blazers @ hornets

[ABM]

well, at least the blazers are in jazz town before the hornets are.

 

[THE HCP]

Now THIS is how you start a game thread FAMS! Take that DarkWeb guy!

 

[ABM]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/where-...uard-greivis-vasquez-rank-194400560--nba.html

COMMENTARY | For a city that doesn't have one of the richest traditions of professional basketball, New Orleans has had a number of outstanding guards. Although the Buccaneers, Jazz, and Hornets have combined for fewer than 20 years of pro basketball in New Orleans, all three of those teams each produced one of the best guards of their respective leagues and eras.

The latest outstanding guard to play in New Orleans is Greivis Vasquez. In his first year as a full-time starter, Vasquez leads the NBA in assists and ranks third in assists per game. Vasquez also leads the NBA in double-doubles among guards and he even recorded a triple-double. The NBA recognized Vasquez's excellence by naming him its Western Conference Player of the Week early in the 2012-13 season.....

 

[THE HCP]

I picked up Vasquez off the waivers in my fantasy league back in November. With Rondo out, he's now my starter. He's a baller!

 

[KingSpeed]

Here:

The Portland Trail Blazers are riding high after routing the Western Conference's best team.

Portland, though, can't get too overconfident after what happened in its last game in New Orleans.

The Blazers will try to win for the fifth time in seven games on Sunday night when they complete the season series with the lowly Hornets.

After opening their three-game trip Wednesday with a 91-85 loss to Memphis, the Trail Blazers (29-32) defeated the Western Conference-leading San Antonio Spurs 136-106 on Friday. It was the most points by an opponent at AT&T Center and the Spurs' second-worst home loss in franchise history.

The result was even more surprising considering San Antonio was 25-3 at home and Portland had lost seven straight and 11 of 12 outside the Rose Garden.

"To come in here and win is hard enough,'' said Blazers coach Terry Stotts, whose team set season highs for points and shooting percentage at 61.6. "To do it in that fashion is pretty remarkable.''

That's a great description of Damian Lillard's play. The favorite to win the Rookie of the Year leads all first-year players in scoring (18.8 ppg), assists (6.4) and 3-pointers with 134. Lillard hit three 3s and poured in 35 on Friday to extend his career-best streak of scoring at least 20 to five. The sixth overall pick also handed out nine assists with no turnovers.

"I think this does rank up there (with my better performances), just because we needed this win," Lillard told the Blazers' official website.

Portland - currently 10th in the West - has little room for error, so it needs to take care of a Hornets team with the worst record in the conference at 21-42 after dropping three straight and eight of 10.

New Orleans, though, won 99-63 over the visiting Blazers on Feb. 13 the last time these teams met. Led by Anthony Davis' 21 points and 11 rebounds, the Hornets ended a five-game skid in this series and handed Portland its most lopsided defeat since a 121-79 loss at New York on March 14.

The Hornets, who last dropped four straight from Jan. 29-Feb. 2, are hoping for another big effort from Davis, who's averaging 16.7 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in three games since missing two with a left shoulder sprain.

The No. 1 overall pick, who had 20 points and a season-high 18 boards in Saturday's 96-85 loss at Memphis, totaled 15 and five in a 95-94 loss at Portland on Dec. 16.

Lillard's 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left was the difference in that contest, but the Hornets have held him to 28 points and eight assists in the two games.

Hornets point guard Greivis Vasquez averaged 16.5 points, 9.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds in those games, but he likely won't be joined in the backcourt by Austin Rivers after the rookie suffered a broken right hand in a 108-102 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday when New Orleans blew a 25-point lead.

The Blazers, meanwhile, have received a big boost from Eric Maynor since he was acquired from Oklahoma City on Feb. 21. The backup point guard has 42 points in the last three games after finishing with 20 on Friday.

Portland is averaging 108.8 points in Maynor's six games.

The Trail Blazers had won two straight and five of seven in New Orleans prior to Feb. 13.

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

 

[ABM]

http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2013/03/new_orleans_hornets_vs_portlan_17.html

Can New Orleans Hornets power forward Anthony Davis make up ground tonight in rookie of the year race vs. Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard? (Photo by Ted Jackson, Nola.com / The Times-Picayune)

New Orleans Hornets vs. Portland Trail Blazers. Three storylines to follow:

1. Where will the scoring come from? The New Orleans Hornets will likely be without the services Sunday night of starting shooting guard Eric Gordon, who has customarily sat out the second games of back-to-backs since he returned from rehabbing his right knee at the end of December. And will rookie shooting guard Austin Rivers out for the season with a broken right hand, sustained in last Wednesday night's loss to the Lakers, the reeling Hornets need to identify another scorer against the Portland Trail Blazers. Will that man be Roger Mason Jr? Or will someone else step up to provide backcourt points?


