Game Thread GAME# 35: LAKERS @ BLAZERS - JANUARY 5, 2015 - MONDAY, 7:00 PM (PST), KGW

[Darkwebs]

PROBABLE STARTERS


LOS ANGELES LAKERS

RONNIE PRICE (PG) , WAYNE ELLINGTON (SG)

NICK YOUNG (SF) , ED DAVIS (PF)

JORDAN HILL (C)




PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

DAMIAN LILLARD (PG) , WESLEY MATTHEWS (SG)
The RainBroz

NICOLAS BATUM (SF) , LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE (PF)

CHRIS KAMAN (C)



WHEN: 7:00 PM, MONDAY, 1/5/2015​

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

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BENCH

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

LIN , CLARKSON , KELLY

BOOZER , BLACK , SACRE

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

BLAKE , MCCOLLUM , CRABBE , BARTON

WRIGHT , CLAVER , ROBINSON , LEONARD




INJURIES
LAKERS
▪ Kobe Bryant (rest): OUT
▪ Wesley Johnson (straight right hip flexor): OUT
▪ Steve Nash (sciatic pain): OUT
▪ Julius Randle (tibia fracture, right leg): OUT
▪ Xavier Henry (ruptured left Achilles tendon): OUT
TRAIL BLAZERS
▪ Joel Freeland (right shoulder strain): OUT
▪ Robin Lopez (fractured right index finger): OUT



HEAD COACHES

- VS –

BYRON SCOTT--- TERRY STOTTS




OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Monday marks the first of three matchups between the Trail Blazers and Lakers in
2014-15.

• Dating back to the 1996-97 season, the Trail Blazers are 25-8 at home against the Lakers in regular season games.

• In their last meeting against the Lakers on Apr. 1 of last season, the Trail Blazers won, 124-112, behind a 31-point, 15-rebound performance behind LaMarcus Aldridge.

• Dating back to Jan. 5, 2012, Wesley Matthews has shot 24-of-48 (50.0%) from beyond the arc against the Lakers.

• In his career against the Lakers (seven games), Damian Lillard is averaging 24.4 points per game while shooting 40.4% from the field. He has made five 3-pointers in two of those seven contests.

• In his past three games against the Lakers, LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging 26.3 points on 32-of-58 shooting (55.1%). Portland is 2-1 in those contests.

• Damian Lillard’s 38 points scored against the Lakers on April 10, 2013 trails only Clyde Drexler (43 pts) for most points scored against Los Angeles in a single game in franchise history.

• LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard combined to score 53 points per contest against Los Angeles last season while shooting 48% (57-of-118) from the field. The duo came together to score 65 points in Portland’s 124-112 win over the Lakers on April 1.

• Portland guard Damian Lillard recorded his first of now 13 career double-doubles against the Lakers on Oct. 31, 2012 in his NBA regular season debut. Lillard scored 22 points and dished out 11 assists in the Trail Blazers’ 116-106 victory.

• Lakers’ guard Nick Young led Los Angeles with 28.5 points per game on 22-of-40 shooting (55.0%) in two games against Portland last season.

• Both Steve Blake and Chris Kaman played for the L.A. Lakers last season.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Lakers lead, 118-91
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 62-42
AT THE LAKERS: Lakers lead, 76-29

GO BLAZERS!!!​

 

[Darkwebs]

