The Legend Grows: Roy leads the Blazers past the Rockets in game 2

Prior to the game I was shocked at how demoralized Blazer fans were. For example, at work there were 4 co-holders of season tickets. Two of them assumed the series was over to the point where one of them actually bet five bucks the Blazers would lose game two against the Rockets. 

All season I have had a very solid read on this team, from my pre-season prediction of 53 wins down to how they would fare in each month. As a result, they sometimes turn to me for my take on the game.

Blinded by my man-crush on LaMarcus Aldridge, I said, "L.A. will come out and have a huge game, Roy will have a better game, and the Blazers will win this one. It will probably be pretty close, but they will tie the series.

Got to the game and was talking with the guy who convinced me to get season tickets on my own, a good friend and poker buddy. He also thought the series was basically over.  I told him the same thing but he remained discouraged, even going so far as to say, "I don't even really want to go to a game 5 if they are down 3-1."

Nor was he alone in his sentiment. The buzz in the crowd was very similar. That game one crushing had the fans completely demoralized.

About five minutes into the game I turned to my wife and said, "They were right. Portland is going to lose." 

She looked at the scoreboard which showed the Blazers tied at 15. "Why would you say that?"

I pointed out that home teams which get humiliated in the first game typically come out super energized, build a nice lead, and then end up needing to hold on in the end. Visiting teams typically try to withstand the opening blitz without losing contact and then take over the game. Yet Houston not only withstood the blitz, they had led most of the way.

Furthermore, I had expected Aldridge to come out strong, looking for his shot, and take over the game. Instead, he was playing tentative, not taking the shots he normally took, and was a complete non-factor on offense.

Still, this team was so much fun to watch all year that we settled back to enjoy the ride.  And what a ride it was!

Some how, some way the Blazers overcame every obstacle. They overcame the demoralization from game one. They overcame being outnumbered eight to six on the floor. They overcame having scored 100 pints or more just once in a jaw-dropping 29 attempts against the Rockets. They overcame Ron Artest hitting some ridiculous, ridiculous shots.

Artest, by the way, deserves a lot of credit. He has rightly taken a lot of grief over the years for some of his actions, both on and off the court. But he has also done some things people ignore or do not know about. For example, during the down time between games one and two he searched out and performed some charity work. This was not well publicized.

He has also toughened up Houston and given them an edge that they did not have in prior years. More importantly, he saw this game was up for grabs and he did everything he could to grab it. Nicolas Batum is far and away the Blazers' best wing defender. He did a really great job on Artest. Several times he forced Artest into falling away to the left fade-away jumpers at or even beyond the three point line.

And Artest hit them. Sick, sick shots. He was destroying the Blazers. Roy was trying to match him but Portland needed someone to give Roy some help. As the early years of Michael Jordan  showed, no player, no matter how good, can single-handed win a playoff series. It takes a team.

Sometimes two players can. At the 8 minute mark of the second quarter we finally saw the Aldridge I expected early in the game. He hti a couple of post moves which opened the lane for Roy to score five quick points. Then he went back on the block and scored on four consecutive possessions. 

That forced the Rockets to double and triple team him, to focus their defense on him which then allowed Roy to go back to work.  Together they had 36 of Portland's' 53 first half points. Aldridge shot 8 for 10 in the first half. This was the guy I had expected to see.

Instead of passing the ball off and letting Luis Scola control him, he was imposing his will on Scola, on Yao Ming, on anyone who came near him. With the Rockets forced to divide their attention, Roy was carving them up inside.

The Rockets were also relying on two guys. In the first quarter it was Artest with 15 points. In the second quarter it was...well..unexpected. Yao Ming? I would believe that. Aaron Brooks? Yep, we have seen what he can do. But it was Von Wafer scoring 12 points of his own that kept Houston in the game. He simply could not be stopped.

At half time several things were obvious. First off, the Blazers were at a severe disadvantage. This was one of the worst officiated games I have seen in a long time. As in game one, the Blazers were getting into the paint with regularity. The Rockets were staying on the perimeter more except for Wafer. Yet the Rockets had a marked advantage at the line.

Unlike game one, this was not because they were playing solid defense. This was blown call after blown call. The real reason the calls were blown was because it was not being called the same way for both teams. Artest, Shane Battier, Scola, and Ming were allowed to knock people down without being called for fouls whereas  the Blazers were being called for a lot of pretty questionable calls. A couple of second half examples demonstrate it pretty well.

Scola ran off a screen on the left block. Aldrdige was getting by Ming, so Ming hip-checked him with a screen that moved about 3'. This hip check threw Aldridge into Scola, knocking Scola to the floor. We started celebrating that Ming would be picking up his fifth foul. Instead, it was called on Aldridge. Now, sure, he DID foul Scola...because he was fouled by Ming. This was Aldridge's fifth foul and would play a big role.

Greg Oden was under the basket on the defensive end. Brooks drove to the basket and Oden, seeing he could not stop him, stood there with his arms raised just as Ming had done at the other end. Moments later Brooks was at the line and Oden had fouled out. Had they made that call against Ming he would have fouled out in the first five minutes. 

If the games are officiated this way in Houston, look for two blow-outs because Portland cannot continue to compete five on eight. They were only able to in this game because of Roy and Aldridge. IN the second half, it was primarily Roy.

He scored 11 of the first 13 points in the second half, keeping them in the game until the rest of the team was finally ready to join him. The Rockets were scoring with regularity and only Roy kept this game from turning into a blow-out.

All game long it was Roy who kept the Blazers in contact when the rest of the team struggled except for the mid to late second quarter when Aldridge took over.  Roy scored from inside. He scored from mid-range. He scored from outside.

At one point late in the fourth quarter the Blazers were clinging to a tenuous 93-90 lead. Roy was given the ball at the top of the key with very little time left on the shot clock. Defending him one on one was Artest, a guy who is certainly one of the better wing defenders in the league. 

