Game Thread GAME# 33: MAVERICKS @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 23, 2018 - SUNDAY, 6:00 PM, NBCSNW

[Darkwebs]

2018-19 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
DALLAS MAVERICKS
15 - 15
(2-12 Road)
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
18 - 14
(12-5 Home)

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

PG

DENNIS SMITH Jr. VS DAMIAN LILLARD

SG

WESLEY MATTHEWS VS C.J. McCOLLUM

SF

LUKA DONCIC VS MOE HARKLESS

PF

HARRISON BARNES VS AL-FAROUQ AMINU

C

DeANDRE JORDAN VS JUSUF NURKIC



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WHEN: 6:00 PM (PST), SUNDAY, 12/23/2018

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

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

-------- DALLAS MAVERICKS --------

BAREA , HARRIS , BRUNSON

MACON , BROEKHOFF , FINNEY-SMITH

ANTETOKOUNMPO , SPALDING , KLEBER

POWELL , NOWITZKI , MEJRI

---- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ----

CURRY , BALDWIN , SIMONS

TURNER , STAUSKAS , TRENT Jr.

LAYMAN , SWANIGAN

COLLINS , LEONARD



INJURIES
MAVERICKS
Maxi Kleber (left great toe sprain): PROBABLE
Dennis Smith Jr. (right wrist sprain): QUESTIONABLE
Wesley Matthews (right foot soreness): QUESTIONABLE
Dirk Nowitzki (left ankle surgery): QUESTIONABLE
TRAIL BLAZERS
NONE


HEAD COACHES

- VS –

RICK CARLISLE --- TERRY STOTTS



OFFICIAL MAVERICKS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Sunday’s game marks the second of four meetings between the Trail Blazers and Mavericks during the 2018-19 season. Portland won the season series in 2017-18, 2-1.

• LAST MEETING: The Mavericks led after the first quarter, 34-20, and Portland could never recover, falling in Dallas, 111-102, on Dec. 4. Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 33 points (10-23 FG, 2-8 3-PT, 11-12 FT), eight rebounds and eight assists while Luka Donic paced Dallas with 21 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

• CJ McCollum scored 18 points on 7-of-19 shooting (2-7 3-PT, 2-2 FT) to go with three rebounds, four assists and two steals against the Mavericks on Dec. 4.

• Al-Farouq Aminu had a double-double of 12 points (5-6 FG, 1-2 3-PT, 1-2 FT) and 13 rebounds to go with two assists and one steal at Dallas on Dec. 4.

• DeAndre Jordan recorded 12 points (4-8 FG, 4-5 FT), 16 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block against the Trail Blazers on Dec. 4.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 82-71
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 51-24
AT THE MAVERICKS: Mavericks lead, 47-31

​

 

[Darkwebs]

The Dallas Mavericks are losers.......of their last 4 games, that is. Yet somehow they've won 5 of their last 10 games.
Though easy to forget after last games's drubbing by the Jazz, the Blazers have also won 5 of their last 10.
Thus, both teams have been extraordinarily mediocre. So which mediocre team will come out on top of this one? How would I know, I'm not psychic. Just watch the game and find out, sheesh.

What I can tell you is:

• This will be the second night of a back-to-back for Dallas, and the last game of a 4-game roadie.
• This will be the last game of a 3-game home stand for Portland, so they should be feeling good physically.
• The Blazers are a very good home team.
• The Mavericks are atrocious on the road.
• The Blazers will be looking to avenge their loss to these Mavericks earlier this season.
• Coming off fresh from a brutal game in their previous outing that saw the Jazz humiliate the Blazers by 30 on their own court (a flat out home blowout loss, the likes of which we haven't seen in over a freakin' decade), you can expect Portland to come out with some pent up frustration, if not outright anger.

There is absolutely no reason the Blazers should lose this game.

Spoiler: Plot twist:

The Blazers will read the last sentence above and say:

Spoiler

 

[riverman]

I missed the game tonight against the Jazz as I was hiking all day with family......feel like I jinxed it...won't miss this one. Go Blazers!

 

[DUB]

I missed the game tonight against the Jazz as I was hiking all day with family......feel like I jinxed it...won't miss this one. Go Blazers!

SO IT’S YOUR FAULT!!!

The players must have been informed of this at halftime, and decided “@riverman isn’t watching, why bother?”

 

[riverman]

SO IT’S YOUR FAULT!!!

The players must have been informed of this at halftime, and decided “@riverman isn’t watching, why bother?”

