Game Thread GAME# 21: HEAT @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 3, 2016 - SATURDAY, 7:00 PM (PDT), CSNNW

[Darkwebs]

2016-17 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
MIAMI HEAT
6 - 12
(1-5 Road)
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
10 - 10
(6-4 Home)


______________________________
---------PROBABLE STARTERS---------

PG

GORAN DRAGIC VS DAMIAN LILLARD

SG

RODNEY McGRUDER VS C.J. McCOLLUM

SF

LUKE BABBIT VS MAURICE HARKLESS

PF

JOSH McROBERTS VS ED DAVIS

C

HASSAN WHITESIDE VS MASON PLUMLEE

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WHEN: 7:00 PM (PDT), SATURDAY, 12/3/2016​

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

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--------------BENCH--------------

MIAMI HEAT

ELLINGTON , JOHNSON , RICHARDSON

WILLIAMS , JOHNSON

HASLEM , REED



---- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ----

NAPIER , QUARTERMAN , CONNAUGHTON

CRABBE , TURNER , LAYMAN

VONLEH , LEONARD


INJURIES
HEAT
Tyler Johnson (oral surgery): QUESTIONABLE
Josh Richardson (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Justise Winslow (sore left wrist): OUT
Dion Waiters (strained right groin): OUT
Chris Bosh (blood clots): OUT
TRAIL BLAZERS
Al-Farouq Aminu (left calf strain): OUT
Festus Ezeli (left knee): OUT



HEAD COACHES

- VS –

ERIK SPOELSTRA --- TERRY STOTTS



OFFICIAL HEAT'S GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Saturday marks the first of two regular season matchups between the Trail Blazers and Heat in 2016-17.

• Portland and Miami have split the season series in each of the past two years, with both teams winning both games on their home court.

• Miami owns a 6-3 record against Portland dating back to the start of the 2011-12 season.

• The Heat has won four of its past seven contests at the Moda Center, but the Trail Blazers have won three of their past four home games against Miami (two straight).

• Portland has now won back-to-back games against Miami since winning four straight games from Dec. 6, 2007 to Nov. 26, 2008.

• Damian Lillard averaged 25.0 points on 46.9% shooting in two games against the Heat last season. Lillard has scored in double figures in all eight of his career games against the Heat (2 games with 30+ points).

• CJ McCollum averaged 22.0 points and shot 10-of-15 (66.7%) from beyond the arc in two games against Miami last season.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 51-33
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 32-10
AT THE HEAT: HEAT lead, 23-19

​

 

[Scalma]

Dragic will score 86

 

[dviss1]

Babbit is starting? We better smash them...

 

[blue9]

Whatfensive improvement?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Rodney McGruder? Am I supposed to have ever heard of this fool?

 

[blue9]

Haslem still with the Heat. That's pretty cool - it doesn't seem like role players play their entire career with a single team. The only other guy I can think of is Nick Collison, and he kinda got screwed into playing for two different teams despite never being traded or signing with another team.

 

[THE HCP]

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[BlazerBeav]

They are going to be starting two guys who couldn't even find the court when we were a lottery team. If we can't hold that lousy lineup to under 50% shooting, I will lose all hope.

 

[chzbrgr]

Haslem still with the Heat. That's pretty cool - it doesn't seem like role players play their entire career with a single team. The only other guy I can think of is Nick Collison, and he kinda got screwed into playing for two different teams despite never being traded or signing with another team.

He's a keep gettin them checks all-star for sure Riley has been loyal to ONE heat lifer at least...

This team is complete trash I know bosh is probably done but this team is just atrocious babbit and mcbob lol good luck with that. How did we lose out to these guys with whiteside? must not have been a basketball decision at all which makes me glad we didnt sign him in the first place

 

[illmatic99]

We HAVE to win this one. Our December is one of the toughest months in recent memory.

5 game road trip across 3 time zones beginning Monday.

@ CHI, @ MIL, @ MEM (b2b), @ IND, @ LAC (wtf,midwest trip ends in LA?

Then b2b at home vs OKC.

Then off on the road again after a day of rest in between: @ DEN, @ GSW, @ SAC.

Then, the Spurs twice before the end of the month.

If we come out of this month above .500 and mostly healthy, then we are going to win at least 48 games. We might be favored in maybe 5 of the 15 games.

 

[Strenuus]

We HAVE to win this one. Our December is one of the toughest months in recent memory.

5 game road trip across 3 time zones beginning Monday.

@ CHI, @ MIL, @ MEM (b2b), @ IND, @ LAC (wtf,midwest trip ends in LA?

Then b2b at home vs OKC.

Then off on the road again after a day of rest in between: @ DEN, @ GSW, @ SAC.

Then, the Spurs twice before the end of the month.

If we come out of this month above .500 and mostly health, then we are going to win at least 48 games. We might be favored in maybe 5 of the 15 games.

I am not optimistic.

 

[BonesJones]

Luke Babbitt and Josh McRoberts have come back to haunt us!!!

