Game Thread GAME# 74: BLAZERS @ PELICANS - MARCH 27, 2018 - TUESDAY, 5:00 PM (PST), NBCSNW

[Darkwebs]

2017-18 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
45 - 28
(20-15 Road)
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
43 - 31
(22-15 Home)


_____________________________
---------PROBABLE STARTERS---------

PG

DAMIAN LILLARD VS RAJON RONDO

SG

C.J. McCOLLUM VS JRUE HOLIDAY

SF

MAURICE HARKLESS VS E’TWAUN MOORE

PF

AL-FAROUQ AMINU VS ANTHONY DAVIS

C

JUSUF NURKIC VS EMEKA OKAFOR

------------------------------------------------------

------- JERSEYS -------

WHEN: 5:00 PM, TUESDAY, 3/27/2018

WHERE: SMOOTHIE KING CENTER, NEW ORLEANS, LA

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

​

------------------------------------------------------



--------------BENCH--------------
- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS -

NAPIER , BALDWIN IV , CONNAUGHTON

TURNER , LAYMAN

SWANIGAN , COLLINS

DAVIS , LEONARD , PAPAGIANNIS


- NEW ORLEANS PELICANS-

DREW II , CLARK , COOKE

LIGGINS , HILL , MILLER

DIALLO , MIROTIC



INJURIES
TRAIL BLAZERS
Ed Davis (right foot strain): QUESTIONABLE
Shabazz Napier (left big toe): QUESTIONABLE
Evan Turner (low back soreness): QUESTIONABLE
Jusuf Nurkic (low back soreness): QUESTIONABLE
C.J. Wilcox (G-League): OUT
PELICANS
Nikola Mirotic (hip): QUESTIONABLE
Rajon Rondo (right wrist sprain): QUESTIONABLE
DeMarcus Cousins (Left Achilles Rupture): OUT
Alexis Ajinca (Right Knee Injury): OUT
Frank Jackson (Right Foot Fracture): OUT




HEAD COACHES

- VS –

TERRY STOTTS --- ALVIN GENTRY

OFFICIAL PELICANS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Tuesday’s game marks the fourth and final regular season meeting between the Trail Blazers and the Pelicans during the 2017-18 season.

• LAST MEETING: The Pelicans front line overpowered Portland, as the Trail Blazers fell in New Orleans, 119-113, on January 12. Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 36 points, nine rebounds and two blocks while DeMarcus Cousins added 24 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum led Portland with 23 points each.

• Damian Lillard has averaged 21.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists in three games against the Pelicans this season. Lillard has scored at least 25 points in six of his last eight games against New Orleans.

• CJ McCollum has averaged 21.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in three games against the Pelicans this season. McCollum has made four three-pointers in five of his last seven games against New Orleans.

• Anthony Davis has scored 30-plus points in three of his last five games against the Trail Blazers. In that span he has averaged 24.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.00 blocks.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 29-25
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 19-8
AT THE PELICANS: Pelicans lead, 17-10

 

[BrunoSOC]

Not a easy one. They are 4-2 last 6 games against us. Time to beat them and move to memphis. Finish the season strong.

 

[TBpup]

Anthony Davis and the Brow-nies. Beat another team trying to catch you!

 

[42N8Bounce]

The Blazers are 20-15 on the road going into this game against NOP. One more road win in the final 6 road games, and the Blazers will finish the season with a winning road record. They've only done that 5 times in the last 25 years.
2013-14, 23-18
2009-10, 24-17
2002-03, 23-18
1999-00, 29-12
1998-99, 13-12 (shortened season)

Here's the final 6 games on the road: @NOP, @MEM, @DAL, @HOU, @SAS, @DEN

Being a strong road team makes them dangerous in the playoffs. I'm guessing they'll go 3-3, if not 4-2 to finish off the year. If they can go 4-2, that would be their second best road record in the last 25 years. Damn!

This team is getting me excited going into the playoffs!

 

[hoopsjock]

The Blazers are 20-15 on the road going into this game against NOP. One more road win in the final 6 road games, and the Blazers will finish the season with a winning road record. They've only done that 5 times in the last 25 years.
2013-14, 20-18
2009-10, 24-17
2002-03, 23-18
1999-00, 29-12
1998-99, 13-12 (shortened season)

Here's the final 6 games on the road: @NOP, @MEM, @DAL, @HOU, @SAS, @DEN

Being a strong road team makes them dangerous in the playoffs. I'm guessing they'll go 3-3, if not 4-2 to finish off the year. That will be their second best road record in the last 25 years. Damn!

