Game Thread GAME# 36: HEAT @ BLAZERS - JANUARY 8, 2015 - THURSDAY, 7:30 PM (PST), TNT

[Darkwebs]

PROBABLE STARTERS

PG

MARIO CHALMERS VS DAMIAN LILLARD

SG

DWYANE WADE VS WESLEY MATTHEWS

SF

LUOL DENG VS NICOLAS BATUM

PF

CHRIS BOSH VS LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE

C

CHRIS ANDERSEN VS CHRIS KAMAN







WHEN: 7:30 PM, THURSDAY, 1/8/2014​

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

​

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BENCH

MIAMI HEAT

NAPIER , COLE , ENNIS , GRANGER

WILLIAMS , HASLEM , WHITESIDE , HAMILTON


PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

BLAKE , MCCOLLUM , CRABBE , BARTON

WRIGHT , CLAVER , ROBINSON , LEONARD



INJURIES
HEAT
▪ Chris Andersen (sprained right thumb): PROBABLE
▪ Justin Hamilton (concussion): QUESTIONABLE
▪ Josh McRoberts (right meniscus surgery): OUT
TRAIL BLAZERS
▪ Wesley Matthews (hyper-extended left knee): QUESTIONABLE
▪ Joel Freeland (right shoulder strain): OUT
▪ Robin Lopez (fractured right index finger): OUT


HEAD COACHES

- VS –

ERIK SPOELSTRA--- TERRY STOTTS




OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Thursday marks the first of two meetings between the Trail Blazers and Heat in 2014-15.

• Miami has won three consecutive games against Portland and five of the past seven contest dating back to the 2010-11 season.

• The Trail Blazers rank sixth in the NBA for points scored per game (103.9), while Miami is ranked 27th in the league in scoring (94.1 points/game).

• Portland is the best rebounding team in the NBA at 46.6 rebounds per game, while the Heat is currently last (30th) in the league at 36.0 rebounds/game.

• Despite losing both games to Miami last season, Portland was outscored by a total of three points in two contests.

• After aquiring LeBron James in 2010-11, the Heat was 5-2 against Portland (1-5 in the three seasons before signing James).

• LaMarcus Aldridge has scored at least 20 points in each of his past seven games against Miami.

• Out of four career games against Miami, Damian Lillard has dished out 6-plus assists in three of those contests.

• Dwayne Wade’s 38-point performance against Portland on Mar. 8, 2011 is the most points scored by any Heat player in franchise history in any non-overtime game.

• Dorell Wright hauled in a career-high 18 rebounds as a member of the Miami Heat on Dec. 7, 2007. Wright spent his first six NBA seasons with the Heat after Miami selected him with the 19th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft.

• The last time Miami played in Portland, Chris Bosh scored a game-high 37 points on 15-of-26 shooting (3-3 3-PT).

• Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra attended Portland’s Jesuit High School and played basketball at the University of Portland.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 33-18
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 15-11
AT THE HEAT: Trail Blazers lead, 18-7

GO BLAZERS!!!​

 

[Darkwebs]

POR v. MIA (1/8/15)

MIA: 15-20, 3rd in Southeast Division

Our last game W v. LAL, 98-94

Lillard scored 39 points and made the go-ahead basket with 36 seconds remaining as Portland rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 98-94 on Monday night.
In the first quarter, Blazers starting guard Wesley Matthews collapsed to the floor and grabbed his left knee while driving to the basket. Matthews was helped to the locker room, then returned to the bench and eventually the game during the second quarter.
Matthews, averaging 16.9 points per game, said he had a hyperextended left knee but didn't think it was serious. He played 30 minutes and scored five points.
"I told him he scared me, because he did," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "I was shocked to see him come back. I'm no doctor, but it didn't look good."
Lillard hit four 3-pointers, and scored 16 points during the fourth quarter to lead the Blazers (27-8). He has scored at least 39 points in three of his past nine games.
LaMarcus Aldridge added 21 points, and reserve center Meyers Leonard had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Portland.
Lillard has had several big scoring performances of late, often with Portland trailing late in the game and the Blazers needing a boost. Such was the case Monday, with the Lakers leading for most of the second half and 83-76 with 5:55 remaining.
Lillard hit back-to-back 3s during a 12-2 run that gave the Blazers an 88-85 lead. During the final 36 seconds, he made the go-ahead basket and three free throws to help Portland secure the win.
"I don't live for it, but I would like us to play with the type of urgency we did for the last eight minutes for the entire game. But when it's needed, I'm definitely not going to shy away from it," Lillard said.
Lillard scored 24 points in the second half and several times hit tough, contested shots.
"He got hot, definitely, and we didn't do a good enough job of disrupting him. I've got to do a better job of making his life more difficult," Lin said.