 

[Boob-No-More]

Here's what I wrote about MIA at the time of the Whitside signing:

"Interesting that Whiteside sites stability as the reason he's staying in MIA. There's probably more uncertainty in MIA than just about everywhere else. Will Bosh be able to play again? Wade is threatening to leave because MIA won't pay him. What is the status of Joe Johnson and Amar'e Stoudemire? Luol Deng is also a free agent. All those guys are well past 30. Hell, even Goran Dragic, is 30 (I'm surprised he's that old). Does Whiteside think these guys are going to play forever?

Other than Whiteside, here are the ages of every Heat player that started more than 8 games:

Goran Dragic: 72 ganes started, age = 30.056
Gerald Green: 14 games started, age = 30.157
Luol Deng: 73 games started, age = 31.076
Chris Bosh: 53 games started, age = 32.099
Amar'e Stoudemire, 36 games started, age = 33.228
Dwyane Wade, 73 games started, age = 34.166
Joe Johnson, 24 games started, age = 35.002

If that isn't a roster that's ripe for some turnover, I don't know what is. So much for stability (and winning). Florida really is where old people in the East go to retire. At least half those players will probably be gone within the next couple weeks and not a single one will be around for the duration of Whiteside's contract.

He got paid the max and that seems to be his motivation. MIA is overdue for a major rebuild, and it won't be pretty.

Whiteside chose losing over winning. As long as he's in MIA, they will probably never go as far in the playoffs as they did this past season. He signed to stay with a roster in rapid decline that will take years to rebuild. Oh well, as the geriatrics around him retire and move on, at least he will get to be "the man", albeit, on a crappy team. But, that is the lot he has chosen. He could have had equal money and played for a winner, but he chose not to. We were the youngest team to make the playoffs and already better than MIA. He chose to stay on a team in decline, rather than join a team on the rise. Fuck him."

Called it. Did he really think he'd be starting next to Chris Bosh, Luol Deng and Dwyane Wade again this year? Instead he has Josh McRoberts, Luke Babbit and some guy named Macgyver.

Enjoy the money Hassan. Hope it makes up for all the losing.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

Rodney McGruder? Am I supposed to have ever heard of this fool?

Where have you been? Everyone's heard of him. He's fucking AWESOME!

BNM

 

[SIeepwalker]

Makes me so sad that DWade is playing for another team...

Fuck Pat Riley man

 

[trailblazer18]

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Is that a shark in the Willamette? ha

 

[BBert]

Is that a shark in the Willamette? ha

It's the Willamette Ness Monster

 

[THE HCP]

Man, forget you guys! When do I get back the thread making duties!? This DarkWing guy is putting people in the starting lineups that aren't even in the NBA! I think we are at a .605 winning clip when The HCP creates threads! Lets vote FAMS!!!!!

 

[Orion Bailey]

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Nice!

 

[Hobbesarable]

We HAVE to win this one. Our December is one of the toughest months in recent memory.

5 game road trip across 3 time zones beginning Monday.

@ CHI, @ MIL, @ MEM (b2b), @ IND, @ LAC (wtf,midwest trip ends in LA?

Then b2b at home vs OKC.

Then off on the road again after a day of rest in between: @ DEN, @ GSW, @ SAC.

Then, the Spurs twice before the end of the month.

If we come out of this month above .500 and mostly healthy, then we are going to win at least 48 games. We might be favored in maybe 5 of the 15 games.

ET and Harkless played well over the last 6 games.

ET averaged 13.7 points while completing 52% of his field goals (5.5 out of 10.5) and 40% of his 3-pointers (1.0 out of 2.5).

Harkless averaged 16.0 points while completing 57% of his field goals (6.5 out of 11.5) and 34% of his 3 pointers (1.3 out of 3.8).

Our team coalesced offensively over the last 6 games and we are seeing improvement from the vast majority of our players. We have a good chance coming out of this month above 0.500 if they continue the defensive stops like they did against the Pacers. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

 

[Hobbesarable]

 

[KingSpeed]

Looking forward to this one. We need back to back wins in the worst way.

 

[riverman]

Go Blazers! See if the defense stays on track! Win streak!

 

[PDXFonz]

Sounds like Aminu is getting close to return. I'm glad that there hasn't been any rush in getting him back out there even when we were slumping. I feel like the staff in the McMillan era were inclined to put players out there to try and get results. I prefer the preventative steady recovery approach of the current medical staff, much better for the long term.

 

[BengalDuck]

I swear the Blazers broadcast has an audio issue every 10 games or so... This is miserable to listen to.

 

[julius]

I swear the Blazers broadcast has an audio issue every 10 games or so... This is miserable to listen to.

TV or radio? Im not hearing any issues on TV, other then returning to crappy defense.

 

[RipCityDSCPL]

Whiteside can shoot now?

 

[BigGameDamian]

Whiteside can shoot now?

He can against teams that don't play any defense.

 

[DUB]

LET'S GO BLAZERS!!!

 

[KingSpeed]

He can against teams that don't play any defense.

How can any team defend that?