This team is getting me excited going into the playoffs!

I don't know what would have been a bigger surprise if you told me they'd have that good of a record on the road or at one point would be just 9-10 at home.

 

[Strenuus]

Realistically, Dame will get All-nba second team.

He deserves and should get All-NBA first team, though. But I doubt he does.

 

[blazerkor]

This is another game that we should win. I'm not saying it's an easy win by any means but it's a team that we are better than, so we should beat them. I thought we'd go 3-0 on this road trip and we will.

 

[DDolla]

Just Win Blazers!

 

[illmatic99]

Dame's shooting is in the tank. He looks exhausted out there and needs rest. BabyDame needs to show up so he can get a game off.

He and PG destroyed my fantasy team last week with their shit shooting. I had won 12 consecutive weeks and lost in the playoffs. What a disaster.

 

[Lanny]

2017-18 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
45 - 28
(20-15 Road)
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
43 - 31
(22-15 Home)


_____________________________
---------PROBABLE STARTERS---------

PG

DAMIAN LILLARD VS RAJON RONDO

SG

C.J. McCOLLUM VS JRUE HOLIDAY

SF

MAURICE HARKLESS VS E’TWAUN MOORE

PF

AL-FAROUQ AMINU VS ANTHONY DAVIS

C

JUSUF NURKIC VS EMEKA OKAFOR

------------------------------------------------------

------- JERSEYS -------

WHEN: 5:00 PM, TUESDAY, 3/27/2018

WHERE: SMOOTHIE KING CENTER, NEW ORLEANS, LA

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

​

------------------------------------------------------



--------------BENCH--------------
- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS -

NAPIER , BALDWIN IV , CONNAUGHTON

TURNER , LAYMAN

SWANIGAN , COLLINS

DAVIS , LEONARD , PAPAGIANNIS


- NEW ORLEANS PELICANS-

DREW II , CLARK , COOKE

LIGGINS , HILL , MILLER

DIALLO , MIROTIC



INJURIES
TRAIL BLAZERS
Ed Davis (right foot strain): QUESTIONABLE
Shabazz Napier (left big toe): QUESTIONABLE
Evan Turner (low back soreness): QUESTIONABLE
Jusuf Nurkic (low back soreness): QUESTIONABLE
C.J. Wilcox (G-League): OUT
PELICANS
Nikola Mirotic (hip): QUESTIONABLE
Rajon Rondo (right wrist sprain): QUESTIONABLE
DeMarcus Cousins (Left Achilles Rupture): OUT
Alexis Ajinca (Right Knee Injury): OUT
Frank Jackson (Right Foot Fracture): OUT




HEAD COACHES

- VS –

TERRY STOTTS --- ALVIN GENTRY

OFFICIAL PELICANS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

​

We are better in every category except two.

We have the best starting -
point guard;
shooting guard;
small forward;
center;
coach;
bench.

They have the best power forward;
uniforms.

They have home court advantage.

I'm giving the game to the Blazers, if they want it bad enough and the lucky breaks even out.

 

[Strenuus]

Dame's shooting is in the tank. He looks exhausted out there and needs rest. BabyDame needs to show up so he can get a game off.

He and PG destroyed my fantasy team last week with their shit shooting. I had won 12 consecutive weeks and lost in the playoffs. What a disaster.

That sucks man. I won 13 consecutive weeks, and was down by 75 points going into the last day, and Nurk/Adams/Gobert got me over the hump. Phew.

 

[BlazerBeav]

A win in New Orleans would just about sew up the third seed - let's get it!

 

[Lanny]

This is another game that we should win. I'm not saying it's an easy win by any means but it's a team that we are better than, so we should beat them. I thought we'd go 3-0 on this road trip and we will.

They're gonna be tough, tough, tough. They could be better than Okie City and as good as Houston. We can do it but the breaks are gonna have to even out and they're going to have to never give up even for a moment.