In fact, it was the ability of Artest and Battier to defend that had many Blazer fans convinced the Blazers would be unable to pull off a win in this game. And now, in a key moment, here was the match-up Blazer fans feared. There was a real feeling this possession could decide the game. And here was Artest via Roy with all the advantage to Artest:little time to work, no screens to free Roy, and officials who were unlikely to call a foul. Yeah, I know...he did shoot 12 free throws in the game. He should have had 20+.

Be that as it may, Roy did what All-Stars are supposed to do in these situations, even when matched up with top defenders. He found a way to score. He ball faked, got Artest moving and hit a contested three to give the Blazers a six point cushion. 

This game was about several things. First, it was Aldridge stepping up and having a big game. He did that. It was about Roy dominating, which he did with 42 points while adding seven rebounds and coming up with a key late block.

And it was about Joel Przybilla, Greg Oden, Aldridge, and everyone else focusing on not letting Ming dominate as he did in game one. 

They fronted, they double-teamed, they switched up on him, they came at him from a variety of angles, and just generally kept him from scoring. Certainly,. that opened things up for other Rockets to score as evidenced by six Rockets  scoring at least 10 points apiece. However, instead of shooting 60% plus when the game mattered, in this one they shot 50%. Still too high, but much more manageable.

By the time Roy hit a free throw with five seconds left to give Portland a 105-100 lead it was apparent that Portland had learned a lot of lessons from the first game. They grew up fast.

They never got down on themselves even when Houston took a five point lead early in the second. Roy hit all the right notes to keep the Blazers in the game. Przybilla provided some veteran leadership and Nate McMillan did a fantastic job of coaching to get their heads back in the game.

Even when normally reliable Steve Blake started to melt down, missing open shots and making uncharacteristic turnovers that led to dunks for the Rockets, the Blazers refused to cave in. They fought and battled their way.

Nor was it just Roy and Aldridge. Travis Outlaw showed us flashes of his Super-Trout persona, Greg Oden had a key follow-dunk, Rudy Fernandez had a crowd-inspiring steal and dunk, and the Blazers showed that yes, Roy is far and away their best player, but they are still first and foremost a team.

Roy could not win this game alone and the Blazers showed why they have been so good all year, turning in a team performance that resulted in overcoming an incredible final minute by Aaron Brooks in the final minute to hold on for a 107-103 victory.

Brooks is way more talented than advertised. His first desperation three was awesome. His ankle went about seventeen different directions as he tried to hold back from crossing the line, he went up for a desperation three that was well contested and somehow found the bottom of the net. Much as I hate any former Duck, that shot was simply spectacular.

In the end, it was everything we had expected from the first playoff game. The crowd was raucous and into it, even when the Blazers got down by a few points. They recognized the greatness they were seeing from both Roy and Aldridge, recognized the calls but did not get so caught up in hating on the referees that they forgot to enjoy the game, and in large part controlled the methods of cheering.

What I mean is instead of chants starting with the announcer or Blazer mascot, they started organically with the crowd. "Lets go Blazers" was probably the most popular one, though the ubiquitous "MVP" with Roy at the line and the "These refs suck" made a brief return when Oden fouled out. The point is, these chants did not start from electronic admonitions but from the fans getting juiced and rolling with it.

It remains to be seen if the Blazers have grown up enough to do what they need to do which is go into Houston and reclaim home court. Make no mistake, the Rockets did exactly what they needed to do in Portland which was get a split. Now the onus is on the Blazers to prove they deserved the higher seed by winning in Houston, which is no easy proposition.

They have only won once in the new Rocket arena and that was two years ago. It is tougher to win in the playoffs, but the Blazers have the talent to do it. Do they have the mental toughness? Perhaps I am blinded by my unapologetic love of the Blazers, but I think they do and will win one of the two. 

Then again, Houston is an excellent team that has the home court advantage. Games three and four should be a real war. Let's go along and enjoy the ride.

Game 1 Requiem:What does losing a home game mean to the Blazers?

I was looking for the right word to describe the first Blazer playoff game in six years. Destruction? Annihilation? Crushing? Ah, wait...I have it. Humiliation.

Make no mistake, Houston came out and pummeled the Blazers beyond all recognition. They started with a punch in the mouth. When Portland got up Houston got serious. They started the renewed assault with a kick in the groin followed by another punch in the mouth and then, as the Blazers lay there bleeding, they dropped a few elbows and followed those up with a piledriver that put the Blazers through the floor. They then started to walk away before returning to kick the prone body once more for just one measure.

The Blazers, for the first time since the first game of the season when they Lakers humiliated them in similar fashion, looked young, inexperienced, and unprepared. They also looked like a team that felt they had accomplished all their goals just by making the playoffs.

 The Rockets, by contrast, for the first time in recent playoff memory, looked like a team that not only wanted to make the playoffs, they wanted to get out of the first round.

It all started on the first Blazer possession. LaMarcus Aldridge posted up Luis Scola on his strong side, the low left block. This allows him to either spin baseline or come across the lane with a sweeping hook that is pretty tough to defend.

Unless, of course, you are 7'6", come off your man and swat it away as Yao Ming did. He executed a shot block so spectacular and intimidating it took Aldridge out of the game for the rest of the half and part of the third quarter. By the time Aldridge recovered, it was too late as the game was out of reach.

It was not only Aldridge who struggled, though. Early on it looked like Nicolas Batum might be a force. He ball-faked on the perimeter, drove baseline and hammered home a dunk. That opened things up. Brandon Roy started driving aggressively to the hoop and scoring regularly.

Unfortunately, that would be the last points for Batum, no other Blazer was scoring, and Houston started collapsing on Roy every trip inside and he stopped shooting. 

Meanwhile, Houston went inside to Ming early and often and he delivered. Barring injury or a precipitous fall-off in talent level, Ming will be in the Hall of Fame some day and in this game it looked like that day should be now.  His 9-for-9 shooting in the game (all in the first half) was more than enough to put the Blazers in a hole too deep to ever climb out of.

