Game Thread GAME# 29: RAPTORS @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 14, 2018 - FRIDAY, 7:00 PM, NBCSNW

[wizenheimer]

Eight starters in double figures plus .

no wonder Portland looked so good tonight

 

[tykendo]

I missed the first three quarters. Was our defense really that bad or did they hit a lot of tough shots?

Danny freakin' Green had his once a week great shooting game, and Kwahi "youwhinesomuch" was hitting 3's as well.

 

[ripcityboy]

This. I like this win, it's a good win.

But I'll get excited again when we beat healthy teams consistently.

Yeah. If we lose to the Clippers when our defense breaks down late. This win means nothing. But I'm hoping the bench really starts clicking and Stauskus, Collins and Curry start clicking.

 

[James lamphear]

Positive 8 players in double figures 58 for the bench. 29 assist in the game. Zach lead the bench with 16/4 and Curry finally got his offense going. Negative is the 1st unit defense in the 2nd half they gave up 20 points in the last 4:29secs left in the game. Good win offensely we play the right most of the night.

 

[illmatic99]

Raps shot 56/58/86 and lost

wow

 

[BonesJones]

This. I like this win, it's a good win.

But I'll get excited again when we beat healthy teams consistently.

Good win. But they were missing some key players. I'm not saying we are back on track yet. Was esp. glad to see Curry have a good game.

Vanvleet more than made up for Lowrys absence. With Lowry, theyd likely have played worse...

 

[BonesJones]

Danny freakin' Green had his once a week great shooting game, and Kwahi "youwhinesomuch" was hitting 3's as well.

I saw Kawhi go off in the 4th. Just wondering throughout the game. I'll be able to tell from full highlights too I guess.

 

[TBpup]

So when we lost, and were missing key guys, then we should have gotten a break from the criticism as well?

Maybe...maybe not. The reality is, they were missing their starting PG, 2 key rotation bench players and Siakim didn't come back in after going out after that fall. All those guys missing and we won by 6 at home on their 3rd game in 4 nights.

Glad for the win...but also there is perspective.

 

[twobullz]

Eight starters in double figures plus Harkless with eight. Most of our starters were in the red on the plus/minus, but the bench was waaaaay to the good.

Eight starters no wonder the blazers won tonight. haha. What a fun team to watch when the play as a team.

 

[julius]

Those games took a lot out of Toronto though. Wasn’t this their third game in four nights?

You do realize this was also Portland's 3rd game in 4 nights, right?

 

[ripcityboy]

So when we lost, and were missing key guys, then we should have gotten a break from the criticism as well?

That's right. I forgot. Everything has got to be positive. It's impossible to have an open attitude about a win. I said it was a good win and we played well.

 

[James lamphear]

I missed the first three quarters. Was our defense really that bad or did they hit a lot of tough shots?

1st half the defense was find but the 2nd half it wasn't good. Actually the 2nd play pretty good on that end most of the night.

 

[kjironman1]

Nah, Stotts doesnt look like a genius at all... Guys are creating shots by themselves and making them.

That's a silly narrative.

It's all a perspective. If they don't make shots. Lanes don't open. The passes get tight and Dame and CJ have to carry the load. The opposing defense starts to key on the only offensive weapons this team has and Bones starts calling for the coaches head.
It's what you do. When the offense works it absolutely cannot be Stotts that has coached a good game. When it doesn't of course the coach is the problem. Basketball isn't that hard of a game but it is a team game. The team just had 29 assists and 59 bench points with 60 in the paint. If players make shots that is what happens. Tonight a bunch of guys that have not been scoring scored the ball. Simple.... "When players perform any coach can look good". This is one of your very own quotes. In turn "When players don't perform no coach can look good" That is one of mine. Try to tell me there is a difference? Have fun.

 

[jlprk]

A fun watchable game replete with quickness. Every single Blazer bench player played great and made his shots.

The opponent has the best NBA record, but was missing their 2nd-best player. Lowry's replacement VanVleet is very good at everything. Good shooter. Kawhi and Ibaka are taller than advertised.

Stotts' system worked tonight.

 

[KingSpeed]

Is this supposed to be encouraging? Everything is clicking, were at home, Toronto is missing two starters, and we’re still struggling to finish.

JV doesn’t start. Toronto is deep. They have Kawhi. It’s a huge win for us. Doesn’t matter if JV and Kyle are out. They couldn’t have stopped our bench. Best win of the year. We’ve now beaten 4 elite East teams (Boston, Indy, Milwaukee, Toronto).

 

[kjironman1]

Raptors beat the Warriors

And we beat the Raptors

So we're better than the Warriors.

How did you get so smart?

 

[JDC]

I missed the first three quarters. Was our defense really that bad or did they hit a lot of tough shots?

Like most every game...a little of both.

 

[Scalma]

You do realize this was also Portland's 3rd game in 4 nights, right?

Yeah, we weren’t missing anybody nor were we on the road.