 

[Chris Craig]

They're gonna be tough, tough, tough. They could be better than Okie City and as good as Houston. We can do it but the breaks are gonna have to even out and they're going to have to never give up even for a moment.

Blazers can win this, but I agree it will be tough. The Pels are better than OKC, especially at home. They are not as good as Houston. Blazers need to double AD all night.

 

[Reep]

Looks like a lot of guys on the "questionable" list. Is this a good game to sit any questionable players and see what happens? Given our history with the Pels and that we could probably take this as one of our few losses, shouldn't we?

I would sit Ed, Jurk and ET at least. Let some of the young bigs get some run before the playoffs.

Starters:
Dame
CJ
Harkless
Aminu
Biebs

Bench:
Collins
Biggie
Baldwin
Pat
Papa?

 

[tester551]

Looks like a lot of guys on the "questionable" list. Is this a good game to sit any questionable players and see what happens? Given our history with the Pels and that we could probably take this as one of our few losses, shouldn't we?

I would sit Ed, Jurk and ET at least. Let some of the young bigs get some run before the playoffs.

Starters:
Dame
CJ
Harkless
Aminu
Biebs

Bench:
Collins
Biggie
Baldwin
Pat
Papa?

Go in full force against NOP.

If you win that, then I'd let the 'B' team play against Memphis and let Dame go home early for the birth of his kid.

 

[Boob-No-More]

This should be another close game between two teams vying for seedings in the closely packed 3-8 race in the Western Conference. Another win by POR would go a long way toward locking down the No. 3 seed.

Both FiveThirtyEight and Basketball-Reference have the odds at 53/47 in favor of the home team New Orleans Pelicans. FiveThirtyEight has the Pels as 1 point favorites.

BNM

 

[riverman]

Every game from here on is exciting....since the allstar break it's like playoffs have started a month ago...I like our chances to win this one! I think this season is one of the best in a long time with the depth of contenders

 

[Reep]

Go in full force against NOP.

If you win that, then I'd let the 'B' team play against Memphis and let Dame go home early for the birth of his kid.

I think that is risky. Given you have moderate injuries we are nursing, I would rest them against Pels, a game you might lose anyway, and make sure you win the other games. If you go in full against the Pels and B-team Memphis, you could lose both and risk a bigger injury.

I would hope Baby Dame comes today or tomorrow morning and rest the injured. I think Pops would for sure.

 

[chris_in_pdx]

You go into every game wanting to win. There are no "nights off" anymore. This is the playoffs. That #3 seed is everything.

 

[KingSpeed]

I don't know what would have been a bigger surprise if you told me they'd have that good of a record on the road or at one point would be just 9-10 at home.

We were 7-10 at home initially

 

[hoopsjock]

I think that is risky. Given you have moderate injuries we are nursing, I would rest them against Pels, a game you might lose anyway, and make sure you win the other games. If you go in full against the Pels and B-team Memphis, you could lose both and risk a bigger injury.

I would hope Baby Dame comes today or tomorrow morning and rest the injured. I think Pops would for sure.

I'm pretty sure @Darkwebs just listed the injuries from the time he made the thread and usually updates it when new info becomes available. The Blazers haven't announced an injury report for the Pelicans game yet.

Nurk and Davis are fine and not injured. I'm guessing Turner and Napier will be questionable.

 

[Lanny]

The Blazers are 20-15 on the road going into this game against NOP. One more road win in the final 6 road games, and the Blazers will finish the season with a winning road record. They've only done that 5 times in the last 25 years.
2013-14, 20-18
2009-10, 24-17
2002-03, 23-18
1999-00, 29-12
1998-99, 13-12 (shortened season)

Here's the final 6 games on the road: @NOP, @MEM, @DAL, @HOU, @SAS, @DEN

Being a strong road team makes them dangerous in the playoffs. I'm guessing they'll go 3-3, if not 4-2 to finish off the year. If they can go 4-2, that would be their second best road record in the last 25 years. Damn!

This team is getting me excited going into the playoffs!

Three tough games, one moderately easy game and two easy games. Should come out of this at least 3-3 and lets hope for 4-2 or better.

 

[Labinot41]

Blazers can win this, but I agree it will be tough. The Pels are better than OKC, especially at home. They are not as good as Houston. Blazers need to double AD all night.