I figure it's a pretty big deal if I miss a Blazer game

 

[Bruno_Sabino]

They will be dead because of b2b. revenge game, W.

 

[blazerkor]

Yeah I expect our guys to get up for this one. I also think it will be a big game from Dame.

 

[TBpup]

The Law offices of Macon, Broekhoff and Finney- Smith.... can we beat them this time?

 

[KingSpeed]

The Law offices of Macon, Broekhoff and Finney- Smith.... can we beat them this time?

Every game against a West team is a tough game. Even the Suns have been hot lately. There are no gimmes. I'm looking forward to seeing Luka Doncic play in person and I'm hoping we get the win. Go Blazers!

 

[blue9]

Game the day before x-mas eve...setting us up nicely to be that team that fires their coach as an x-mas gift to everyone!

 

[tlongII]

I’ll be at the game with my nephew so we better win.

 

[James lamphear]

Only way has a chance to be all star he would have to get trade to a Eastern conference team. He not ever going make it in the Western conference.

 

[kjironman1]

I missed the game tonight against the Jazz as I was hiking all day with family......feel like I jinxed it...won't miss this one. Go Blazers!

Dammit Man! We needed you!

 

[twobullz]

Taking both my daughters to the game. I hope they put up a better effort then against the Jazz. As for CJ, I think his only chance is being traded to the east, then he has very little chance. Just not a complete enough player.

 

[Chris Craig]

The only chance CJ has of being selected as an allstar is if he gets traded to a team in the eastern conference.

 

[Chris Craig]

Stotts VS Carlisle

We know how this one goes

 

[Strenuus]

A Sunday night game starting at 7 at home. So weird.

 

[Blazer4ever]

After the Jazz game I think our challenge would be to match their intensity.
I think our best lineup is Dame, CJ, Turner, Meyers and Zach and I'm hoping this lineup, maybe with minor alterations, gets a good run.
I think Layman needs to be back in the lineup as Harkless is completely worthless, wanna see him at least do a good job on Doncic defensively or there's really no reason for playing him over Layman (or at all).
I realise I'm being harsh on him but he's been lethargic, disinterested and completely ineffective and the team plummeted since his return. He needs to step up or sit on the bench.
I'm pleased with Aminu. His shot has improved. I want him to take the ball inside more often. Keep taking open shots, also from mid-range.
I think the lineup I started the post with is effective, I think the bench as a unit is effective (no need to have Dame with them, they play better as the regular 2nd five) and I think what's not working is our starters. Dame and CJ's chemistry leaves much to be desired, ball movement is completely gone, defense is anyway not this team's forte, Harkless makes a bucket a game and Aminu isn't about offense, so they either need to improve or we need to make changes. This unit Was working better with Layman for example.
That's all for now, Go Blazers, there's a lot of room for improvement.

Merry Christmas

 

[e_blazer]

A Sunday night game starting at 7 at home. So weird.

:
You’re going to miss an hour of the game if you don’t start watching until 7:00.

 

[e_blazer]

The Blazers are dead last in the league in opponent 3 pt shooting percentage. For a defense that’s supposedly designed to encourage less efficient midrange shots, something is seriously messed up.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

After the Jazz game I think our challenge would be to match their intensity.
I think our best lineup is Dame, CJ, Turner, Meyers and Zach and I'm hoping this lineup, maybe with minor alterations, gets a good run.
I think Layman needs to be back in the lineup as Harkless is completely worthless, wanna see him at least do a good job on Doncic defensively or there's really no reason for playing him over Layman (or at all).
I realise I'm being harsh on him but he's been lethargic, disinterested and completely ineffective and the team plummeted since his return. He needs to step up or sit on the bench.
I'm pleased with Aminu. His shot has improved. I want him to take the ball inside more often. Keep taking open shots, also from mid-range.
I think the lineup I started the post with is effective, I think the bench as a unit is effective (no need to have Dame with them, they play better as the regular 2nd five) and I think what's not working is our starters. Dame and CJ's chemistry leaves much to be desired, ball movement is completely gone, defense is anyway not this team's forte, Harkless makes a bucket a game and Aminu isn't about offense, so they either need to improve or we need to make changes. This unit Was working better with Layman for example.
That's all for now, Go Blazers, there's a lot of room for improvement.

Merry Christmas

You think their best line up is Dame, CJ, ET, Meyers and Zach?

