Game Thread Game #28 - BLAZERS VS SUNS - DECEMBER 14, 2021 - TUESDAY - 7:00 PM (PDT) TNT (2 Viewers)

[Chris Craig]

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STARTERS


Damian Lillard Norman Powell

Nassir Little Larry Nance Jr

Jusuf Nurkic


Chris Paul Landry Shamet

Mikal Bridges Jae Crowder

DeAndre Ayton

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WHEN: DECEMBER 14, 2021 - TUESDAY - 7:00 PM (PDT)
WHERE: MODA CENTER, PORTLAND OR


TV BROADCAST



RADIO BROADCAST



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BENCH

BLAZERS


Robert Covington Cody Zeller

Anfernee Simons Ben McLemore

Tony Snell Dennis Smith Jr

Greg Brown III CJ Elleby

Trendon Watford Keljin Blevins

CJ McCollum

SUNS


Frank Kaminsky Dario Saric

Elfrid Payton Jalen Smith

Cameron Johnson Chandler Hutchinson

Abdel Nader Cameron Payne

Devin Booker JaVale McGee

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INJURIES

SUNS

Devin Booker (Hamstring) OUT

DeAndre Ayton (Illness) QUESTIONABLE

Dario Saric (ACL) OUT

Frank Kaminsky (Knee) OUT

Abdel Nader (Knee) OUT

BLAZERS

CJ McCollum (Lung) OUT

Cody Zeller (Knee) OUT

Greg Brown (Illness) Questionable

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COACHES


Chauncey Billups


Monty Williams

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NOTES

• This is the third of four matchups between the Trail Blazers and Suns
• The season series is tied 1-1
• The Blazers defeated the Suns 134 - 105 in Portland on 10/23
• The Suns defeated the Blazers 119 -109 in Phoenix on 11/10
• The two teams will face each other again in Phoenix on 12/14
• The Suns will be on the second of a back to back. They will play LAC on Monday in Los Angeles
• Monty Williams was an assistant coach with the Blazers from 2005 -10
• Monty Williams is 12-15 against the Blazers as a head coach
• The Suns swept the 2020-21 series 3-0

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TRIVIA

The Blazers played the Suns in Phoenix back on May 13th, losing 118 -117. Only three bench players played in the game for the Blazers. Name them.
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[blazerkor]

Well, this one should be pretty cut and dry. I hope we either see Dame's shooting back or we hear an announcement tomorrow that he's back on the injured list. Dude has got to get right for us to be the mediocre team we've been for the past decade. If he's not right we're fucking terrible. Even if he is right this Suns team is better than mediocre, so almost a scheduled loss.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

There is so much interest in this game that it fell off the page!

 

[DDolla]

I must say that I got a lot of $$$ for Xmas betting against the Blazers this year so thank you. Today looks like another easy bet for the Suns.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

The Clippers beat em yesterday so maybe they got a chance?
Blazers have the players to beat this team. Hoping Billups sticks with a bigger starting lineup. Last game he reverted right back to playing three guards.

 

[AldoTrapani]

Ohhh shit the suns?? Fuck ya another loss coming. Tank for that Duke kid

 

[illmatic99]

Waiting for more slander from the TNT guys.

Great.

 

[DDolla]

Incoming…. 9 game losing streak

 

[AldoTrapani]

Incoming…. 9 game losing streak

Good we need it

 

[Zach Collins Enthusiast]

I want to see Greg Brown the third enter the rotation (hopefully awful Zeller is still out)

 

[TBpup]

Booker - out
Ayton - out?

Shock the world!

 

[Chris Craig]

I want to see Greg Brown the third enter the rotation (hopefully awful Zeller is still out)

Zeller is out with a fractured knee

 

[THE HCP]

The Clippers beat em yesterday so maybe they got a chance?
Blazers have the players to beat this team.

Are we morning drinking sir?

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Are we morning drinking sir?

I like the bigger lineup and they are on a second of a B2B. It's here at the Moda and they have Lillard, Little, and Simons back.
Booker is out and Ayton is sick so he might be out.

Then i said "Maybe they got a chance"

Maybe?

Don't have to be drinking to come up with a little bit of optimism.

 

[Zach Collins Enthusiast]

Zeller is out with a fractured knee

Don't wish him any harm, hope he's ok, but we are better off with him not playing

 

[THE HCP]

I like the bigger lineup and they are on a second of a B2B. It's here at the Moda and they have Lillard, Little, and Simons back.
Booker is out and Ayton is sick so he might be out.

Then i said "Maybe they got a chance"

Maybe?

Don't have to be drinking to come up with a little bit of optimism.

I was with you until your last sentence.

 

[THE HCP]

Zeller is out with a fractured knee

I thought it was his foot?

 

[wizenheimer]

I thought it was his foot?

look...I've seen pictures of you so I know there is almost no difference in elevation between your knee and foot. Zeller is taller

 

[Chris Craig]

I thought it was his foot?

It's his patellar....otherwise known as knee

 

[Zach Collins Enthusiast]

BTW we are gonna win this game, our worst defenders are out and so is their top player. It would be interesting to see if Chauncey uses Lillard on CP and if that works

 

[Minstrel]

Are we morning drinking sir?

It's a little crazy to think the Blazers could beat the Suns, but it's not like he went full-on crazy and said that maybe the Lakers could beat the Suns.

 

[THE HCP]

BTW we are gonna win this game, our worst defenders are out and so is their top player. It would be interesting to see if Chauncey uses Lillard on CP and if that works

Oh you’re one of those who think we are BETTER with our 2nd best player out? There are 29 other teams around the league who would disagree. #OhhhhButHeDoesntPlayDefense

 

[Zach Collins Enthusiast]

Oh you’re one of those who think we are BETTER with our 2nd best player out? There are 29 other teams around the league who would disagree. #OhhhhButHeDoesntPlayDefense

We are bettee without CJ, he is hardly our 2nd best player as he scores 20 a game but allows 50. I'd live without that point differential

 

[James lamphear]

They have a lot key players out for Phoenix so right now is the best chance to beat them.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

They have a lot key players out for Phoenix so right now is the best chance to beat them.

We beat them by 30 at 100%. Not sure why tonight would be all that difficult.

 

[andalusian]

We are bettee without CJ, he is hardly our 2nd best player as he scores 20 a game but allows 50. I'd live without that point differential

CJ is not having a good year - but still his BPM is 0.2 (positive) - so that's nonsense. Still, he is 1.1 for his career and 3.3 last year - so obviously, he is not playing well at all.

However, where CJ's production is hurting the Blazers this year is compared to his team-mates, he is -2.5 +/- for the year (he was +5 last year).

The problem is that based on BPM he is a slight positive for an average player on an average NBA team. He is not paid like that and the Blazers are not even an average team this year - so that's a problem.

 

[THE HCP]

We beat them by 30 at 100%. Not sure why tonight would be all that difficult.

You also said the Wizards are good!

 

[riverman]

We're going to be watching a team that's going to trade at least two starters now.....hard to get really invested in this roster at this point ..we could win...what I want to see is Dame have a good shooting night....that's the improvement we are really hungry for right now

 

[wizenheimer]

The problem is that based on BPM he is a slight positive for an average player on an average NBA team. He is not paid like that and the Blazers are not even an average team this year - so that's a problem.

I seem to be like you...when I talk about the Blazers most of my sentences begin with "the problem is"

 

[blazerkor]

Even without Booker, if Ayton is playing, I have to think that Phoenix has the advantage. They still have Shamet and both Cams all of whom can get more minutes than usual to cover for Booker's absence. I hope I'm wrong, Dame goes off on these fools for 50 and we win it going away.