The good news is there are perhaps two Blazers who did not have the worst games they will have in the entire series. Those two were Greg Oden and Brandon Roy, though Roy is unlikely to play that poorly either.

Oden did what you are supposed to do against shot blockers. He used ball fakes to get them in the air and scored virtually at will. Roy also scored well. But they were nowhere near enough in light of the team approach taken by the Rockets. Aaron Brooks was every bit as demoralizing to the Blazers in the second half as Ming was in the first and go plenty of help from Ron Artest. 

At some point in the third quarter the fans decided this was the fault of the refs. Admittedly there were a few rather questionable calls, such as Roy fouling the air three feet behind Shane Battier and Battier going to the line for three free throws. Problem was...that had no effect on the outcome.

Had the Blazers benefited from every call they would have still lost by 20. They did not get hosed in this game. 

True, they outscored Houston in the paint by 24 points (56-32) yet were out shot at the free throw line by 12. However, that had more to do with Houston's defensive prowess than it did any brutal refereeing hatchet job as the fans seemed to believe with their recurring, "These refs suck!" chants that threatened to rival the boos they lavished on Darius Miles when he returned with the Memphis Grizzlies..

That was partially fan disappointment at watching their team get absolutely drilled by a team that, on this night, was simply better.

Post-game comments by the players acknowledged as much. Ming talked about how the Blazers looked the way he had felt after his first playoff game. Roy talked about how many Blazers succumbed to the pressure, did not take the shots they normally take, and how little energy they played.

The good news for the Blazers is three fold. First, this was just one game. Yes, they lost a home game, but that was likely to happen at some point in the playoffs. They are quite likely to win one in Houston, thus recapturing the home court advantage. 

Second, outside of Greg Oden (who may miss the next game) and Roy, every player had what will probably end up being his worst game. 

Third, the entire Rocket starting line-up had unbelievable games. Ming did not miss a shot of any kind. Luis Scola shot an improbable 7-9 and added 8 rebounds. Aaron Brooks had 5-8 from beyond the arc and 10-17 total. Ron Artest was a solid 7-12.

In any given game you might see one of them repeat that, but it is unlikely they can repeat it as a group over the course of the series.

Sure, it was disappointing and discouraging, but it was also just one game. The Blazers have the right coach and players to recognize this and deal with it. Watch for the Blazers to come out more focused, relaxed, and ready for game two. 

Look for Aldridge to come out strong as he generally does after a poor outing. He will come out focused and ready and not allow himself to be taken out of his game again. Roy typically makes a point of establishing himself early in must-win games, which game 2 unquestioningly is. 

When those two are on their games, the Blazers are very, very tough to beat. Game two will be a nice bounce back, and after the Blazers take either game three or four in Houston, it will help us see that, though disappointing, the loss was just a bad start to a good run. It will start with a game two win.

It is unlikely to be a blow-out and indeed is quite likely to come down to the final few minutes, but they got their stinker out of the way early and are now ready and primed for a long playoff run. Much as the situations with the Spurs, Celtics, Heat, and so forth, the series is just getting started. 

In a seven game series, the better team generally wins. This series should be no different. Houston has a very good team that can win any game but the Blazers, as this series will bear out by the end, should prove to be better. 

Series Preview:Why the Blazers Will Knock the Rockets out of the Playoffs

Over the course of the season, the records of the Houston Rockets and Portland Trailblazers were very similar. The Blazers checked in with a 54-28 record while Houston finished 53-29. Both records are spectacular in light of some of the trials the teams faced.

Portland spent the entire season without starting Small Forward Martell Webster. Webster had been showing improving defense on the perimeter but was more important in his role as defense-stretching 3-point specialist. His outside shooting forced teams to stay at home on him which would leave teams forced to help on the Blazers post men from other quarters. 

Without Webster the starting job fell to Nicolas Batum. This was not an anticipated move since as recently as summer league it was felt Batum was at least two years away from being ready for even a reserve role in the NBA.

The Rockets suffered an even more key injury, losing Tracy McGrady for 47 games.

Fortunately for both teams, they are deep enough and talented enough to mask the loss of key players. In Houstons case, McGrady is obviously far more important overall than Webster and their ability to vie for a Division Championship speaks well to their talent level. They are a very, very good team.

I would go so far as to argue the one game difference in overall records in meaningless. It is a mere statistical anomaly over the course of a long season. These teams are very closely matched.

Early in the season, a Rose Quarter game  illustrated that. Portland and Houston battled all game long with the Blazers holding 5 to 7 point leads until they took a 10 point lead with about 10 minutes to go. But Houston took it into overtime, setting up a Brandon Roy jumper, Yao Ming and-1, and Roy miracle trey in the last 1.9 seconds. The game was so tight it saw 3 lead changes in that space of time. They series might be that tight as well.

Except the Blazers are a much better team now than they were at that point in the year. One of my complaints about the team at that time was they had not yet developed a "killer instinct". They would often build comfortable leads only to see those leads melt away and the game decided in the closing seconds.

That is no longer true. They now know how to apply the pressure that turns comfortable leads into blow-outs. They know how to come back on teams, even very good teams as their recent double digit win in San Antonio after being down by 18 illustrates. 

More importantly, they finally know how good they are. Prior to the season they thought they were good enough to make the playoffs. As of a few weeks ago, they knew they were not only good enough to make the playoffs, but also to win some games and that they should at the least win a series.

In a series this close, the advantage lays with the home team. With that in mind, it is wise to look at the way teams closed the regular season. Both the Rockets and Blazers had chances to win games that would guarantee them home court. Houston was playing for a Division Title and Portland to maintain the tie-breaker over the Spurs.

Houston had a lead in Dallas but was unable to close it out, eventually falling to drop one game behind the Spurs on the last day of the season. Portland led the Nuggets all game and put the hammer down, blowing them out.

I am sure Rockets fans will correctly point out the Rockets were on the road against a team also fighting for seeding. Fair enough. In a game both teams desperately wanted...they did not get the job done. Call it the McGrady effect.

