Game Thread GAME# 43: BLAZERS @ SUNS - JANUARY 21, 2015 - WEDNESDAY, 6:00 PM (PST), CSNNW (4 Viewers)

[Darkwebs]

PROBABLE STARTERS

PG

DAMIAN LILLARD VS GORAN DRAGIC

SG

WESLEY MATTHEWS VS ERIC BLEDSOE

SF

NIC BATUM VS P.J. TUCKER

PF

DORELL WRIGHT VS MARKIEFF MORRIS

C

CHRIS KAMAN VS ALEX LEN







WHEN: 6:00 PM, WEDNESDAY, 1/21/2015​

WHERE: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

​

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BENCH

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

BLAKE , MCCOLLUM , BARTON , CRABBE

CLAVER , LEONARD , ROBINSON


PHOENIX SUNS

THOMAS , ENNIS , DRAGIC , GREEN

WARREN , MORRIS , WRIGHT , PLUMLEE





INJURIES

TRAIL BLAZERS
▪ LaMarcus Aldridge (left thumb injury): OUT
▪ Joel Freeland (right shoulder strain): OUT
▪ Robin Lopez (fractured right index finger): OUT

SUNS
NONE


HEAD COACHES

- VS –

TERRY STOTTS --- JEFF HORNACEK




BLAZERS' OFFICIAL GAME NOTES ​

• Wednesday marks the first of four matchups between the Trail Blazers and Suns in 2014-15.

• Phoenix won three of its four games against the Trail Blazers last season, marking the third straight season in which the Suns have won the season series against Portland.

• The Trail Blazers rank second in the NBA for fewest points allowed (96.9 points/game), while the Suns are third in the NBA for the most points scored per game (107.2).

• Portland is sixth in the league in scoring at 103.1 points per game, while Phoenix is ranked 28th in the NBA for points allowed per game (104.6).

• Damian Lillard is ranked 15th in the NBA in assists per game (6.2), while Phoenix guard Eric Bledsoe is two spots back at 17th (5.9 assists/game).

• Both teams have players ranked in the top-10 for most 3-pointers made in the NBA this season. Wesley Matthews ranks second in the league with 127 threes made and Damian Lillard is fifth with 114 3-pointers. For the Suns, Gerald Green is in 10th place with 94 3-pointers this season.

• The Suns have won six consecutive games against the Trail Blazers at the US Airways Center dating back to the 2010-11 season.

• LaMarcus Aldridge has registered double-digit scoring in each of his past 12 games against the Suns.

• In the last meeting between Portland and Phoenix on Apr. 4, Nicolas Batum had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

• As a member of the Lakers last season, Chris Kaman scored 28 points on 68.4% shooting (13-19) and hauled in 17 rebounds against the Suns on Mar. 30, 2014. Kaman is averaging 23.0 points on 73.0% shooting in his past two games against Phoenix.

• Damian Lillard’s go-ahead layup with 6.5 seconds remaining gave Portland its lone win against the Suns last season (90-89) on
Nov. 13.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Suns lead, 116-92
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 63-42
AT THE SUNS: Suns lead, 74-29

OFFICIAL SUNS' GAME NOTES



GO BLAZERS!!!​

 

[Darkwebs]

Game 43: POR (31-11, 12-7 road) @ PHX (25-18, ), 1/21/2015

PHX 3rd in Pacific Division, 8th in West, 6.5 back of POR

Our last game: W v. SAC, 98-94, 1/19/15

Even after losing All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge to an injury, the banged-up Trail Blazers found a winning combination.
Damian Lillard scored 22 points, including the go-ahead basket with 1:20 remaining, and Portland ended a three-game losing streak Monday night with a 98-94 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Lillard had six points during the final 80 seconds and helped rally the Trail Blazers (31-11) from an 11-point, second-half deficit. Wesley Matthews scored 17 for Portland.
The news wasn't all good for the Blazers, though, because Aldridge exited in the second quarter with a left thumb injury. Portland coach Terry Stotts said the status of Aldridge, who leads the team with averages of 23.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, was "under further review." X-rays after the game came back negative.
The loss of Aldridge added to an already-depleted Portland front line, with centers Robin Lopez (wrist) and Joel Freeland (shoulder) out for extended periods. And without three of its top inside players, Portland got whipped on the boards by Sacramento (16-25), which outrebounded the Blazers 53-35.
"Being relatively undersized, we had to create some offense with our defense," Stotts said.
Stotts turned to lightly used reserves Thomas Robinson and Will Barton for long stretches. They, along with Lillard and Matthews, were vital in helping Portland own the fourth quarter, when the Blazers forced eight turnovers and outscored Sacramento 31-19.
"I thought Will and Thomas' energy would have a chance to change the game," Stotts said.
The Kings were led by Rudy Gay with 26 points, while DeMarcus Cousins had 22 points and 19 rebounds. But in a game Sacramento dominated for three quarters, the Kings' eight fourth-quarter turnovers proved to be their undoing.

