Blazers at Lakers Game Thread 3/20/11

[TripTango]

Wesley Matthews = 0 points

Is 3/12 in 25 minutes better than 0/4 in 19? I dunno, but I do know that I would have preferred to see Wesley get more time to save Roy's legs and get a more mobile defender in there.

 

[chris_in_pdx]

Were they supposed to cheer when the Lakers were playing badly?

Blazer fans do.

 

[TripTango]

He had more than one air ball tonight; I wonder if that had anything to do with him not being in the game in the 4th.

I know -- it also makes me wonder if there was something else wrong with him tonight, behind the scenes...

 

[tlongII]

Our offense was horrible tonight.

 

[illmatic99]

Is 3/12 in 25 minutes better than 0/4 in 19? I dunno, but I do know that I would have preferred to see Wesley get more time to save Roy's legs and get a more mobile defender in there.

I wanted Wes to take Rudy's spot, who was absolute garbage tonight.

 

[chris_in_pdx]

I guess the thing to take from this is that the Blazers played like total shit, and still almost won.

 

[KingSpeed]

Wallace not playing most of the 4th was a total fail

Roy playing the entire 4th was a total fail

Matthews played great D on K*be, and was benched in the 4th = total fail

Portland being relegated to a jump shooting team when Roy plays equals total fail

Losing Camby down the stretch hurt, but the L*kers had started their comeback before then

Roy played the last 15 minutes against Dallas and we won. You can't ignore that and say FAIL now because we lost to the champs at home.

Matthews couldn't hit the broadside of the barn and we needed shooters to take the pressure off of Aldridge.

We weren't relegated to a jumpshooting team at all. Most of our miscues and failed possessions in the 4th were when Rudy, Batum, and Wallace were attacking the basket.

Not having Camby wasn't the reason we lost but it does serve as a distraction in the team's heads to see one of their own go down like that in a close game on the road.

Your entire post = FAIL

You not contributing until we lost = FAIL

 

[RoyToy]

End of the day it was a b2b and the Lakers didn't play well at all. Blazers were lucky to even be in this thing.

And don't look now but Andre has been terrible as of late

 

[Pinwheel1]

The Blazers look tired tonight. Other than Batum no one played well. Flying from Portland to LA, back to Portland, (Playing a game) then flying back to LA caught up with Miller. He looked out of it. Lots of unforced errors.

 

[KingSpeed]

I wanted Wes to take Rudy's spot, who was absolute garbage tonight.

What are you TALKING about?? Wesley's shots weren't even close to going in! At least Rudy found a way to produce something! 10 points 5 rebounds 3 assists.

 

[TripTango]

I agree that there are plenty of totally reasonable factors to have lost on a b2b in LA. It's just that, dammit, must the Blazers ALWAYS make their losses to the Lakers so tantalizingly close? I almost would have preferred a total drubbing so I could have tuned out by halftime and had more time to cool down before bed... Now I'll be stomping around until midnight.

 

[KingSpeed]

I guess the thing to take from this is that the Blazers played like total shit, and still almost won.

But the Lakers also played like shit and were without Bynum.

Is 3/12 in 25 minutes better than 0/4 in 19? I dunno, but I do know that I would have preferred to see Wesley get more time to save Roy's legs and get a more mobile defender in there.

Yes, 3-12 is better than 0-4. Matthews was disengaged. If we kept playing him. You would've been clamoring for Rudy.

 

[TripTango]

What are you TALKING about?? Wesley's shots weren't even close to going in! At least Rudy found a way to produce something! 10 points 5 rebounds 3 assists.

4 shots. He missed 4 shots. Roy missed 9. Dre missed 11. Unless there was something wrong that we didn't know about (very possible), I don't think that missing 4 shots should be worth a perma-benching.

 

[Pinwheel1]

What are you TALKING about?? Wesley's shots weren't even close to going in! At least Rudy found a way to produce something! 10 points 5 rebounds 3 assists.

I agree with you Kingspeed. Wes was off from the beginning. They all looked horrible. You can always tells from the beginning if the Back to Back is going to be a factor. Tonight you could see it from the start. The Lakers just didn't play well either.