For whatever reason, recent Rockets teams have had a pattern. They are great regular season teams that find ways to lose series they should win in the playoffs. Of course, this will be their first time with Ron Artest, a talented wing defender and good scorer. He unquestionably makes them a better team.

He is also illustrative of one of the keys to the series. The Rockets are an excellent defensive team. Luis Scola is a very physical defender, Shane Battier is an above average defender, and the shot-blocking of Yao Ming can sometimes close off the paint.

They are no slouches on offense, either. They have seven guys who score over or near double figures. They can score inside or out. They rebound well. There is a reason this team won 53 games.

But the Blazers are pretty solid as well. It starts with their improved power forward.

LaMarcus Aldridge started the season as a good help defender who sometimes got torched by less skilled post players. As the season progressed, however, he developed his game more and more. If the All-Star game were held today and he were not on it, that would be a mistake because he has come that far this season.

He has developed a very strong post game. He is at his best on the left post where he can spin inside or come across the lane for a sweeping hook. If needed, he can step out to the perimeter for his silky smooth jump shot. 

At this point, people wonder why it did not start with Brandon Roy. Anybody who does not know what Roy can do yet is just not a dedicated NBA follower. He is the engine that makes the Blazers go. He can penetrate the lane seemingly at will, either to dish for open looks or to score on hapless defenders. 

His defense is all over the board. At times he is a lock-down defender but at other times he can be exploited. Fortunately for the Blazers, there is nobody on the Rockets who will be able to regularly explode on Roy from the guard position.

Joel Przybilla is a solid interior defender and above average rebounder. He is limited offensively, but the other starters for Portland cover up for that. Well, sometimes they do.

Nicolas Batum will in many ways be a key to the series. Defensively he brings it every night. He is the Blazers best on the ball defender and best help defender. He gets into the passing lanes, he tips balls, and harasses talented scorers into sub-par nights.

However, it is his offense where he needs to become more consistent. On some nights he is very aggressive. He takes the open shot, drives the lane with abandon, gets out and runs, and turns the Blazers into a deadly offensive unit that very few teams can stay with. When he is taking his shots, the Blazers are a cohesive, talented offensive unit.

The final starter is oft-maligned Steve Blake. Blake is a weak perimeter defender. Fortunately, the Rockets do not have Tony Parker or Chris Paul. Aaron Brooks is a fine player but he is not going to torch the Blazers night after night, thus covering one weakness for the Blazers. Offensively, Blake is a perfect fit.

He has gotten better about creating havoc for opposing defenses by getting into the lane more often and is able to play off Roy's penetrations by staying home and hitting the open three. He is generally good about not turning the ball over. He is a very steady player who can score when needed.

Off the bench the Blazers bring a lot of firepower. Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez have excellent chemistry. Rodriguez finds Fernandez for so many open looks that Fernandez set the Rookie record for most threes in a season. Defensively they can be exploited as they focus too much on playing the passing lanes and sometimes forget to defend their man. Still, they should outscore former Blazer Von Wafer and Kyle Lowry.

It is in Travis Outlaw that the Blazers really shine. Outlaw has been overlooked by the rest of the NBA but should have been considered both this year and last for the Sixth Man of the Year.

Defensively, he is an enigma. At times he is dominating. His agility and length can cause problems for even a Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. At other times he gets lit up by D-League scrubs. He is at his best coming from off the ball to block shots or getting spectacular blocks in transition.

It is on offense that he really shines. He has improved his shooting from deep but is at his best slashing to the hoop for highlight reel dunks or using his jab step and incredible leaping ability to create clean looks at the hoop, often against double teams. He gets so high so quick that defenders not named Dwayne Wade have no hope of reasonably contesting his shot.

Additionally, if he is not the Blazers best fourth quarter player then he is at least in the conversation. When you consider the fact the Blazers have Brandon Roy playing for them, that is quite a statement but one Blazer fans recognize.

Again and again Outlaw has provided a spark for the Blazers. He explodes in huge bursts, often racking up double digit points in two or three minute spans. The more the Blazers need  a big fourth quarter, the more likely they are to see Outlaw turn into "Super-Trout"*. 

All of this does not even address rookie enigma Greg Oden. He can be awe-inspiring and game changing or in and out of the game so quick you almost do not even notice he was there. 

Defensively he can be outstanding. When he is feeling it, he is a premier shot-blocker. He has developed into a well-above average rebounder. He has regained his quickness and agility to the point where it is not as big of a mis-match as you would suspect when he gets caught on the perimeter. He moves his feet quick enough to stay with all but the quickest of players. It is offensively where his game is unsteady.

Oden is somewhat limited. He has an increasing repertoire of post moves but for the most part he wants to be Shaquille O'Neal. He likes to back people down and run over them. Unfortunately for Oden, the offensive fouls O'Neal committed for years that were called on the defender actually get called on Oden.

The playoffs should help that. For whatever reason, playoffs see things that were fouls in the regular season become "no-calls". This helps guys like Bruce Bowen, Luis Scola, Ron Artest, Joel Przybilla, and Greg Oden. Yeah, I know Bowen isn't in this series, but he illustrates the points.

When players are allowed to be more physical, it benefits players who have the ability and desire to be more aggressive. That means Oden should see fewer calls against him which will lead to his being a greater presence in the series.

Overall, this series should be very close and entertaining. I would not even be surprised to see both teams get a game on the opponents home floor. But in the end, the improvement the Blazers have shown combined with their overall slightly higher talent level and having the home court will make all the difference. Portland should win in either five or seven games. 

*(Outlaw's nickname is "Trout" for T-Outlaw" and when he has one of his patented explosions some people refer to him as Super-Trout).

What the Blazer demolition of the Oklahoma Thunder Tells us about their Playoff Readiness

This just in. Brandon Roy is pretty good. That is not news. But what is news to a lot of people is the entire Blazer team is pretty good as well. The 113-83 destruction of the Thunder showed that in many ways.