Can New Orleans Hornets power forward Anthony Davis make up ground tonight in rookie of the year race vs. Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard? (Photo by Ted Jackson, Nola.com / The Times-Picayune)

2. Who has the better night: Anthony Davis or Damian Lillard? The race for the NBA's rookie of the year award has been controlled all season by Portland rookie point guard Damian Lillard. Lillard started off fast and has build what seems to be an insurmountable lead against Davis, the Hornets forward who's coming off a big night in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. Sunday night's head-to-head matchup with Lillard gives Davis an opportunity to make some head way in the race. He needs to finish with a splash to close the gap, and if Davis has any desires of capturing the trophy, he needs to step things up over the last month of the season.

3. Can the Hornets hold a lead? In two of the team's three losses the week, the Hornets failed to hold leads in the fourth quarter, blowing chances to beat the Orlando Magic and Lakers. New Orleans was up by 25 against Los Angeles, and 18 in the final quarter before being outscored 20-0 in the final 6:47 of the game. The Hornets hit the road for a three-game road trip this week with games at the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Minnesota Timberwolves. New Orleans gets back to the Arena on March 18 against the Golden State Warriors. Tonight's game could prove to be an offensive struggle for the Hornets.

 

[ABM]

This was kinda cool...from the last Blazers/Hornets game:

http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2013/02/no_boos_tonight_hornets_forwar.html

It's not often that the home crowd rains boos down on a member of its team at the end of a blowout victory. But apparently, when free food is on the line, all bets are off.

Just ask New Orleans Hornets forward Lance Thomas, he understands all too well.

With 11.6 seconds remaining and the Hornets leading the Portland Trail Blazers 98-63 Wednesday night, Thomas stepped to the line with an opportunity to make two free throws and reward the fans in attendance with free McDonald's fries. Unfortunately, his first shot fell short, and the boisterous crowd quickly turned on the affable former Duke star.

"I really didn't know what I was shooting for until I missed the first one," Thomas said. "I look up, and I was like, 'OK, it's the 100 free-fries night.' So I put a smile on my face and I was like, 'I blew it,' and everybody was a little upset with me. But I'm one of the guys that's staying here through (NBA) All-Star weekend so I figured this would be a great thing to do."

Not wanting to send New Orleans fans into the All-Star break empty handed, Thomas took to Twitter to announce a tasty mea culpa.

"If you bring your game ticket to McDonalds on Canal Street from 7-8 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) it's on me," he wrote.

As promised, Thomas came strolling through the McDonald's doors at 711 Canal, where he was greeted by a hoard of fans anxious to snap a photo, secure an autograph and, of course, grab their fries.

Unlike like the previous night, though, the jeers turned to cheers as Thomas shelled out $104.70 on 60 medium orders of fresh golden French-fried potatoes.............

 

[mgb]

It would be typical of the Blazers to lose too one of the worse teams after beating the best.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Bonzi did that once, but he spit in every order before handing it out.

 

[KingSpeed]

Ugh. Why do people think Davis has a chance at ROY?

 

[ABM]

Blazers are gonna blow these cats out.

 

[Darkwebs]

Lillard with a wonderful drive and-one!

 

[KingSpeed]

10-0 run

 

[B-Roy]

I'm not sure Hickson is in the long term plans, but it would be a huge mistake to let him walk for nothing.

 

[KingSpeed]

Hickson is good. Keep him.

 

[KingSpeed]

What's the status for Claver and Leonard?

 

[KingSpeed]

12-0 run

 

[Darkwebs]

What a finish by Maynor.

 

[MickZagger]

I'm almost at a point where I think Hickson > Aldridge.

 

[Darkwebs]

Back to back turnovers by the Blazers

 

[KingSpeed]

Damn

 

[KingSpeed]

0-9 run

 

[ABM]

0-9 run

No worries. They won't have another one like it on the negative side.

 

[KingSpeed]

I'm almost at a point where I think Hickson > Aldridge.

when Aldridge shut down last season and we went with JJ, we were horrible

 

[B-Roy]

Was liking the bench, two ankles later, and we're back to Luke Babbitt. Ugh.

 

[KingSpeed]

Root for our brothers in Minnesota. We need Dallas off our back.

 

[KingSpeed]

Was liking the bench, two ankles later, and we're back to Luke Babbitt. Ugh.

yeah

 

[KingSpeed]

How long are Victor and Meyers out for?

 

[RoyToy]

It's nice to see people finally appreciating Hickson for what he is

If Neil Olshey lets him walk it better be because he knows he can get someone better.

 

[MickZagger]

when Aldridge shut down last season and we went with JJ, we were horrible

He got better. Plus Lillard > Felton X infinity.