Their last game: W v. BKN 88-84

Chris Bosh scored 26 points, Wade scored 10 of his 25 down the stretch and the Heat snapped a four-game losing streak by topping the Brooklyn Nets 88-84 on Sunday night.
"A must-win," said Bosh, whose team lost by 36 in Houston on Saturday. "It didn't matter who we played."
Whiteside scored 11 points, tied a career high with 10 rebounds and set career bests with five blocked shots and 27 minutes. He came up big midway through the fourth, blocking away Deron Williams' shot after the Nets' guard backed Miami's Norris Cole down in the post with ease.
Williams' shot never had a chance. Whiteside sent it out of bounds, and the Heat needed those plays -- improving to 7-12 at home.
The Heat never trailed -- and, because nothing comes easily to them anymore, still had to sweat out the ending. A nine-point Heat lead with 4:49 left was whittled to three, and the Nets actually had a chance to tie with just over a minute remaining but Teletovic's 3-pointer rattled out.
Whiteside became the third player with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots off the bench this season, joining Utah's Rudy Gobert (against Miami) and Denver's Jusef Nurkic (against Memphis).

Injuries: Freeland (out), Lopez (out), Matthews (day-to-day) MIA: None

Matchups:
Lillard v. Chalmers (11.0ppg, 4.3apg, 29% 3pt)
Matthews v. Wade (23.0ppg, 5.6apg, 3.8rpg, 50% FG, 35% 3pt)
Batum v. Deng (14.3ppg, 4.8rpg, 36% 3pt)
Aldridge v. Anderson (5.0ppg, 4.6rpg, 0.9blk/g)
Leonard v. Bosh (21.3ppg, 7.9rpg, 40% 3pt)

Power Rankings:
NBA.com (21) Pace: 91.6 (30), OffRtg: 103.1 (17), DefRtg: 106.7 (26), NetRtg: -3.6 (22)
Though he's getting to the basket far less than he ever has, Dwyane Wade is still shooting better than 50 percent for the third straight season. The Heat can seemingly pick up a win against the Nets when they need one, but don't face Brooklyn again until March. So their slide (3-7 in their last 10) could continue as they head West for a five-game trip.

ESPN (17) After two successive springs delivered Heat versus Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals, Miami suddenly finds itself dueling with Indy for the East's No. 8 seed. Maybe going on the road for six games will spark the Heat, who've been better away (8-8) than they've looked on the Biscayne Bay (7-12).

Covers.com (24) While LeBron's return to Cleveland has not gone according to plan, his former team has fallen on far harder times than we could have imagined. The Heat are 3-7 SU/ATS as home favorites.

Link to GrandpaBlaze’s Prediction Game

Link to MediocreMan’s Over/Under

Final Thoughts: Bosh is still Bosh (with an updated 3pt arsenal, but we already know all about that, right?) and Wade is still shooting 50% from the field when he’s on the floor, but the rest of the team can’t overcome their league-worst pace and poor efficiency (19th) when they do finally shoot. Their defense, never great with LeBron, is Laurentian Trench-abysmal right now, and they’re now a team that we should feel lucky to be facing them while we have Lopez and Freeland out. I like Meyers as a floor-spacing 5th-option that will only shoot if absolutely wide-open (and his 47% from 3 is rapidly going over small-sample-size proportions), and Chris Andersen is about 3 years past when he would be able to hang with LMA. Chalmers has the potential to hang with Lillard around picks (especially the picks we set), but no one rebounds, and this should be too much against a team whose firepower is now concentrated in two names and doesn't the ability to recover if everything isn't going gangbusters, which could be why the only Western Conf teams they've beaten are Utah, Phoenix, Dallas and MIN.

Us 114
Them 97

 

[XXPrimusXX]

Watch out for CHIRS BOSH. Dude has some serious skills.

Honestly though, Bosh has been a Blazer killer for the last couple seasons. Shut him down, and we got this.

Go Blazers!

 

[Sinobas]

If we could trade LA and Batum for Bosh and Deng, we'd win a championship!