Early in the season Portland struggled against bad teams. They gave away games to the Thunder, the Clippers (at home, no less...one of only 7 home losses all season) and twice to the Warriors. Even in the games they won, frequently the score was close. If the final score was lopsided, it was generally because of a late run.

Lately, however, things have been different and the Thunder game was a prime example. The Blazers set the the tone early, letting the Thunder know this would not be a good night for an upset. After the first quarter they had nearly doubled the Thunder at 29-15 and the game was every bit as lopsided as the score.

Portland scored inside and outside. They made great passes, moved without the ball, and executed their offense to perfection. Of course, they have done all that several times this year. The difference was two-fold.

First off, as they have done during their recent hot streak, they ratcheted up the defense. The 15 points the Thunder managed in the first quarter was no accident. When they tried to pound the ball inside, the Blazer defense collapsed or, in the terms of Coach Nate McMillan, "built a wall".

When Oklahoma City was reduced to shooting jumpers over the top it was with a hand in their face and frequently late in the shot clock in scramble situations.

Second, many times this year the starters would build a lead only to see the reserves fritter it away. Conversely, at times the starters have struggled only for opponents to see the Blazer reserves put on runs that changed the games. For much of the season, however, it was one or the other.

Lately, both units have been hitting on all cylinders at the same time. Ironically, it has coincided with the return of Greg Oden to a reserve role.

Oden is still working his way through the learning curve and tends to dominate weak competition while struggling against better competition. This is no knock on Oden. He has shown steady improvement and has improved against even the top centers in the NBA. But the truth remains that, at this stage of his young career, he plays much better against younger centers and against teams with little interior defense.

Or, in the case of the Thunder, no defense whatsoever, interior or exterior.


With the starters and reserves scoring seemingly at will lately, there is only one thing even slowing the Blazers down and that is their defense. Lately, that has not been an issue either. In this game they did not let up in the second quarter, holding the Thunder to just 16 points. Their 62-33 half time lead was no mistake and no fluke. Portland has improved that much.

Early in the season the reason would have been Brandon Roy.

Roy can score from inside or out. He passes well. He rebounds well. And when the mood strike, he defends well. More importantly, he sets the tone. Over and over this season, in post-game interviews, he would spend mere moments talking about the game before detailing the next goal the Blazers had. More often than not, they would then deliver on that goal. They broke long losing streaks against the Suns, Spurs, and Pacers, for example. They had six consecutive winning months. They made the playoffs.

But the real key has been LaMarcus Aldridge. Over the last month or two of the season he has become a dominating player. Some...okay, most nights, it is his offense. But his defense has improved by leaps and bounds as well. He has developed into an above average interior defender. He can also do a credible job when he gets caught on the wings.

With Roy and Aldridge playing at All-Star levels and the team as a whole turning into a defensive machine, they are truly an awe-inspiring sight to behold when they face a weak team such as the Thunder.

They also are more than ready to face the pressure of playing against the best teams in the league as their recent home win over a frustrated, whining Laker team and their surprising road win over the Spurs demonstrate. Yes, the Spurs were short-handed. But they also built an 18 point lead at home. Seeing the Spurs give back 18 points to lose by double digits is not something we are used to seeing against ANY team, Manu Ginobli or no.

Portland has improved by leaps and bounds in all these ways and more. As they approach the playoffs, looking for home court in the first round, it remains to be seen if they have come far enough to get out of the first or second round. They have the talent. They have the coach. They have the desire. But do they have the mental toughness to beat veteran, talented teams on the road in win or go home situations? Can they deal with facing the same players night after night when those players get under their skins?

As one of the earliest 50 win predictors for this team (my pre-season review had them finishing 53-29), it would seem natural to see me predict a deep playoff run. And, in truth, I believe this team has the talent to go a long way. It would be a long shot, but them reaching or even winning the Finals is no longer a pipe dream. They should do no worse than winning at least two games in the first round regardless of whether they get home court for the first round. If they do end up with home court, they should win the first series. If they do that, it will be interesting to see how far their new found confidence can carry them.

They have realized it all starts at the defensive end. They come out with aggression. They play hard beginning to end.

Of course, I do realize they are more likely to lose in the first round than get to the Finals. But games like the Thunder game show how far they come and how it is no longer out of the conversation.

Wake up Blazer fans:The Suns don't matter

The other night during the Blazers' matter of fact destruction of the hapless Memphis Grizzlies, a score flashed up on the scoreboard showing the final score in Jazz-Suns game. Utah won a close game in overtime. The fans went nuts. That was a very dumb reaction. 

The Suns are many things. Under Alvin Gentry they have returned to being one of the most entertaining teams in basketball. Their games generally include several exciting plays, numerous emotional peaks and valleys as both teams put on runs, high scoring, and a few spectacular defensive plays as their frenetic style leads to some very entertaining shot-blocking.

One thing they were not, are not, and will not be is a threat to the Blazers' play-off position. Oh, sure, the Blazers "magic number" deals with how many games Portland must win or Phoenix must lose to guarantee a Blazer playoff entry. So from that standpoint, watching Phoenix lose could be considered a good thing. But it is a mistake.

The Jazz are a different case entirely. Deron Williams is very entertaining to watch. They put up a lot of points, score inside and out, and have some solid defenders. They are also a team that is one-half game behind the Blazers in the race for playoff positioning.

With nine games left to play for the Blazers it might be tough to run down Denver or Houston, the two teams that are a game and a half ahead of the Blazers. Running down either of them would get Portland home court advantage in the first round, something they desperately need in order to advance to the second round. 

Of the two, Houston is the more likely. Denver has the easiest schedule of any of the teams fighting for the two through seven seeds and has shown all year that they are a worthy team. Houston has also shown they can play without Tracy McGrady and is the odds on favorite to retain the fourth playoff seed. That means if Portland stays in the fourth or fifth playoff slot their likely opponent will be either the Nuggets or Rockets.