This is all my opinion.
I dont think ET fits very well, and Neither ML or Zach are better than Nurkic at this point. Nurkic also fits very nicely with Dame they probably have the best chemistry of any two Blazers out there.

In terms of the effectiveness of the 2nd unit, they are on such a special roller coaster together its crazy. They’ll look awful, then great, then awful.

Hope you have a good holiday weekend as well.

 

[e_blazer]

You think their best line up is Dame, CJ, ET, Meyers and Zach?

This is all my opinion.
I dont think ET fits very well, and Neither ML or Zach are better than Nurkic at this point. Nurkic also fits very nicely with Dame they probably have the best chemistry of any two Blazers out there.

In terms of the effectiveness of the 2nd unit, they are on such a special roller coaster together its crazy. They’ll look awful, then great, then awful.

Hope you have a good holiday weekend as well.

I’ve been thinking that Stotts should try a starting lineup with ET in the backcourt with Dame. I’d like to see CJ come off the bench, probably still playing 25-30 minutes, but mainly with the second unit. Every coach in the league has figured out that putting a bigger 2 guard on Lillard is the best chance of containing him a bit. Having ET out there and able to post up a smaller point guard is going to make that switch a dangerous strategy. I doubt CJ would be thrilled with a sixth man role, but at this point I don’t really care.

 

[TBpup]

The Blazers are dead last in the league in opponent 3 pt shooting percentage. For a defense that’s supposedly designed to encourage less efficient midrange shots, something is seriously messed up.

Coaching. It's almost impossible in the NBA for something to be a point of emphasis and then for your team to be dead last.

Inconsistency. Stotts threw up his arms and rolled his eyes when the late scrubs in the Jazz game allowed a completely wide-open 3-pointer. He does NOT do that when Dame/CJ/Aminu/Harkless allow the same shot. Mixed messages don't often result in continuity of production.

 

[Strenuus]

:
You’re going to miss an hour of the game if you don’t start watching until 7:00.

lol. It said 7 on the thread until today.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

lol. It said 7 on the thread until today.

Darkwebs was thinking the game thread would be calmer if all of us missed the 1st half.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I’ve been thinking that Stotts should try a starting lineup with ET in the backcourt with Dame. I’d like to see CJ come off the bench, probably still playing 25-30 minutes, but mainly with the second unit. Every coach in the league has figured out that putting a bigger 2 guard on Lillard is the best chance of containing him a bit. Having ET out there and able to post up a smaller point guard is going to make that switch a dangerous strategy. I doubt CJ would be thrilled with a sixth man role, but at this point I don’t really care.

In theory I like the idea of CJ off the bench. In practice, Im not sure CJ’s ego could with stand it and I also dont know if theres a better option on the team right now that wouldnt have many of the same problems. I wish I could see them practice, and see if Trent Jr and Simons just look bad and thats why they dont get a chance or what. Trent Jr to me is really interesting as a 2 guard. He’s 6’6 and can shoot. He kind of reminds me of Wesley Matthews, Wes is one of my favorite Blazers ever so I dont make that comparison lightly.
Really good shooters, strong physical players, cant really create their own shot at least the young versions Wes got better at it as he progressed. Defensively I believe Trent has the tools to be a good (probably not great) defender when he’s locked in I think he’ll be ok. The question is will he play with even half of the heart Wes had or will his career just be a stand still jump shooter that doesnt do anything else.

Its hard to say but I really liked the Trent Jr pick and if Im being honest I thought he was going to get decent run this year which means I was wrong. Anyways I always kind of saw that pick as maybe a replacement for CJ at some point, and Simons as a back up for Dame and if they can keep him long eough maybe he can take the reins from Dame (reallly long term there) someday.

In terms of ET maybe he would fit better as the 2 next to Dame, I think ET, Aminu and Harkless in theory gives you a lot of switchability on defense that you dont get with Dame and CJ playing together.

 

[Labinot41]

The Blazers are dead last in the league in opponent 3 pt shooting percentage. For a defense that’s supposedly designed to encourage less efficient midrange shots, something is seriously messed up.

That tells you Everything about how fucked up this roster is

 

[Scalma]

Time to start thinking of the greater good.

Doesn’t mean I’m rooting against the team. Just won’t care if they lose.

 

[Strenuus]

Darkwebs was thinking the game thread would be calmer if all of us missed the 1st half.

truth!

 

[Scalma]

That tells you Everything about how fucked up this roster is

More like the coaching. But that too.