Game Thread GAME# 38: BLAZERS @ LAKERS - JANUARY 11, 2015 - SUNDAY, 6:30 PM (PST), CSNNW

PROBABLE STARTERS




PG
DAMIAN LILLARD VS RONNIE PRICE

SG
WESLEY MATTHEWS VS WAYNE ELLINGTON

SF
NICOLAS BATUM VS WESLEY JOHNSON

PF
LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE VS ED DAVIS

C
CHRIS KAMAN VS JORDAN HILL







WHEN: 6:30 PM, SUNDAY, 1/11/2015​

WHERE: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA




TV BROADCAST:





RADIO BROADCAST:


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BENCH

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

BLAKE , MCCOLLUM , BARTON

WRIGHT , CLAVER , ROBINSON , LEONARD

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

LIN , CLARKSON , YOUNG

KELLY , BOOZER , BLACK , SACRE



INJURIES
TRAIL BLAZERS
▪ Allen Crabbe (left knee strain): OUT
▪ Joel Freeland (right shoulder strain): OUT
▪ Robin Lopez (fractured right index finger): OUT
LAKERS
▪ Ronnie Price (fractured nose): PROBABLE
▪ Wesley Johnson (straight right hip flexor): PROBABLE
▪ Kobe Bryant (rest): OUT
▪ Steve Nash (sciatic pain): OUT
▪ Julius Randle (tibia fracture, right leg): OUT


HEAD COACHES
- VS –
TERRY STOTTS --- BYRON SCOTT




BLAZERS' OFFICIAL GAME NOTES ​

LAKERS' OFFICIAL GAME NOTES



GO BLAZERS!!!​

 

POR at LAL, Game 38, 1/11/2015

LAL 12-25, last in Pacific Division

Our Last Game: W v. ORL, 103-92 1/10/15

Their Last Game: W v. ORL, 101-84 1/9/15

Last L*ker Matchup: W v. LAL, 98-94, 1/5/15

Injuries: POR -- Lopez (out), Freeland (out), Crabbe (out)
LAL: Price (probable), K*be (Probable), Nash (out), Randle (out)

Matchups:
Lillard v. Price (5.6ppg, 3.7apg, 1.5stl/g) 11pts, 8 ast last POR game
Matthews v. K*be (23.0ppg, 5.6rpg, 5.3apg) DNP last POR game
Batum v. Johnson (9.4ppg, 3.7rpg, 37% 3pt) DNP last POR game
Aldridge v. Davis (8.0ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.2blk/g) - 4pts, 4reb last POR game
Kaman v. Hill (12.0ppg, 8.0rpg) 23pts, 14 reb last POR game

Power Rankings:
ESPN (24) No. 24 just became one of only three players in history, along with Wilt and J-Kidd, to post multiple triple-doubles in a single season at age 36 or older. Until Sunday, furthermore, Kobe had missed all five of his potential go-ahead shots with less than 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter or overtime this season.

NBA.com (25) Pace: 97.7 (7), OffRtg: 103.9 (15), DefRtg: 109.7 (29), NetRtg: -5.8 (27)
Kobe Bryant hit some clutch shots this weekend (he's taken 16 more than anybody else this season), but it would be nice if he didn't have to overrule his coach and point guard when it's obviously time to foul. Carlos Boozer has better numbers (14.2 points per game on 57 percent shooting) coming off the bench than he did as a starter (12.4, 50 percent).

Covers (27) Though they still stink, the Lakers have covered 10 of their last 13 games, including four straight.

Washington Post: (25) Kobe Bryant took a much-needed three-game rest and has returned looking to do more than shoot until his right arm felt rubbery. In his past two games, Bryant has recorded 19 rebounds and 19 assists and became the third player in NBA history with multiple triple-doubles in a season at age 36 or older.

Arizona Central Republic (27) Comment: A pass-first Kobe Bryant doesn't mean wins, but it has made them more watchable.

Link to Grandpa Blaze's Prediction Game
Link to Mediocre Man's Over/Under Game

Final Thoughts: It took a monster game from Dame (39/6/5) last week to pull away with a win that wasn't easy until the final minutes. Their bench (Lin, Ellington, Young) all shoot 38% 3pt or higher, so they can stay in games. Then again, K*be's playing tonight, so you can probably subtract 7 points on their end and add 7 for us. I think the pace will be a bit higher, and you'll see more of LMA/Kaman/Leonard doing what they can against the L*ker interior D. They give 107.6ppg to average teams they play, and POR is decidedly above-average.

Us 114
Them 99

 

Game preview updated in Post 2.