Their last game: W @ LAL, 115-100, 1/19/15

The Phoenix Suns' trio of prolific point guards was at it again.
Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas scored 24 apiece, Eric Bledsoe added 17 and the Suns pulled away to hand the Los Angeles Lakers their fifth loss in a row -- the last two without Kobe Bryant -- 115-100 on Monday night.
That's 65 points -- on 25-of-38 shooting -- for the guard threesome that is at the heart of the Suns' streak of six straight home wins and 13 victories in their last 17 overall.
"The three guards played tremendous," Phoenix coach Jeff Hornacek said.
They did much of their damage when all three were together on the court.
"We are ready to play small basketball when he (Hornacek) calls our name and we are all out on the floor together," Thomas said. "I think it is dynamic. You don't see it around the league and it is something we love doing and hopefully we could do it a little more."
Dragic grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and Bledsoe had seven assists. Twelve of Bledsoe's points came in the third quarter when the Suns took control.
Nick Young scored 24 for the Lakers, who were tied 51-all at halftime but fell behind by 10 in the third quarter and 19 in the fourth.

Injuries: POR: Aldridge (out), Lopez (out), Freeland (out), Crabbe (day-to-day)
PHX: None

Matchups:

Lillard v. Dragic (17.0ppg, 4.1apg, 3.7rpg)
Matthews v. Bledsoe (16.0ppg, 5.9apg, 5.2rpg)
Batum v. Tucker (7.9ppg, 5.2rpg, 37% 3pt)
Leonard v. Markieff Morris (15.5ppg, 5.8rpg)
Kaman v. Len (6.3ppg, 6.0rpg)

Power Rankings:
ESPN: (9) Two factors that have triggered the sudden availability of Miles Plumlee: Phoenix's recent acquisition of Brandan Wright and the ongoing development of 2013 No. 5 overall pick Alex Len, who has overcome ankle/knee/pinkie woes to help the Suns to a handy 12-5 record in games he starts.

NBA.com: (9) Pace: 99.0 (3) OffRtg: 106.9 (6) DefRtg: 103.8 (18) NetRtg: +3.1 (12)
Alex Len has averaged only 7.9 points and 8.0 rebounds in his 17 games as a starter, but the Suns' starting lineup has allowed just 92.4 points per 100 possessions in that time. And all other lineups have been potent offensively, scoring 111.2. It's a good time for a Phoenix vacation, with temperatures in the 70s and lots of good teams coming to town.

Washington Post: (13) Offensive Rating: 109.6
Defensive Rating: 107.0
The Suns take the third most three-point shots as a percentage of all field goals and rank sixth in three-point percentage (37.3 percent).



Link to Grandpa Blaze's Prediction Game
Link to MediocreMan's Over/Under Game

Final Thoughts:
I'll start with this, thanks to the Washington Post:

They score 107 a game, and they do it with a three-guard lineup that bombs from three and can get into the paint (let Bledsoe shoot 'em--31%--but they have 8 players that shoot 2.6 3s or more per game an all between 33% and 39%). We have a slight issue with big men not available to defend the paint due to calamitous injurity (which I don't think is a word), so I expect that our normally-stellar D is in part cancelled out by having at least 65 minutes of someone named Wright or Leonard or Robinson or Claver playing the 4 or 5. I also know that they give up the 3rd-most ppg (just about 105) against average teams, and while we may be missing a bunch with LMA out, we have people (namely, the RainBroz) who can more than adequately take up excess shot volume. I'm going to be interested in seeing the deep bench get run against a savvy, playoff-level team who can exploit mistakes, and who gave us fits last year. Still and all (how's that for sounding southerly?) I think POR pulls it out in a shootout, with a generous helping of Lillard Time and at least 5 "Clav3r!" or "T-LOB-inson!" or "l3onard!" calls in the game thread. And if you aren't careful, Blanky might toss out 10 dimes to people you thought 3 months ago should be in the D League.

POR 118
PHX 110

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I'll be in Las Vegas for a few days of fun. Mags is in charge while I'm gone. He's going to give me a full report when I get back and if you're in the report I'm going to ban you.