Portland has struggled against both teams, but it is the Nuggets who seem to have the greater dominance. Thus  it would behoove Portland to stay in the fifth position in order to have the more favorable match up. In order to do that, they must stay ahead of two very talented teams:the Jazz and Hornets.

As a result, whenever Phoenix plays the Jazz or Hornets, the best interests of the Blazers are clear:a Phoenix win. Blazer fans need to wake up and realize their team is not only good enough to make the playoffs, it is good enough to put a good scare into any of the teams they are likely to face and even a first round win, while an upset, would not be on the level of the Mavericks-Warriors series a couple ago. Instead, it would be a minor upset at best.

But to enhance the likelihood of that, they need to worry about improving their playoff seeding, not about merely making the playoffs. Making the playoffs is not enough. They need to win a couple of games.

With that in mind, one thing is clear. As far as Blazers fans are concerned, the Suns don't matter. Finding ways for the Jazz and Hornets to lose games...and if possible, the Rockets and Nuggets as well.

Is it likely Portland will run down either team ahead of them, get home court, and win a playoff series? Nope. But it is certainly more likely than the Suns coming back and knocking the Blazers out. 

Instead of worrying about teams 6-1/2 games behind them in the playoff race, Portland fans need to wake up and realize the real goal. Finding a way to sneak into a home court advantage for the first round. 

Brandon Roy is better than (insert name of whoever takes the last shot for the opponents here) Part 25

Another home game against a sub-par NBA team. Another game won or lost inside the last minute. Another game where a shot is taken in classic buzzer-beating fashion. Portland has seen a lot of these this year.

Against Houston Brandon Roy sandwiched two insanely awesome shots around a nice and-one by Yao Ming to win. Against the Knicks he evaded the foul-to-give and beat three defenders to win the game. Against...well, short form; when Roy takes the last shot in a game decided by the final shot, look for the Blazers to win.

Yet in their last three home games, Portland has watched an opponent take a potential game-winning buzzer beater twice. Against Indiana, it was returning Jarrett Jack. His trey at the buzzer was much harder than people have made out; after pump-faking Travis Outlaw, he shot an off-balance, short-armed three thinking he was out of time that never really had a chance. 

Tonight, against Minnesota, it was Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves taking the last shot. Ironically, it was a failure on Roy's part that made the shot a potential game-winner. 

With eight seconds left, Randy Foye fouled Roy. He stepped to the line with a chance to give the Blazers a three-point lead. This would allow them to give up the two while defending the three and force the Timberwolves, who were down to their last time-out, to make a three against a defense designed to prevent just that. 

He missed the second free throw, however, and thus Minnesota could use the entire court. A two would tie, a triple win. They designed a beautiful play that got Randy Foye a great, wide-open look at a three. 

Every knowledgeable Blazer fan knows what I am about to say. If Brandon Roy or Travis Outlaw gets that look with the game on the line, the results are very, very favorable. Foye is the guy Portland traded to get Roy. Here is why.

In the post-game interviews, Roy was asked if he was nervous when Foye put that shot up. He gave a little chuckle and said something along the lines of, "Not really. I was close to him and could see it was off-line."

I'll take that answer. From where I was sitting, I thought it was in and, like the thunderstruck fans around me, held my breath as it sailed toward the rim, fearing it would drop. Of course, Roy had a better look at it than I did,  and his analysis was correct.

It also demonstrated why Roy is one of the premier closers in the game today. If that ball left his hand, there is a chance it would miss. But it would be unexpected. He is clutch and generally makes the shots that count.

The game should never have gotten to that point, though. Minnesota was coming off being thrashed by the Lakers the night before. Portland should have come out early, put them in a hole, and thoroughly demoralized them. Instead, it was Portland that came out looking like they were on the verge of being ready to fold and Minnesota that was loose. How loose?

Kevin McHale, the coach of the T-Wolves, was caught on the big-screen singing along to the pre-game introduction background music. (John Denver? Beatles? Some horrible song. Don't remember exactly what it was...but seeing him humming it as his players were introduced was hysterically funny.)

Four minutes into the game we had to double-check and make sure the shot clock was functioning as the score was an embarrassing 6-4. It was a ragged game with a lot of whistles. Technical fouls for Defensive three seconds, fouls, turnovers, fouls on out-of-bounds plays...it was ugly, ugly, ugly. 

A nice stretch towards the end of the quarter was entertaining and it looked like Portland was ready to run away with the game except for one small problem; Steve Blake was assigned to guard Sebastian Telfair.

You remember him? Star of a documentary, Blazer future at point guard, guy caught with guns in bags to start his problems and with no jump shot in his bag to exacerbate them in stops in Portland and Boston before going to Minnesota to throw up bricks?

Good defenders have been known to play several feet off him because the only way he is a threat is penetrating the lane to dish to open teammates. He shot close to or below 40% for years. 

But Blake has a way of making pedestrian guards look like All-Stars, All-Stars look like first-ballot Hall of Fame players, and Hall of Fame Players look like the greatest of all time. 

18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, seven assists and just one turnover. Telfair looked like an All-Star on this night. Time and again he blew by Blake to either create a great look for a team-mate or simply float it in to score himself. 

That penetration forced Blazer defenders to help which, in turn, forced them to pick up fouls. The need for mobile interior defenders led to long minutes for LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, and Travis Outlaw while limiting the minutes of Joel Przybilla. He is a superior rebounder and good interior defender, but is not mobile enough to cover the lane when quick, agile guards penetrate with regularity.

Coach McMillan saw this early and altered his rotation. He moved Aldridge to center, Outlaw to power forward, and Roy to small forward. This gave Portland a team that was undersized but long, agile, and quick. 

It was also a fairly effective team. Aldridge did a great job of rotating to cover the lane, as did Outlaw. Time and again the Wolves found themselves heaving up off-balance, contested shots against the shot-clock buzzer. 

And hitting them.

Over. And over. And over. 

They were hitting impossible shots. This was a night they played well over their heads. Portland played some of their best defense of the year. Every shot was contested. Every possession was a dog-fight. If Minnesota had any fast-break points at all, it wasn't over maybe two to four points. They had to scratch and claw for everything they got.