Hope Portland "gets up" for this game, and doesn't sleep walk through it and barely win like they've been doing.

 

[BBert]

Ha, ha, ha, ha, no.

 

[Blazersfan161]

Wes is questionable then

 

[magnifier661]

Watch out for CHIRS BOSH. Dude has some serious skills.

Honestly though, Bosh has been a Blazer killer for the last couple seasons. Shut him down, and we got this.

Go Blazers!

Yeah Bosh is the one player that always seems to play well against the Blazers. I wouldn't sweet it too much though. I think Aldridge will want to prove something tonight.

 

[THE HCP]

First of two games I have off this season. Can't wait to sit on the couch and enjoy!!!

 

[BlazerBeav]

Wes is the one player who is never questionable. Hopefully we come out with a strong first quarter this time - hasn't been the case for most of this home-stand.

 

[XXPrimusXX]

First of two games I have off this season. Can't wait to sit on the couch and enjoy!!!

So if we lose, it's on you? Mr. No Days Off?

 

[KingSpeed]

About a year ago, we lost to a LeBron-less Heat on a Chris Bosh three.

 

[Boise Blazer]

About a year ago, we lost to a LeBron-less Heat on a Chris Bosh three.

Ugh, that game still pisses me off the way they celebrated in the post game interview. I can only hope the Blazers are still that mad.

 

[PDXFonz]

About a year ago, we lost to a LeBron-less Heat on a Chris Bosh three.

Was at that game, pissed because lebron didn't play, even more pissed thst we lost.

 

[rasheedfan2005]

you know besides "rose garden" being spelled wrong the arena really is quite beautiful with the red lighting at the top. i wonder if moda health realizes we probably would have had more respect for them if they didnt change the awesome arena name and just put up adds on the court.

 

[riverman]

LA should have a big game tonight

 

[riverman]

you know besides "rose garden" being spelled wrong the arena really is quite beautiful with the red lighting at the top. i wonder if moda health realizes we probably would have had more respect for them if they didnt change the awesome arena name and just put up adds on the court.

I kind of like having the word "health" on the building. I feel sorry for teams with arenas called "sleep train" or "target center" , both jinx names. Health..I can live with that.

 

[PDXFonz]

I've checked a lot of other teams' fan boards and haven't seen anyone with game threads this legit. Thanks for the work you put into these Darkwebs!

 

[KingSpeed]

Was at that game, pissed because lebron didn't play, even more pissed thst we lost.

I was there too. Aldridge had a wide open tip for the win and should've gone glass but didn't.

 

[KingSpeed]

I kind of like having the word "health" on the building. I feel sorry for teams with arenas called "sleep train" or "target center" , both jinx names. Health..I can live with that.

Great point

 

[PDXFonz]

Sigh, 2 hours of this terrible basketball until the Blazer game...

 

[kingslayer]

Joe Crawford, Derrick Collins, and Leroy Richardson. Oh joy.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Hey guys, gonna be stuck watching on my laptop tonight, BOO!!!!

If someone could hook me up with a link when the game starts, I'd appreciate it.

BNM

 

[BrianFromWA]

Preview updated in Post 2.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Hey guys, gonna be stuck watching on my laptop tonight, BOO!!!!

If someone could hook me up with a link when the game starts, I'd appreciate it.

BNM

Never mind, since it's on TNT, I can watch to through the link on nba.com. I'm going to miss watching in HD on the 50" flat panel, but it's better than nothing.

BNM

 

[BrianFromWA]

This Knicks/TexL*ker game is hurtful to watch. Especially since the crowd is so quiet you can hear the guys along the sidelines commenting about a team down 25 "c'mon ref, you didn't see that sh**?"

 

[BrianFromWA]

is that dude behind Phil Jackson drinking beer from a straw?

 

[THE HCP]

I'm posted up in my chair next to the fire with my dog Rudy Fernandez on my lap....... Haven't sat and enjoyed a game in a LONG time! #RipCityFAMS

 

[THE HCP]

Never quite understood how you guys can watch AND post in this thread at the same time.

 

[BrianFromWA]

just as I was about to thank TNT for going the last 7 minutes without a stoppage or commercial, they give me this..."backseat driver guy" commercial. Guh.

 

[DUB]

This game is free on NBA Australia (we only get one game free a week) http://www.sportal.com.au/nba-live

It's weird, we a direct feed from TNT or something, I can hear all the broadcast behind the scenes guys talking to each other.