4 - 8 point range. So my official prediction is a Bulls win...but I will not be shocked if Portland pulls out the minor upset.

Blazers 90, Timberwolves 79

Early on, this was the Jefferson-Aldridge show. Jefferson got off to a fast start with 6 points in the first 4 minutes and 9 in the first quarter. He also pulled down a couple rebounds. Meanwhile, Aldridge missed numerous shots early but finished the quarter 3-7 for 10 points and he also reined in 4 rebounds. He was on a mission tonight.

On a night when both teams had a star clicking, it would be the better TEAM that would win. The remaining players for Minnesota could only match the 9 points Jefferson put up in the quarter but Portland added 13 to the 10 Aldridge dropped in. It was a theme that would continue.

In the second quarter we got a vision of brilliance: Sergio Rodriguez was on fire. Oh, not from the field...just running the offense. On the first Blazer position he found Jones open and picked up an assist. After Outlaw hit a jumper, Sergio hooked up with Jones again. Then, just to keep things interesting he found Frye open. Then it was back to Jones twice more, this time for 3s. Przybilla looked lonely, so Rodriguez hooked him up for the dunk. Then he got it to Aldridge for a lay-in and closed out his run with a dish to Jones for another 3.

In other words, in the 6 minutes and 8 seconds of the second quarter that he played, he ran the offense so well, identified the hot shooters and got them the ball in places they like to shoot from so well, that Portland missed only 2 shots and scored 21 points. It is not often that you will hear me say Roy replacing Rodriguez is a downgrade...but this was one of those times. Portland scored but 8 points the remainder of the quarter.Jones had 13 points on 5-5 shooting at that point and 13 points on 5-5 shooting when the quarter ended.

Nothing against Roy who is a great, great player...but there are times when it seems you should go with the flow. Rodriguez had tremendous court vision. Without scoring, he was the spark plug that was making the Blazer offense go. Now, certainly you don't want Roy or Aldridge to lose their own rhythm for the game, but you might consider letting the Jones/Rodriguez combo have a couple more minutes here to see if they can keep the explosion going.

What is particularly disturbing here is that for the night, Portland shot 39%. In that one stretch they were 8-10...take away that hot streak and they shot 22-67, or .328% from the field. Against a bad Minnesota team that gives up some nice shooting nights...that is just horrible. 3 Blazers shot 50% or better...James Jones was 5 - 7, the other two were J-Jack and Joel Przybilla...who each attempted 2 shots.

Fortunately, Minnesota was even worse. Only Rashard McCants (3-6) managed to shoot 50% and only Jefferson (29 points, 16 rebounds) and Ryan Gomes (10 and 10) came to play so Portland still won.

Nor should this be taken as a complaint...Portland did what they had to do, controlled the game more or less beginning to end...they just made it harder on themselves than they need to. One thing great teams do is learn from every scenario, win or lose. I think there are a couple of lessons to learn from this game.

First, don't kill the goose that is laying the golden egg. Portland was on the verge of blowing Minnesota out of the building. All year Minnesota has shown they will cave when the other team throws a hay maker. By pulling the effective point guard too early, McMillan made this into a body blow. Now, lest anyone get the wrong idea...I think McMillan is an excellent coach and the right guy for this team. However, from time to time he makes some...let's say interesting substitutions. Of course, who in their right mind would question the inserting of Roy into the line-up? And maybe Rodriguez was gassed, I do not know, I did not see it. What I do know is several times this year Portland has had an effective combination on the floor that has been broken up by substitution while still effective.

It would be interesting to compare substitution patterns of a team like Phoenix or Dallas, just to see how their flow goes when they are on a hot streak.

Be that as it may, Portland is riding high heading into Chicago and they are fun to watch.

18-13 Portland @ 4-26 Minnesota

Someone, somewhere is saying, "Minnesota is better than their record". That someone is not me. They are every bit as bad as you would think a team with that record would be. Where to start?

Let's start in the back court. Sebastian Telfair was once the point guard of the future in Portland. The problem is, he shoots like Jason Kidd but doesn't pass, defend, or rebound like Kidd. I have always thought Kidd was overrated because his poor shooting was the huge hole in his game that could be exploited when the playoffs rolled around and teams could concentrate on pin-pointing the weaknesses of particular opponents. Telfair is an even worse shooter, though, so the Wolves will struggle to get good shots and thus their shooting percentage will theoretically cause problems.

Sure enough, a quick check reveals they are shooting .436% for the season...and that ain't very good. They do outrebound the opponent...by less than 1. So they struggle to score, struggle to stop people, and don't control the boards. How are they going to win?

Basically, they need the hot night from 1 or 2 guys with 3 or 4 others stepping up to have at the least average games. That is a formula for disaster. Jefferson might like it because he can accumulate the stats that will lead to a huge contract...but they are going to get blown up night after night.