And to give them credit, they did. 

On this night, the Wolves played over their head and the Blazers played an average game. It showed as the game was decided in the final two possessions. 

There were several take-aways from this game. Let's start with Nicolas Batum.

On this night, he returned to the early-season form he displayed. He was aggressive in looking for his shot, getting up seven shots and going to the line four more times in a shade under 23 minutes, also picking up six rebounds, three assists, and adding a blocked shot. 

Scoring 12 points on seven shots was nice, but more importantly, his willingness to shoot changed the complexion of the game. When Batum gets the ball and instantly rotates it to the next player it forces the Blazers to play four on five offense. Conversely, when he is willing to shoot it forces the opponents to defend him. This covers the inside hole when Przybilla is in the game.

The Blazers have reliable, talented scorers in Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge and a nice third option in Steve Blake, but the game becomes too difficult when those three have to do all the scoring. Przybilla is a solid defender, above average rebounder, and very limited offensive player. If the Blazers field two non-threats in their starting line-up it often leads to low-scoring first quarters that in turn lead to double-digit deficits. That has to change.

One way to make that change is to look for Martell Webster to return next year. He should score 12 - 15 points a game and his willingness to take the open shot occupies a defender. 

The other way is for Batum to look for his offense a bit more. That doesn't mean he should start jacking up 20 shots a night, but he does need to mix in a few drives and take the open deep ball when he has it. On this night he was doing that. Without his contribution, it is likely the Blazers would have lost to a sub-.500 team for the seventh time this season.

Having a small forward who scores 10 - 15 points a game does not mean the Blazers are suddenly going to shoot up to a 108 point per game average or anything crazy like that. But it does mean they will have to expend less energy on offense to get good looks which will in turn allow them to work harder on defense. 

They will need to because they are now unstable at the back-up point guard position. Sergio Rodriguez has been struggling for the last few games since Blake returned. He feels the pressure of Jerryd Bayless sitting on the bench behind him. Rodriguez plays best when he is comfortable. Right now he is playing very poorly.

Bayless is hugely popular with the fans but is only effective in spurts. He tends to dominate the ball, generate a lot of offense for himself, stifle the team efforts, and pick up fouls in bunches as he gets over-aggressive on defense, puts his body into them, and picks up bunches of fouls.

He can be a game-changer at times. He can change the pace of the game, he can score in bunches, and at times is an intense, effective defender. At other times, though, he is an offensive foul machine who brings the Blazer offense to a screeching halt. 

In time he has the potential to be a lock-down defender with explosive scoring capability and even run the point somewhat effectively. At the moment, however, he is best suited to a pace-changing role.

With so many things unsettled...will Oden return to the line-up, will the small forward position be a threat on offense, who will play back-up point guard, can Portland find a way to defend the three...it remains to be seen if Portland can stay ahead of Dallas and Phoenix and, more importantly, run down Utah, Houston, Denver, New Orleans, and San Antonio.

Don't laugh...they are within a half game of the first four and only 2-1/2 games behind the Spurs. They have a very favorable schedule that could see them going 14-6 the rest of the way while the Rockets are without Tracy McGrady, the Jazz have most of their games on the road (where they are only 11-17), Denver has shown vulnerability, and as a Blazer fan I can hope the Hornets and Spurs stumble a bit the rest of the way.

The Blazers are sitting exactly where I had them pegged, 39-23. They have the potential to go on a big, end of season run. They are going to need to in order to improve their play-off seeding. This is a Blazer team that with or without rookie Greg Oden, with or without Rodriguez getting his head on straight, with or without the small forward position regularly producing, this team has the talent to make a nice run, get a decent playoff seeding, and gain their experience by getting out of the first round, not just being satisfied with getting into the play-offs. 

The only question remaining is to see if they perform to their potential. Winning games 95-93 over teams like the Wolves is not the way to do it but at least it is a win. Better a bad win than a good loss. 

What Travis Outlaw and Brandon Roy Showed the Fans against the Knicks

There are lessons to be learned from every NBA game. For example, anyone who doubted the ability of Mike D'Antoni to coach should learn from what he has done with the Knicks. Under Isaiah Thomas, this was a roster in disarray, capable of scoring 120 on any given night...as long as they were willing to give up 140.

For all the criticism of D'antoni teams playing so little defense his name should be Mike 'Antoni since there is no D, he has completely changed the complexion of the Knicks team in just a few short months. Sure, you are still going to score against them, but not like last year. He has this team heading in the right direction.

Greg Oden showed he has learned some things, too. The first two Blazer possessions went something like this; pound the ball in to Oden, watch him travel. Pound the ball in to Oden, watch him travel. 

Typically this season, that has meant it will be a long night for Oden. He will pick up fouls in bunches and play 10 - 15 minutes, being no factor at all. However, he has been showing improvement and on this night, he would not let his errors take him off his game.

The Blazers started slow, getting up a ridiculous two shots in their first six possessions. This is a Blazer team that plays more mature than its experience, which is one reason the cries of "bring in a veteran!" are so ridiculous. 

Portland HAS the James Posey-type veteran presences on the team in guys like Joel Przybilla, Steve Blake, and Brandon Roy. Yes, Roy is only in his third year but he plays bigger, as does Outlaw.

Once the Blazers stopped turning the ball over 67% of the time, they easily outmatched the Knicks. Travis Outlaw and Roy combined for 19 first quarter points and the Blazers were rolling.

When they get big nights from any two of the Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw and Greg Oden foursome they are going to put up some big numbers on the board. This frees the second unit to relax and play their game. It does not always work, as the very sub-par performance by Jerryd Bayless would show.

There are nights where Bayless is a difference maker in a positive way. He can change the game offensively with his aggressive moves into the lane or his tenacious, harassing defense.