 

[Scalma]

JV doesn’t start. Toronto is deep. They have Kawhi. It’s a huge win for us. Doesn’t matter if JV and Kyle are out. They couldn’t have stopped our bench. Best win of the year. We’ve now beaten 4 elite East teams (Boston, Indy, Milwaukee, Toronto).

Doesn’t matter that JV and Kyle are out guys.

 

[Titan]

Raps shot 56/58/86 and lost

wow

Turnovers can kill you

 

[ripcityboy]

In other news....

Memphis: Did we say Dillon Brooks? Naw man, wrong Brooks.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

In other news....

Memphis: Did we say Dillon Brooks? Naw man, wrong Brooks.

Gotta be so awkward for Marshon...

 

[BonesJones]

It's all a perspective. If they don't make shots. Lanes don't open. The passes get tight and Dame and CJ have to carry the load. The opposing defense starts to key on the only offensive weapons this team has and Bones starts calling for the coaches head.
It's what you do. When the offense works it absolutely cannot be Stotts that has coached a good game. When it doesn't of course the coach is the problem. Basketball isn't that hard of a game but it is a team game. The team just had 29 assists and 59 bench points with 60 in the paint. If players make shots that is what happens. Tonight a bunch of guys that have not been scoring scored the ball. Simple.... "When players perform any coach can look good". This is one of your very own quotes. In turn "When players don't perform no coach can look good" That is one of mine. Try to tell me there is a difference? Have fun.

Making shots is not the only way you can open up lanes.

Them playing well doesnt mean Stotts coached well. We can have 0 ball movement but we can score 120 off of isolations and basic pick n roll. Is that brand conductive to overall, long-term success? No.

Granted, I only saw the 4th, but we hit a lot of shots while playing the same brand weve been playing over the past few games. The main difference was transition offense.

Now that I read it again, you're comment could have multiple meanings, and be interpreted in multiple ways. Maybe I interpreted it differently than you meant it.

 

[kjironman1]

We can have 0 ball movement but we can score 120 off of isolations and basic pick n roll. Is that brand conductive to overall, long-term success? No.

That is not what happened this evening.

 

[tykendo]

Valacanukas rarely plays now under the coaching of "Hello NURSE!". I stand corrected on Green and Leonard, both are shooting 3's well this year. Green, in the past, was uber inconsistent, and a maddening fantasy player. They shot lights out, but the defense of the Blazers was as good as I've seen it against this quality of a team.

 

[wizenheimer]

what's another word for schizophrenic that rhymes with bench?

every once in a while everything goes just about perfect for a team, and this was a good night for it. Blazers almost looked like a contender (almost) instead of a lottery team

***************************************************************************

there was that series of 3 or 4 possessions right toward the end that had me screaming at CJ. Two possessions in a row he decided he was going to go iso. You could just see it coming...no way he was going to pass, none, so he dribbles a bunch, offensive motion stops, and MeJ throws up 2 bricks on highly contested shots...and Toronto scores right after, both times. The next possession, Dame has the ball instead of CJ, there's offensive motion, CJ gets the ball in a spot-up situation and swishes a three. CJ is nowhere near as good as he thinks he is at one-on-one basketball, but he's a great spot-up shooter. I just can't see Stotts being strong enough to reign in CJ's black hole tendencies, and either that's needed or a CJ trade is needed. Sorry for a little bit of a downer after a great win, but it just rankled me

 

[kjironman1]

Making shots is not the only way you can open up lanes.

Them playing well doesnt mean Stotts coached well. We can have 0 ball movement but we can score 120 off of isolations and basic pick n roll. Is that brand conductive to overall, long-term success? No.

Granted, I only saw the 4th, but we hit a lot of shots while playing the same brand weve been playing over the past few games. The main difference was transition offense.

Now that I read it again, you're comment could have multiple meanings, and be interpreted in multiple ways. Maybe I interpreted it differently than you meant it.

Yeah it pretty much looks like you read the first line and responded.

 

[JDC]

Making shots is not the only way you can open up lanes.

Them playing well doesnt mean Stotts coached well. We can have 0 ball movement but we can score 120 off of isolations and basic pick n roll. Is that brand conductive to overall, long-term success? No.

Granted, I only saw the 4th, but we hit a lot of shots while playing the same brand weve been playing over the past few games. The main difference was transition offense.

Now that I read it again, you're comment could have multiple meanings, and be interpreted in multiple ways. Maybe I interpreted it differently than you meant it.

Go back and watch the first three quarters...I think you'll like a lot of what you see.

 

[KingSpeed]

I missed the first three quarters. Was our defense really that bad or did they hit a lot of tough shots?

You missed our best game of the year. Our D wasn’t great but the bench was fantastic!

 

[kjironman1]

Valacanukas rarely plays now under the coaching of "Hello NURSE!". I stand corrected on Green and Leonard, both are shooting 3's well this year. Green, in the past, was uber inconsistent, and a maddening fantasy player. They shot lights out, but the defense of the Blazers was as good as I've seen it against this quality of a team.

No question they were lights out tonight. They were making well defended shots. No way they make those every night.