Game Preview POR v. LAL, 1/5/2015
L*kers: 11-23, last in the Pacific Division

Our Last Game: L v. ATL, 115-107

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Trail Blazers, who have lost just three games at home this season. LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 30 points and 12 rebounds.
The Hawks led by as many as 20 points in the second half. But trailing 106-96 with just under 3 minutes to go, Wesley Matthews hit a 3-pointer and Aldridge added a layup.
Aldridge dunked to make it 109-103 with 1:21 left, but the rally fell short. With Matthews effectively guarding Korver, the Blazers jumped out to an 8-0 lead after Matthews' 3-pointer. But Atlanta went on an 18-3 run to lead 29-20 at the end of the first quarter.
"Great first few minutes, but then I thought they did a really good job of just taking us out of our rhythm and making us play too fast," Aldridge said. "Their defense made us uncomfortable most of the night."
Trailing by as many as 11 in the half, Portland pulled to 50-47 on consecutive late baskets from Aldridge. Nicolas Batum added a layup, but the Hawks still led 52-49 at the break.
Atlanta extended the lead in the second half, going up 62-51 on Millsap's dunk. Teague's basket pushed the advantage to 81-61.
The Blazers responded with a 14-2 run to close out the third quarter, capped by Damian Lillard's long 3-pointer at the buzzer that closed the gap to 83-75.
Aldridge thought that might be the start of a momentum shift.
"I thought things were definitely going to change for us," he said. "Just with who we are, I thought we were getting over the hump, but they played defense and made shots down the stretch."
Portland was hurt early in the fourth when center Joel Freeland appeared to injure his right shoulder and was whisked to the locker room. Freeland had been getting more minutes in the absence of Robin Lopez, who is out with a broken hand.
After the game the Blazers said an MRI confirmed that Freeland sustained a right shoulder strain. He will be reevaluated in two weeks.

Their Last Game: W v. IND, 88-87

K*be Bryant scored 20 points and hit the go-ahead short jumper with 12.4 seconds to play, leading the Lakers to an 88-87 comeback victory Sunday night. Bryant agreed with coach Byron Scott's decision to leave him home from Monday's game at Portland. While playing just 32 minutes against Indiana, Bryant scored nine points in the final 2:32 after the Lakers rallied from a 13-point deficit in the second half.
"I have many faults, but one of my strengths is that I can be realistic and that I can build around that," Bryant said. "I have to understand my weaknesses, what I can't do, accept it and then try to dominate."
It wasn't utter domination, but resilience: Bryant hit a contested 3-pointer from the corner to put the Lakers up 84-82 with 2 minutes to play, but Solomon Hill answered with a 3-pointer for the Pacers, who repeatedly grabbed key offensive rebounds. Bryant then missed a 3-footer with 50 seconds left, but buried the winning 4-footer.
He has missed several potential go-ahead shots in the final seconds this season, but Kobe still isn't flinching in the clutch.
"I've hit plenty of them in my day," Bryant said with a laugh. "I think the city of L.A. is a little spoiled by it."
Nick Young also scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter for the Lakers.

Other recent games:

The Trail Blazers have won two of the last three meetings, yet they've lost the past two games against the Lakers in Portland. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 31 points in the April contest, and Lillard has averaged 24 points in seven matchups -- his second-best against any Western Conference team behind 28 against San Antonio.
Nick Young should see an increase in usage given the Lakers' thin lineup. Young scored 22 points on Sunday as a tuneup for his matchup with Portland, a team he torched for 40 points in his most recent meeting. Young converted 15 of 26 shots, including six of 13 3-pointers, in a 124-112 defeat on April 1.

Injuries: See above. It's like M.A.S.H. up there.

Matchups:
Lillard v. Ronnie Price (5.4ppg, 3.5 apg, 1.5steals/g)
Matthews v. Jeremy Lin (10.6ppg, 4.6apg) /Nick “Swaggy P” Young (15.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 44% 3pt)
Batum v. Wesley Johnson (9.4ppg, 3.7rpg) Note, Johnson is day-to-day with a hip pointer. If he's out, then Wayne Ellington is in.
Aldridge v. Ed Davis (8.2ppg, 7.1rpg)
Leonard v. Jordan Hill (11.7ppg, 7.9rpg)

Power Rankings:
NBA.com (25) Pace: 97.7 (7), OffRtg: 103.9 (15), DefRtg: 109.7 (29), NetRtg: -5.8 (27)
Kobe Bryant hit some clutch shots this weekend (he's taken 16 more than anybody else this season), but it would be nice if he didn't have to overrule his coach and point guard when it's obviously time to foul. Carlos Boozer has better numbers (14.2 points per game on 57 percent shooting) coming off the bench than he did as a starter (12.4, 50 percent).
ESPN (24) No. 24 just became one of only three players in history, along with Wilt and J-Kidd, to post multiple triple-doubles in a single season at age 36 or older. Until Sunday, furthermore, Kobe had missed all five of his potential go-ahead shots with less than 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter or overtime this season.
Covers.com (27) How will Kobe Bryant spend his new year? I'm guessing not with any of his teammates.
New York Post (26) Of Lakers’ nine wins, five have been against Warriors, Spurs, Raptors, Hawks and Rockets on road. Lakers grabbed 6-foot-11 Tarik Black, who was released by Rockets to make room for Josh Smith.