But he can change it negatively, too, by being over-aggressive and picking up fouls in bunches, turning the ball over in bunches, and taking the Blazers out of their offense. A lot of Blazer fans are blinded by his glitz and don't see the way he hinders the team. On this night, there was a fine example.

The two guys next to us spent the entire fourth quarter whining about how the Blazers needed to put in Bayless for Sergio Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Rodriguez was getting the ball to the right people at the right time. Even when the actual assist went to Roy, many times it was the result of Rodriguez maneuvering the defense into places where Roy could receive the ball in a position to find Aldridge or Outlaw open. When the defenders stayed home on Roy, Rodriguez himself picked up the assist.

If Bayless was in the game it is unlikely Outlaw would have gotten the ball when and where he needed it to bring back the Blazers to where Roy could perform the heroics that sent the Blazers fans home happy with another improbable buzzer-beater win.

But that is what has this Blazer team on the edge of greatness. There are so many players who can dominate the game in so many different ways. 

Start with Oden. Forget his offense, it is still raw and unreliable. Oden can completely change the game defensively.  He was a huge force in the third quarter. In a shade over two minutes he blocked three shots and forced Chris Duhon to travel, essentially creating a four possession advantage for Portland that allowed them to extend out to a nice lead, but more importantly, it moved the Knicks out of the paint. 

Then, playing with five fouls, the Blazers down 108-103 and just 1:43 left in the game, he blocked a dunk attempt by David Lee. That block gave Portland possession, ignited the crowd, and let the Blazers wing defenders get a shade more aggressive knowing they had insurance behind them.

With Oden controlling the glass and the paint, in theory that will allow Portland to better defend the wing. That is just a theory, and we will come back to that a little later. 

Up front, LaMarcus Aldridge can also be a game changer, but in his case he can dominate at either end of the floor. Offensively, he is a match-up nightmare for any defender. His post game has developed nicely to where he is a threat to score from either block and his feathery 18 foot jumper is a genuine pleasure to watch. Woe betide the team that sags off him.

But defensively is where he is making huge strides. More and more often the Blazers are turning to him when they need a big stop against an opposing big man. Against the versatile Al Harrington, Aldridge was an easy choice. He moves his feet well enough to actually be one of the Blazers' better perimeter defenders, a fact the unobservant have not yet picked up on. But he also can defend the basket, as his emphatic block on Harrington in the third quarter demonstrated. 

With Aldridge able to change a game on both ends, there is not much to say about Brandon Roy. Obviously NBA fans in general are not all that aware of him as evidenced by him finishing behind Rafer Alston (!) in the All-Star voting...there were other egregious examples, but that one is bad enough. Roy is having a better season than most of the guys who finished ahead of him...nobody in their right miond would argue with Kobe Bryant or Chris Paul, but other than that, the things Roy brings to the table compare very well with any of the others and NBA fans should be embarrassed at their collective incompetence in voting for so many guys having inferior players.  Of course, the coaches and players know...but it does speak volumes about the lack of knowledge too many ballot-stuffers have.

Coming off the bench the Blazers can bring Travis Outlaw, another guy who can change the game at either end. Offensively, he can create his own shot, hit the three, and dunk on the big guys. Twice in the last two years I have seen Dwayne Wade block an Outlaw shot at the apex of his release. Otherwise, I have yet to see anyone who can even contest it. This is perhaps one reason he is a team-best 6 for 7 shooter with the game on the line...better even than Roy's 7-19.

The clutch nature of Outlaw is not well understood by many Blazer fans who frequently clamor to see him put on the trading block. This would be a huge, huge mistake. Take Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, or Travis Outlaw off the team and you have made the team instantly and noticeably worse in a way that is true for no other person.

Despite my praise for Oden earlier, Joel Przybilla is, at this point, a better rebounder and defender, even if more limited offensively than Oden. Rudy Fernandez is exciting to watch with an eye for the flashy pass and moving three-pointer, but a Steve Blake or Martell Webster is, at this point, at the very least his equal. Bayless and Rodriguez are nice back-up point guards but there are several in the NBA who are, at this point, better. 

Nicolas Batum is an above average defender who does a lot of things to help the team that don't show up in the box score. For example, at least three times against the Knicks he tipped balls to teammates who were credited with the rebounds. Without his tips, those rebounds would have gone to the Knicks every time. 

Despite these things, he can be replaced with little or no drop-off and in most cases even with an improvement in the Blazer performance. As much as I believe the deep shooting of Steve Blake complements the interior games of Aldridge and Oden and the penetration of Roy and Outlaw, even he is basically interchangeable with several players.

In essence, then, what sets the Blazers apart from most teams are Outlaw, Roy, and Aldridge. These three guys win more games for the team than the rest of the players combined. They have a sense for when to explode offensively and when to step up the defense.

The Knick game was a fine example. When the Knick lead crested at 13, Outlaw, Roy, and Aldridge took over. They combined to score 23 points, dish out 3 assists, and in other words dominate during the 25-11 run with which the Blazers pulled out the win.

The phrase "pulled out the win" should have been unnecessary. They out shot the Knicks 53.7 - 50.6%. They dominated the boards 43-29 and outscored them at the line 14-12. In every way, shape, and form they dominated the game...except two.

First, the free throw disparity should have been greater. The Knicks shot 100%, thus maximizing their opportunities while the Blazers missed seven free throws. But the more important disparity was beyond the arc.

Three teams in the NBA are worse than Portland at defending the three; Sacramento, Washington, and New Jersey. The only other teams defending at worse than 38% are Golden State and Miami. Of those, only Miami is above .500.

This is a dangerous Achilles heel in the regular season where a team can get hot over the course of a game as New York did in the third quarter, hitting treys on four consecutive possessions at one point. For the game they hit 14 threes, including five apiece during the third and fourth quarters. 

 If Portland does not learn how to defend the three and runs into a hot-shooting team in the playoffs, it will be a short playoff season for them. Fortunately, they have time to work on this. It will be much easier to work with when they have talents like Roy, Aldridge and Outlaw who can rescue them when an inferior team gets hot at the wrong time.