This is one of those games that determines how much of the recent streak was a young, talented Portland team asserting themselves and how much of it was a nice home schedule and a couple solid road games mixed in. This is the type of road game that is not just winnable, it is almost a "must win" if they want to take that next step. Portland is more talented at every position, they have a better bench, they have a better coach...they should not just win this game, they should win it handily...double digits at the least.

I would not think the Jazz game is a reprise of the Philadelphia game...the confidence level should remain high, the players should take the floor knowing they are better and go about proving it. I would be very, very surprised...and, truth be told, disappointed...if they somehow lost this game.

Portland 101, Utah 111

All good things must come to an end. The Blazers' much maligned streak is over at 13. I am not sure how valid the complaints about their schedule were...they did have a pair against each Denver and Utah, including one of each of those games in the opposing buildings, and also had a game against the Hornets...oh, and they DID play the Golden State team that has looked like the team that took out the Mavericks last year now that they have Stephen Jackson back...so it isn't as if they have played nothing but the bottom feeders. Sure, there were a couple...but they had a few games against teams that, at the least, are middle of the road or better, and not a few people have proclaimed both the Nuggets and Jazz as dark horse title contenders. I, it might be pointed out, am not one of those people...as long as Iverson is a Nugget they will not win one and the Jazz are not there yet.

Be that as it may, I could not predict a 14th straight win because the Jazz are, hard as it is to admit, a better team than Portland right now. They are more consistent from night to night and beating them in Utah twice in the same season is asking a lot of this young team. But they gave it a pretty good shot.

They came out hot in the first quarter. Frye had 6, Roy had 7, and Aldridge 10 in route to a 29 point quarter and 6 point lead. But there was trouble brewing.

After building a lead of 11, Portland went cold. Aldridge continued to score, tallying another 7 in the second quarter, but Roy was mostly out of the game with foul trouble and could only muster a brace of free throws to close out the quarter. The Jazz won the quarter and the half...and things were about to get worse.

Roy continued to have foul problems. Aldridge carried the team for most of the quarter but did not get much help. Again the 3rd was a trouble spot for Portland, though this time, only to the tune of 35-29...they scored 29 points and lost the quarter by 6 points! Where was the defense?

Well, entering the 4th with only an 8 point deficit, a red-hot Aldridge (29 points), and contributing Jones (12 points) and Roy waiting to make his impact on the game, things actually did not look bad. If Roy could stay out of foul trouble and they could get a few stops, this was a winnable game.

That in and of itself is a major victory. This is a team that now competes, game in and game out. They fight through nights when their big guns are misfiring, they overcome off nights by their secondary scorers, they just find ways to make games competitive...and once the game is competitive, they more often than not find ways to win the game.

Roy and Aldridge came out firing, scoring the Blazers' first 14 points. Unfortunately, the Jazz were scoring 16 points in that stretch. It was essentially a 2 man team, though Outlaw scored a few points in the last couple of minutes and Jones added a meaningless trey when the outcome was no longer in doubt.

First, the good: Aldridge was an unstoppable force on the night, scoring 36 on 12-17 from the field and 12-14 from the line. Unfortunately, he was not rebounding, but he certainly did his part from the field.

This is the type of game where someone needs to step up on the boards, as Portland mustered only 31 (and lost that battle by 9). Portland shot 48% for the night, Utah 52%; what happens if we alter the possessions by equalizing the rebounds?

Well, if Portland gains 4 more rebounds, they are going to score about 2 points more. Utah, meanwhile, in losing 4 boards, will score about 2 points less. That makes it a 6 point game, all other things being equal...not good enough. On the other hand, if Portland picks up 7 rebounds for a total of 38, that brings Utah down to 33. Portland adds 3 - 4 points, Utah loses 3 - 4 points...now the game has changed.

You don't play a 3 - 6 point game the same way you play a double digit game. By equalizing the board battle, Portland creates enough extra possessions to give themselves a legitimate shot to win the game. In truth, because they could not get key rebounds and the role players did not step up, the hot-shooting 4th quarters of Aldridge and Roy were doomed as they were never able to shrink the lead to a manageable margin. Controlling the boards in the 4th quarter would have led, if not to a win, at least a game that was closer than this one.

This was one of the few times this season the 4th quarter has not been owned by the Blazers. However, there is no shame in losing to an improved Utah team on their floor. It was a transcendent effort by Aldridge and I look forward to many more.

18-12 Portland at 16-16 Utah

Portland has beaten Utah twice in the last 13 games...both times without LaMarcus Aldridge. Tonight they will have another obstacle...Coach McMillan will not be at the game. If I thought he would ever read a humble piece like this I would extend my condolences to him. Tough time of year for something like that.

With that said, a lot of people expect Portland to win this game. They are red hot and Utah is ice cold, having lost 2 straight and just 3-11 in the last 14 games. In addition, Utah is a team in disarray. They traded Giricek for Kyle Korver after the latest blow-up between Sloan and a player. That is a help to Portland as it removes another zone-busting shooter from the Jazz line-up.