Grandpa Blaze's Prediction Game

Other L*ker Sites (for your viewing pleasure): L*kersGround nba.com

Final Thoughts: Of course I expect a blowout. I expect that with K*be out, there will be fewer purple and yellow jerseys around the Moda, and no opportunity for ridiculous “M-V-P” chants. I expect Dame to abuse Ronnie Price, and LMA to abuse Ed Davis. If we get into a jump-shooting-and-letting-them-transition, it will give them life (Young can really stroke it from 3). But even without our top 2 defensive bigs, Jordan Hill/Ed Davis/Robert Sacre shouldn’t be too much to handle. Then again, I said that against MIN. Stupid.
Us 122
Them 101

 

[BlazerBeav]

I'm curious to find out if the cockroach fanbase shows up for this one, or decide to sit this one out like Kobe.

 

[KingSpeed]

Didn't Leonard miss a game recently with a shoulder issue? Is he all better now? Can't wait for Lillard vs Price. This should be fun.

 

[Blazersfan161]

Time to bounce back. .

 

[santeesioux]

I'm curious to find out if the cockroach fanbase shows up for this one, or decide to sit this one out like Kobe.

They're probably all Clipper fans now if they haven't jumped on our bandwagon.

 

[riverman]

Time for a blow out win, haven't really had one for a while now

 

[blue32]

LEZ GO BLAZAS

 

[rasheedfan2005]

wasnt ronnie prices our third string for a while?

 

[BrianFromWA]

Much of Dame's rookie year. "Mentor" Until we could get Eric Maynor.

 

[Boise Blazer]

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/01/05/lakers-mitch-kupchak-daughter-dies-illness

 

[KingSpeed]

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/01/05/lakers-mitch-kupchak-daughter-dies-illness

That's awful

 

[rasheedfan2005]

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/01/05/lakers-mitch-kupchak-daughter-dies-illness

thats too bad i wouldnt wish that on anyone not even l*kers

 

[magnifier661]

 

[magnifier661]

I'm sitting this game out. Me and the wife have date night. I hope we smash the Lakers big time. Go Blazers!

 

[PDXFonz]

I'm sitting this game out. Me and the wife have date night. I hope we smash the Lakers big time. Go Blazers!

I hope you smash your wife big time. Go Mags!

 

[magnifier661]

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/01/05/lakers-mitch-kupchak-daughter-dies-illness

Wow what sad news! I couldn't imagine if that happened to one of my kids!

 

[rasheedfan2005]

I'm sitting this game out. Me and the wife have date night. I hope we smash the Lakers big time. Go Blazers!

wtf a blowie while you watch the game sounds like a great date night

 

[Jade Falcon]

Time to bounce back. .

Yep! Time to play with a chip on their shoulders. Smash these motherfuckers.

 

[rasheedfan2005]

watching bulls r*ckets while i wait, josh smith already picked up the harden flop. must be part of the game plan

 

[Jade Falcon]

RoLo giving to the kids. Not only does he love the Blazers, but he loves our future. And the children are our future.

If you don't love RoLo, then you hate children. And you don't hate children.......do you?

 

[riverman]

Are Wheels and Tone blacked out on the radio tonight? Hope I don't have to listen to the Lakers guys alhough they are praising the Blazers pregame

 

[BrianFromWA]

Preview updated in Post 2.

 

[riverman]

wasnt ronnie prices our third string for a while?

yup and I believe he played in Utah with Wes before Wes came here too. Great guy.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Second game thread beta test of the new forum software. There were a couple of bugs last game so if you notice anything place let us know.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[riverman]

So far seems stable, no stuttering posts yet

 

[BrianFromWA]

Mine's not lagging yet.

RYAN KELLY SIGHTING!

 

[riverman]

Again, anyone know why there's no Blazer radio feed?

 

[BrianFromWA]

I love how I wait until 10 minutes prior just so I can get these last-minute tidbits, and I'm already 2 starters off. You can fire me anytime, Denny.