Or you can give Mags $20 not to be included in the report.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I'll be in Las Vegas for a few days of fun. Mags is in charge while I'm gone. He's going to give me a full report when I get back and if you're in the report I'm going to ban you.

Or you can give Mags $20 not to be included in the report.

:MARIS61:

 

[BrianFromWA]

 

[illmatic99]

Hoping we don't lose by 20.

 

[BlazerBeav]

I really dislike losing to the Suns, so despite our injury misfortunes, I'd like it very much if our guards can successfully bomb away and steal a win.

 

[KingSpeed]

Losing to Suns helps keep OKC out of playoffs. Win-win!

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Losing to Suns helps keep OKC out of playoffs. Win-win!

If OKC gets in, they'll match up against the Warriors. THAT'S a win-win. Today, Ijust want a win.

 

[Boise Blazer]

Im probably jinxing the hell out of it but this game has high scoring barn burner written all over it. Guard heavy, guard focused players running like crazy and bombing away and simply trying to outscore the opponent. Losing LMA really hurts our pace and flow of the game.

And Im not sure a shoot out on the road really favors us.

 

[BrianFromWA]

what could go wrong with us playing "bombs away" in PHX?

PHX is the worst team in the league at giving up FTs... an unconventional Wes-in-the-post and Dame driving, kicking to Leonard and Dorell could be pretty lethal.

 

[Boise Blazer]

what could go wrong with us playing "bombs away" in PHX?

PHX is the worst team in the league at giving up FTs... an unconventional Wes-in-the-post and Dame driving, kicking to Leonard and Dorell could be pretty lethal.

I didnt really look at stats I was just kind of going off of the Suns games that I have watched this year and when they have multiple players on they can be very good. So can we, it just doesnt seem like we have been shooting all the well lately. Again all of this was just a thought off the top of my head. I would be interested to see how each team has played this year in these scenarios.

Edit: It looks like PHX is 3rd in PPG 107.2 and 3rd worst in OPP PPG 104.6 so apparently they have tried to play that way all year.

 

[Boise Blazer]

In wins they avg 111.4 ppg and loses 101.4

 

[BrianFromWA]

sorry, the top line should've been green. You can look at 2 of the first 8 games we played last year. We were way better, but shot 4-19 (21%) in a 13pt loss and 5-15 (33%) in a 90-89 win. (we also lost 120-106 a few weeks later shooting 41%)

When shooting <24 3PA/g, we're 9-1. When shooting >28, we're 12-3. Between 24-28 we're 10-7

 

[Boise Blazer]

When shooting <24 3PA/g, we're 9-1. When shooting >28, we're 12-3. Between 24-28 we're 10-7

Great stat there BFW. Weird but very interesting

 

[Boise Blazer]

By the way if I hear that stat said by either Mike on the game tonight then you KNOW they read here. Which I thought I heard that they have.

So, your move Mike and Mike. Will you say it on air tonight?

 

[riverman]

Ready for some real small ball?

 

[Boise Blazer]

Ready for some real small ball?

Meyers at stretch center with Dame, Wes, CJ and Crabbe

 

[riverman]

Against the Kings Stotts used Batum at the 4 and TRob at the 5 most of the 4th qtr and it worked. TRob can handle Cousins, he should be able to handle Len. I think Meyers will play more with Kaman tonight

 

[magnifier661]

I'll be in Las Vegas for a few days of fun. Mags is in charge while I'm gone. He's going to give me a full report when I get back and if you're in the report I'm going to ban you.

Or you can give Mags $20 not to be included in the report.

Good luck in Vegas buddy!!!

I will have the ban list ready when you get back!

 

[riverman]

mags has a ban hammer? This is not going to be pretty.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

mags has a ban hammer? This is not going to be pretty.

I'm trying to get on his bad side--to see what happens when Mags gets drunk with power--but I'm just not contentious enough.

 

[magnifier661]

I'm trying to get on his bad side--to see what happens when Mags gets drunk with power--but I'm just not contentious enough.

You will never be on my bad side

 

[PtldPlatypus]

You will never be on my bad side

As Meyers Leonard sang, "Never say never."

 

[BrianFromWA]

Preview updated in Post 2.

 

[ehizzy3]

Wright starting. Interesting.

 

[KingSpeed]

So we're gonna lose tonight, right?

 

[KingSpeed]

Hahahaha Suns commentators said we have no chance of beating the Suns tonight.

 

[KingSpeed]

Batum gonna take over

 

[KingSpeed]

Where is everybody?