Portland Trail Blazers 2018/19

[Duck07]

Gotta love the NBA giving Portland 1 day off so that they can play a game the very night of their draft lottery.

They looked and played like a team that didn't even get a chance to shoot around on their 1 day off

[Phalanx]

Definitely some things to shore up. I'm going to give Stotts the benefit of the doubt and assume what we saw was not the game plan to attack their screens? Because this will end in four if that's how loose we believe we can play the best shooting team in the NBA. The announcers were beating this drum all night, and it's absolutely true: I lost track of how many times we had defenders caught in no man's land.

Lillard is going to be hounded like he was last night all series, and McCollum is going to have a defender 4 inches taller than him shadow him every game, too. Lillard was crazy sloppy and he needs to make better decisions, but the other guys are going to have to hit open shots. With the way Moe and Aminu are shooting there's no reason Kerr should pull that second defender from chasing Lillard in the backcourt.

Key to surviving the series, IMO. Can't believe how many wide open looks some of the guys were getting, and nothing would go down. The biggest problem on the Blazers is that their forwards can neither shoot nor excel in the post. I wonder if Layman and Leonard would do any better.

[Merganzer]

First quarter, game 2, Blazers actually playing defense, lead, 31-29, Lillard 0, Aminu 9.

[Merganzer]

Blazers lead 65-50 @ halftime, shooting 11-22 on 3's. Bell had some nice plays for Warriors, fun play; little brother Curry comes from behind, steals ball from Big bro.

[Merganzer]

Crucial part of the game, Blazers led by 16, Curry scores 5 for Warriors in about 20 seconds to cut lead to 11, Looney falls on Lillard's shoulder, Thompson hits 3, Warriors on 8-0 run, Thompson again, 11-0 run. , Green, for 2, 13-0 run. Harkless scores, 13-2. Igudola for 2, Blazers lead 71-68. 2 FT's for Thompson, 71-70. Clutch FT's by Hood, Green for 2, Blazers by 1, CJ drives in for 2, Blazers hold on to 75-72 lead.

[Merganzer]

Warriors defense rattles Blazers, offense gets easy lay-up & lobs, take over the last 3 minutes, steal away the last chance for the Blazers, win by 3. 14-3 run at the end, matched by the one in the middle of the 3rd, that's why the Warriors are champs.

[lukeyrid13]

This might be the hardest I’ve taken a blazers loss in a long time. This game was massive. I never thought they had a chance to win the series, but taking it one game at a time, this one should be a W for the blazers and coming back with two home games. Sigh

[mrpd21]

When CJ is on he is great but...does he know how to pass? Dude ballhogs and plays so much 1 on 1 streetball like he's the only guy on the court. It's very frustrating. Not sure why Leonard and Turner were in so much in the second half either. That game was Portland's for the taking...bummer.

[lukeyrid13]

Yeah, I thought the game plan and effort were great, but our rotations weren't perfect. Collins getting into foul trouble hurt cause his defense would have been beneficial at the end. Obviously need to win the next two at home.

[UOducksTK1]

Could have had that one! Bummer...

[Merganzer]

Yeah, I thought the game plan and effort were great, but our rotations weren't perfect. Collins getting into foul trouble hurt cause his defense would have been beneficial at the end. Obviously need to win the next two at home.

It's going to be fascinating watching how the Blazers do in these two games at home. Major adjustments were made in game 2; can they shift gears again to get these two? Nobody wants a "Gentleman's Sweep".

[Merganzer]

Blazers up 13 at the half this time, Leonard, in his starting role, 13 points.

[Merganzer]

Bell clanks a breakaway dunk.

[Alan]

Why can't the Blazers figure out the third!

[Merganzer]

It now seems that the craziest thing said in the last year or so was Charles Barkley insisting that the Blazers would come out of the West! The Blazers deserve a lot of credit to getting to the West Finals, but the Warriors, with or w/o Durant, are in a different league.
They didn't care that Portland was up big at half in Game 2, so, they had even less to worry about this time. I get that the Warriors really annoy some people; but I love how they play, as Ali said, "if you can do it, it ain't braggin'", they are relentless on offense & defense. The trapping of Lillard really got to him, when the Blazers trapped a Warrior rather than try to force their way out of it themselves, the Warrior would pass the ball out to a teammate who obviously wasn't being covered, and then move, and a lot of Warriors would be open; as we saw many times, at the basket for a layup.