Terry does not know the word Double

 

[chris_in_pdx]

The way the Blazers are playing defense lately, they don't need to double AD. Nurk and Ed will make him work for his 30, and take away the 2nd and 3rd options. I see the Blazers winning this game somewhat easily.

 

[THE HCP]

 

[Boob-No-More]

View attachment 19731

View attachment 19732

View attachment 19733

Did you lift those photos off the internet? They aren't blurry enough to have been taken by you!

BNM

 

[H.C.]

Damn Portland has a lot of players with minor injuries listed this game.

 

[BonesJones]

MY GAMEPLAN FOR THIS GAME:
We win this game if we defend well. Here is how I would matchup across the board:
Holiday / PG - Harkless
Rondo / SG - Lillard
Moore / SF - McCollum
Davis / PF - Aminu
Okafor / C - Nurkic

- Holiday is a PG who is bothered by length, and has killed us in the past. Since they start two PGs, and a 6'5 SF with their other SF options being mediocre non-threats, we should match New Orleans substitution patterns and always have Harkless on Holiday. Not only is this the best one-on-one matchup against Holiday, it also allows switch-ability between Harkless and Aminu on Holiday-Davis pick n rolls. This is crucial to slowing down their pick n' roll because, while Holiday isn't a great 3pt shooter, he can get extremely hot from there, and he's not a guy you can go under screens on.
- With Rondo, we can give him space on the 3pt line, but we shouldn't give him a TON of time to set up his 3pt shot, which we did last game. He can hit wide-open 3s, so we need to make sure we at least lightly contest any 3s he takes. With Rondo-Davis pick n rolls, we don't have the luxury of switchability, as Lillard on Davis is a mismatch that they will exploit every single time. We should never switch this pick n roll. Instead, we should have Aminu stay attached to Davis and have Lillard go under screens if they're tight, and over screens if there's enough room (basically, if Rondo doesn't rub his shoulder off the screener). Don't go under a screen 3 feet below the ball-handler. However, Lillard needs to be ready to recover to contest Rondo's 3, as last game he hit a couple because we allowed him to shoot wide-open looks.
- With their poor perimeter group, we have the ability to play all three of our guards together and not get burned defensively. Playing off both CJ and Dame has shown to cause outstanding production from Shabazz, so running with a 3-guard lineup could be a good idea in order to (hopefully) get Bazz going, as he's struggled lately. Holiday, Rondo, and Moore are three 6'5 or shorter guards, and I feel like McCollum guarding Darius Miller wouldn't be a problem. They do have Solomon Hill back but... I think CJ would be fine on him as well. DeAndre Liggins? Larry Drew III? Ian Clark? Hah! We could play whatever perimeter combinations we want to, unless they play Mirotic at SF (which they haven't done and don't have the interior depth to do).
- It's questionable if Mirotic plays, but if he does, I think Collins is a great defender to put on him. They've been playing him at C for 26% of his minutes since joining the team before the trade deadline, according to Basketball-Reference. Collins has the length to bother Mirotic's 3pt shot as well as the lateral quickness to stay in front of Mirotic. Cheick Diallo and Darius Miler have been playing the 4 when Davis, Mirotic, and Okafor playing minutes at center. Turner could play some PF, as he could definitely handle Miller, and Diallo is only 6'9 and raw offensively. Our rebounding would be a question mark but a lineup of Bazz/Dame/McCollum/Turner/Collins would be a potent offensive unit that wouldn't get burnt defensively. That's a group that's built to run and play in transition.

Essentially, we can approach this game in a variety of ways. In the end, it comes down to stopping (or slowing down) Davis and Holiday. Harkless+Aminu on both is the best way to do so, and with their small, uninspiring crop of SFs, we can hide CJ on that position and use the length and solid perimeter defense of Turner and Harkless to slow down Holiday. We can throw out a bunch of different lineups regardless of size and be fine, so offensively, we can ride with the hot hands and the best offensive lineup possible, so long as we have Aminu and Harkless on the floor WHEN BOTH of Davis and Holiday are on the floor as well.

 

[BonesJones]

I don't think Nurkic plays more than 20-24min in this game. They'll play Davis a lot at Center and Nurkic is a bad defender to put on such a dynamic, mobile player. I expect Aminu and maybe Collins to get some run at Center guarding Davis.