Game Thread GAME# 79: BLAZERS @ KINGS - APRIL 5, 2016 - TUESDAY, 7:00 PM (PDT), CSNNW

[Darkwebs]

2015-16 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
41 - 37
(15-25 Road)
SACRAMENTO KINGS
31 - 46
(17-21 Home)




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

PG

DAMIAN LILLARD VS RAJON RONDO

SG

C.J. McCOLLUM VS SETH CURRY

SF

MAURICE HARKLESS VS BEN McLEMORE

PF

AL-FAROUQ AMINU VS QUINCY ACY

C

MASON PLUMLEE VS DeMARCUS COUSINS


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WHEN: 7:00 PM, TUESDAY, 4/5/2016

WHERE: SLEEP TRAIN ARENA, SACRAMENTO, CA

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

​

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

ROBERTS , HENDERSON , CRABBE , MONTERO

CONNAUGHTON , VONLEH , DAVIS , KAMAN

SACRAMENTO KINGS

COLLISON , ANDERSON , BUTLER

DUKAN , MORELAND , KOUFOS

INJURIES
TRAIL BLAZERS
Meyers Leonard (dislocated left shoulder): OUT
KINGS
Rudy Gay (rest): OUT
Kostas Koufos (rest): OUT
Omri Casspi (strained right hamstring): OUT
Marco Belinelli (sore right foot): OUT



HEAD COACHES

- VS –

TERRY STOTTS --- GEORGE KARL



KINGS' OFFICIAL GAME NOTES
BLAZERS' OFFICIAL GAME NOTES ​

• Tuesday marks the fourth and final regular season matchup between the Trail Blazers and Kings in 2015-16.

• LAST MEETING: Portland defeated Sacramento, 103-95, at the Moda Center on March 28. Allen Crabbe scored a game-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting (3-4 3-PT).

• In the most recent meeting, Sacramento’s Marco Belinelli (sore foot), DeMarcus Cousins (rest), Rudy Gay (rest) and Rajon Rondo (rest) were all out.

• Portland has won all three of its games against Sacramento this season. The last time the Trail Blazers swept the Kings in a season was 2009-10 (4-0).

• The Trail Blazers have won five consecutive contests over the Kings.

• Since the 2008-09 season, Portland is 8-5 in games played at Sleep Trail Arena.

• Allen Crabbe is averaging 14. 7 points on 53.1% shooting (7-17 3-PT) in three games against the Kings this season.

• CJ McCollum is averaging a team-high 23.0 points against Sacramento in 2015-16. In Portland’s first trip to Sacramento on Dec. 27, he recorded 35 points (14-28 FG), 11 rebounds and nine assists.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 126-76
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 83-18
AT THE KINGS: Kings lead, 58-43

​

 

[KingSpeed]

I picked the Grizz as the team I want to miss the playoffs. Whichever team draws them in the first round, basically gets a bye and that's not fair.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

The answer to the poll is the Rockets.

Because fuck the Rockets.

 

[BrunoSOC]

Need that W

 

[BBert]

I picked the Grizz as the team I want to miss the playoffs. Whichever team draws them in the first round, basically gets a bye and that's not fair.

The answer to the poll is the Rockets.

Because fuck the Rockets.

Both are excellent reasons.

 

[Draco]

The answer to the poll is the Rockets.

Because fuck the Rockets.

Kind of want them to get swept and lose their pick which is lottery protected.

I say Memphis because they would make for the least compelling series.

 

[B-Roy]

Rockets first turns into 2 seconds if they miss playoffs this year. Fuck that, I want Morey to suffer trading a 1st to waive Lawson.

 

[illmatic99]

Gotta win this if we want 5.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I said the Grizz for the reasons listed above. They're just so beaten up, they need to just go away. Plus I think it might be interesting to see Aldridge go up against Dirk in the playoffs (hoping for Utah to drop to 8th to rough up the Warriors a little bit).

 

[illmatic99]

Does the team bus it from the bay to SAC? Is Dame doing anything with the team in his hometown on this off day?

 

[THE HCP]

Does the team bus it from the bay to SAC? Is Dame doing anything with the team in his hometown on this off day?

We did bus it! In-N-Out pitstop on the way!

 

[riverman]

I should have picked the Mavs since they have the tie breaker over us but I just really hate the Rockets more than any team on that list. I would rather the Grizz had the 8th seed, Mavs 7th and Jazz 6th with us at the 5th

 

[illmatic99]

We did bus it! In-N-Out pitstop on the way!

What do these guys do on a two hour bus ride? Suppose total travel time (airports in/out, flights, commute to/from airport) is shorter, but are there any other cities where you guys travel by bus?