But it does not solve a couple of their other problems. First off, Carlos Boozer feasts on the Blazers...he is a beast inside. He seems to have his way, scoring and rebounding almost at will. Unfortunately for Portland, Aldridge is struggling a lot right now, so an already bad match-up gets worse. Deron Williams is the tough type of point guard for Portland as he is excellent at penetrating at will, creating havoc for the Blazers' zone.

If Roy continues his outstanding play, Webster, Jones, and Outlaw are all hitting their shots, and Aldridge snaps out of his funk the Blazers will hit 14. I think it somewhat more likely that they will find that all good things come to an end as Utah remembers they are Utah and regains their winning ways. I really hope not, I seriously dislike them, but this has all the earmarks of one of those games where Portland ends one run...but they will win many more this season.

Philadelphia 72, Portland 97

Early in the season there was a game I fearlessly predicted, "Portland is a much better team than Philadelphia and should win. If they do not, for whatever reason, then the road struggles will become a thousand pound gorilla and they will struggle on the road for the rest of the season. Conversely, if they win...as they should...then that will build their confidence and lead to a few road wins this season, which they will need to reach their post-season berth which I expect for them.

This is one of those rare nights where if Portland plays an average game, they win by a lot. If they implode, they should still win, just it will be close. They are that much better than the 76ers.Portland by 10+

Everything was in place. Portland was up by 25 at one point. They led by 17 going into the 4th quarter. They were on their way to winning that game. Fresh off the confidence-builder of their win, they would then beat Washington and Charlotte on the road, come home and close it out against New Jersey and be on a huge run. They would have been in the thick, believe it or not, at that point of the division race.

But we all know what happened. Portland had one of those young-team collapses. They gave back all 17 points and more, lost that game, and went into a swoon where they did, indeed, sweep the remainder of the road trip...except they did it in reverse, lost to a bad New Jersey team and the season looked like it was going down the tubes.

Of course, starting with Travis "Charles" Outlaw's game-winner against Memphis, they returned to being the team I thought they were. They have run off 12 straight coming into this game which should be a "revenge game" where a high-flying Blazers squad runs a bad 76ers team off the court.

They finished the first quarter with a 7-2 run to take a 21-16 lead. The rout was on...except then something happened. Philadelphia went on a 16-2 run of their own to close out the second quarter and go into the break with a 45-36 lead. Portland was on the verge of being blown out themselves in a game they should win and win handily. It is a game they should have been "up" for and been blowing out the 76ers. Now they were down 9 and heading into the 3rd quarter, a season-long bug-a-boo. Portland needed someone to step up.

Enter Roy, Blake and Aldridge. Aldridge scored early, Blake hit a pair of 3s and a short jumper and Roy added 9 points. Portland closed to within 63-62 after 3 and were entering their time.

During their win streak...yes, and even before...the 4th quarter has been their time. During the losing streak they often would make up huge deficits but just fall short after digging too big a hole in the 3rd quarter. During the win streak they have played the 3rd close and won in the 4th. This night they played the 3rd well and won the 4th, and not by a little bit.

They scored the first 18 led by Outlaw scoring 7 of the first 10. they never let up. Their offense was explosive (35) and their defense the best they have offered this season (9). This was the intensity I expected much earlier in the game.

And it was that magic 13th game...the last in the best win streak Portland has put together in quite some time. It has been fun to watch and there will be plenty more wins this year...I just don't think I see the next one coming again in Utah.

Minnesota 98, Portland 109

This is the game Portland needed to play. They came out early, building a 6 point first quarter lead...then winning the second quarter as well. The third quarter, such a trouble spot for so long, again was kind, giving them a tie and then Portland won the 4th quarter.

This is a big step. So often this season Portland has played down to the level of their competition or they have built a lead and then relaxed. That led, earlier in the season, to disaster. No longer.

Aldridge rebounded nicely, shooting 9-17, snagging 8 boards, blocking a couple of shots...he did not come out pressing, in fact, after making the first shot of the game he went 5 minutes before taking another, picking up an assist off an offensive rebound, pass to Przybilla for a dunk and turning the ball over. In other words, he played a team game.

The entire Portland team played a team game. They ended up with 6 players in double figures led by the 22 of Roy and 21 of Aldridge. They shot 49%, out rebounded Minnesota 47-32, blocked 6 shots and only had 12 turnovers. That is the solid type of performance they should lay on a bad team like Minnesota.

McCants and Jefferson got their points, Gomes provided some help but everyone else Portland held in check.

On a side note, Webster had another off game offensively, going just 2-8 from the field. He did help in other areas, though, bringing down 4 boards and adding 3 assists. I am hoping he gets his game going a bit more consistently soon. On the bright side, on a night they really did not have to have his shooting and scoring he was not pressing but for the season to deliver on its promise they are going to need him to develop some consistency.

Meanwhile, the roll keeps going.