 

[Darkwebs]

End of the day it was a b2b and the Lakers didn't play well at all. Blazers were lucky to even be in this thing.

And don't look now but Andre has been terrible as of late

I'm scared that he's showing his age.

 

[Darkwebs]

4 shots. He missed 4 shots. Roy missed 9. Dre missed 11. Unless there was something wrong that we didn't know about (very possible), I don't think that missing 4 shots should be worth a perma-benching.

Maybe Wes has a sore ankle. He stepped on someone's foot yesterday in the 1st quarter against the Cavs.

 

[KingSpeed]

I agree that there are plenty of totally reasonable factors to have lost on a b2b in LA. It's just that, dammit, must the Blazers ALWAYS make their losses to the Lakers so tantalizingly close? I almost would have preferred a total drubbing so I could have tuned out by halftime and had more time to cool down before bed... Now I'll be stomping around until midnight.

I disagree. Getting drubbed by the Lakers is awful and humiliating and can set the team back. That first loss we had to them this year was horrible.

 

[STOMP]

Tired legs ---> flat shots

Roy played under 20 minutes last night...

STOMP

 

[KingSpeed]

4 shots. He missed 4 shots. Roy missed 9. Dre missed 11. Unless there was something wrong that we didn't know about (very possible), I don't think that missing 4 shots should be worth a perma-benching.

It was the way he missed them. They were way off. He was disengaged. The Lakers jumped out to a lead and we needed people who could hit shots so he sat. He got another shot at the top of the second half and just couldn't produce. Would it have made you feel better if he stayed in and shot 1 of 9? Nate knows his players better than any of us do. I'm sure he made the right move.

 

[RoyToy]

The Blazers win this game if they had Travis Outlaw

 

[KingSpeed]

Roy played under 20 minutes last night...

STOMP

"last night" is the key phrase in your post

 

[TripTango]

It was the way he missed them. They were way off. He was disengaged. The Lakers jumped out to a lead and we needed people who could hit shots so he sat. He got another shot at the top of the second half and just couldn't produce. Would it have made you feel better if he stayed in and shot 1 of 9?

Would it convince you if he'd stayed in a went 5/9? We all know that Wes is much better than a 0% shooter, so 4 misses alone (even bad misses) shouldn't be enough to take him out completely, in my book.

 

[TripTango]

I disagree. Getting drubbed by the Lakers is awful and humiliating and can set the team back. That first loss we had to them this year was horrible.

Note the "ALMOST" in my post, KS. ALMOST. Good gravy.

 

[KingSpeed]

I'm out. Sucks to lose but we're 40-30, in the middle of a playoff chase and have won 7 of 10. Losing Camby kills our chances of ever beating the Lakers till Oden comes back and that's what it's all about. Beating the best. Let's just see if we can win a round against the Thunder or Mavs. We'll see. The team that just beat us has only lost once since the All Star break. It's probably not the time to panic but I'm bummed.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

The Blazers win this game if they had Travis Outlaw

I was going to lol, but the Lakers might not win this game without Matt Barnes so I guess it's even.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Would it convince you if he'd stayed in a went 5/9? We all know that Wes is much better than a 0% shooter, so 4 misses alone (even bad misses) shouldn't be enough to take him out completely, in my book.

He shot 50% air balls. When his 4th shot hit the rim I thought "he's making progress!". Wes was horrible out there on offense and it was indeed a liability. Rudy was tentative but at least produced a little.

 

[STOMP]

"last night" is the key phrase in your post

he seemed to be moving around fine, but then what do I know about how he's really doing? If he really is struggling physically on a back to back after playing so few minutes the first game (and taking only 4 shots) then he belongs in a glass case only to be brought out on a rare occasion.

STOMP

 

[Pinwheel1]

Well the one positive is that Batum has played well since Wallace has started. He is staying aggressive.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I thought Roy looked a little hobbled with two minutes to go. Perhaps it was lack of sleep more than anything (see HCPs post on their check in time at the hotel). Or maybe he is slowly grinding away the good that came from being off his knees for a few weeks.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Well the one positive is that Batum has played well since Wallace has started. He is staying aggressive.

Indeed. His mid range jumper is killer, too. He's showing some great poise and life out there lately.