Maybe on the east coast?

 

[Draco]

Gotta win this if we want 5.

Possibly can lose the next two and get 5th seed; but we need a little help. Really only need to win one of the next two to likely get it.

The big advantage with winning the next two is we can secure the 5th a week before the playoffs and have a meaningless practice game to finish the regular season.

 

[THE HCP]

What do these guys do on a two hour bus ride? Suppose total travel time (airports in/out, flights, commute to/from airport) is shorter, but are there any other cities where you guys travel by bus?

Maybe on the east coast?

Honestly, this is only the third time we've ever done this. We did it from Milwaukee to Chicago once and Philly to NJ like 6 years ago. Everybody's heads are down on there phones or iPads to be honest. It was cool to "rough" it.

 

[Draco]

Copied this from 5th-9th seed thread:

I'm going to assume we can win the last two home games with rest against tanking teams packing for their summer in Minny and Denver.

So the schedule really comes down to our next two games against Sacramento and OKC.

If we lose the next two I'd say its still likely we end up with the 5th seed. It would be a nail biting scrape to the finish though. We'd need our opponents to finish with the following or worse;

Jazz 4-1
Grizz 2-3
Mavs 3-2* (possibly 4-1 as we could win 3 way tie with Jazz)
Rockets 4-1​

Remember though; the Mavs play both the Rockets and Jazz so there are a guaranteed 2 losses to one of those teams. We only need two more losses somewhere out of those three teams. I don't see how the Grizz finish better than 2-3; they might be worse than the 6ers right now and play the Warriors twice.

If we win one of Sac or OKC then we almost for sure will lock up the 5th seed. It wouldn't matter what the Jazz or Rockets do. We'd need our opponents to finish with the following or worse:

Grizz 3-2
Mavs 4-1​

If we can win both the Sac and OKC games; then we likely have a shot of officially securing the 5th seed on Apr9th with Minnesota. That then gives us a practice game to finish the regular season and an entire week to gameplan exclusively for the Clippers.

Go Blazers!

 

[BBert]

We did bus it! In-N-Out pitstop on the way!

Never have I seen a food item so overrated.

 

[Cippy91]

I wonder if okc will implement a strategy if we win tonight. Memphis would be an easier first round matchup for them. I wonder if they rest durant and Westbrook when we play them and try to purposefully lose it, knowing after that, there is a great chance we get the fifth seed and they have an easy 1st round sweep on the Grizzlies

 

[Tunchi]

I wonder if okc will implement a strategy if we win tonight. Memphis would be an easier first round matchup for them. I wonder if they rest durant and Westbrook when we play them and try to purposefully lose it, knowing after that, there is a great chance we get the fifth seed and they have an easy 1st round sweep on the Grizzlies

I dont think they are worried who they play to be honest... If your in their position and your worried at all about por/memphis then you aren't close to a contender

 

[Eastoff]

I wonder if okc will implement a strategy if we win tonight. Memphis would be an easier first round matchup for them. I wonder if they rest durant and Westbrook when we play them and try to purposefully lose it, knowing after that, there is a great chance we get the fifth seed and they have an easy 1st round sweep on the Grizzlies

They might worry about Utah

 

[Cippy91]

They might worry about Utah

True. Now that I think about it, Memphis definitely isn't a lock for 6th. They could slide to 8th or out of the playoffs which honestly might happen. This is still a scary game to me only because they have a Demarcus cousins who on a good night can eat up Plumlee like nothing. We don't double so that would be even worse. Rudy gay on a consistent night is dangerous. Rondo knows how to create. I still see us winning but this is the scariest out of the last four to me. Okc will most likely be a loss. My bet would be losing one out of the next four and grabbing the 5th seed which is best case scenario for us. Okc has been playing too good of basketball

 

[Cippy91]

Hold up; not just on a good night cousins can eat up Plumlee, let's face it, cousins could every night. I'm just hoping he's off with his game tonight

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Never have I seen a food item so overrated.

Dunkin Donuts coffee on Line 1, sir.

 

[Strenuus]

Dunkin Donuts coffee.

Here they go saying Coffee is a food again. :MARIS61:

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Here they go saying Coffee is a food again. :MARIS61:

It's a berry infusion!

 

[Strenuus]

It's a berry infusion!

GOD DAMNIT, BOBBY!

 

[Cippy91]

 

[illmatic99]

I need that shirt.

 

[e_blazer]

The comedy of seeing Harden and Howard gone fishing before the start of the playoffs would be priceless. I SO hope that happens.

 

[blue9]

Never have I seen a food item so overrated.

Krispy Kreme?