Game Thread GAME# 81: BLAZERS @ NUGGETS - APRIL 9, 2018 - MONDAY, 6:00 PM (PST), NBCSNW

[Darkwebs]

2017-18 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
48 - 32
(21-19 Road)
DENVER NUGGETS
45 - 35
(30-10 Home)

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

PG

DAMIAN LILLARD VS JAMAL MURRAY

SG

C.J. McCOLLUM VS WILL BARTON

SF

EVAN TURNER VS WILSON CHANDLER

PF

AL-FAROUQ AMINU VS PAUL MILLSAP

C

JUSUF NURKIC VS NIKOLA JOKIC

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WHEN: 6:00 PM, MONDAY, 4/9/2018

WHERE: PEPSI CENTER, DENVER, CO

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

​

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

NAPIER , B-ROY, CONNAUGHTON

LAYMAN , SWANIGAN , COLLINS

DAVIS , LEONARD , PAPAGIANNIS


- DENVER NUGGETS-

HARRIS , MORRIS , BEASLEY

CRAIG , JEFFERSON

FARIED , ARTHUR , HERNANGOMEZ

LYLES , PLUMLEE


INJURIES
TRAIL BLAZERS
Ed Davis (right ankle sprain): PROBABLE
Moe Harkless (left knee): OUT
C.J. Wilcox (G-League): OUT
NUGGETS
Gary Harris (right knee sprain/strain): OUT
Tyler Lydon (left knee surgery): OUT




HEAD COACHES

- VS –

TERRY STOTTS --- MICHAEL MALONE

OFFICIAL NUGGETS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Monday’s game marks the fourth and final regular season meeting between the Trail Blazers and the Nuggets during the 2017-18 season. Denver leads the season series, 2-1.

• LAST MEETING: The Trail Blazers led by seven points with 5:00 remaining in the fourth quarter before the Nuggets closed the game on an 18-8 run to win 104-101 in Denver on Jan. 22. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 38 points while Damian Lillard paced the Trail Blazers with 25 points, two rebounds and eight assists.

• Jusuf Nurkic had 19 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and three blocks against the Nuggets on Jan. 22. Nurkic has averaged 19.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.50 blocks in four games against the Nuggets since being traded to Portland.

• In three games against the Nuggets this season, CJ McCollum has averaged 14.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

• Nikola Jokic has averaged 16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists in three games against the Trail Blazers this season.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 97-78
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 68-21
AT THE NUGGETS: Nuggets lead, 57-29

​

 

[kjironman1]

I noticed you didn't put the Blazers in the poll. So i didn't vote.

 

[KingSpeed]

I hope no one votes

 

[BigGameDamian]

I hope no one votes

You secretly want to vote for the Spurs?

 

[riverman]

I voted Spurs given the choices.....I like Patty Mills more than the other teams players.

 

[BlazerBeav]

I voted Spurs given the choices.....I like Patty Mills more than the other teams players.

I don't care if you're related to Patty - the Spurs winning means the rest of them win too. Fuck those guys (particularly the weak minded PF).

 

[tykendo]

I noticed you didn't put the Blazers in the poll. So i didn't vote.

Worst poll of the season. There was no acceptable choice. It was like ,"how to you want to croak".

 

[riverman]

eh...I thought it was a fun..spoof poll....and I do like the Spurs more than any other team on the list...

 

[tykendo]

Denver is playing super smooth right now. This is a super tough game. But with CJ and Chief playing so bad, makes it that much harder. CJ had a poor game at Pepsi in Feb. Gary Harris shut him down. Blazers have to get Phys Ed back or it will be bleak due to poor rebounding by players not named Nurk. Will take a complete team effort. Nuggets ball movement is superb right now. Go Blazers!!

 

[tykendo]

eh...I thought it was a fun..spoof poll....and I do like the Spurs more than any other team on the list...

I thought we were done with April Fools.

 

[tykendo]

I hope those cute older Blazers fans (Golden Girls)touring this road trip go to Denver too. I plan to go get a picture with them if I can. I want the Blazers to kick arse, and bring a smile to them, us, and ofcourse, themselves.

 

[HolyBackboard]

Portland has the previous game in Denver in hand until Murray went off. I'd really like to see more Wade Baldwin and less Pat Connaughton this game. We also need to feed the fucking Bosnian Beast! If he doesn't crack 10+ FGAs, we're not beating the Nuggets. Denver has no answer for him down low.

 

[tykendo]

Bravo! I was there and you hit the nail on the head. Nurk, Nurk, and more Nurk.

 

[tykendo]

I think the Blazers are playing tight right now. The weather is going to be beautiful here, in Denver, for the Rockies game . Dame should get the guyz together, and go to the game(Go Rockies!!) Get away and loosin' up. Then go out Monday Night, and rip lips!! HCP, pass it on Brother.

 

[DUB]

Spurs easily, go Patty! If we don't win the Championship, the teams I'd most like to see win it are Utah, then Philly.

 

[Scalma]

Less CJ more Wade.

 

[H.C.]

@Darkwebs Worst poll ever. @HCP needs to make game 82.
But I expect graphics/videos and to be blown away by them.

 

[blazerkor]

Time to get back on track. Nurk should come out with a lot of energy playing against the team that gave up on him. I see him and Dame having big games. I also think CJ finds his way out of the funk he's been in. I think we'll win this one and I don't think it will be close. The team will be back on track. Go Blazers!!!

 

[kjironman1]

Worst poll of the season. There was no acceptable choice. It was like ,"how to you want to croak".

Kind of what i thought when i read it also. Who do you want to get beat by?

 

[kjironman1]

Talkin Ball pretty much agreed with quite a few on here. CJ is tired. Aminu is tired. Nurk is tired. Collins is tired. Pat is tired. Turner is tired. I can see it in every shot they take. Pretty much the whole team is burnt out. Front of the rim clankers and flat shooting all night.
I'm going with throw the end of the bench in against Denver and sit the starters. Get em home and win one against Utah if you can. Crazy thing about the whole situation is how many games they lost this year against teams they should have beat. Remember the Blake Griffin buzzer beater loss? How about the meltdown in Utah in OT? Then there was the Home loss to Memphis by a point. Home loss to Brooklyn in the last seconds. At Minny by one point. The Spurs beat them at home on a last second shot. How about that loss in Boston that they essentially gave away? Not to mention the loss to Boston here that they had also. Then there is the losses most recent to Memphis and Dallas.
Every team every year loses it's share but i swear this year has been riddled with close losses that could have gone the other way. It's a testament to the team for pretty much always being in a position to win (Defense does that), but it also kind of makes the situation they are in now all that much more difficult to accept.

This team when healthy has shown it can beat any team in the league. Not sure about winning a series at this point because of health issues. I don't like that they didn't have the luxury to sit Dame the rest of the way after rolling an ankle. They made a decision to pull Moe and get his surgery done. I still back that but almost immediately Davis and Lillard get hurt. Left the team reeling and because they had to rely so heavily on starters again this year they are now burnt to the point where a day off isn't enough.

When the regular season is over and all is said and done the NBA will schedule the playoffs. There is usually a little unrealized benefit in being a small market team. The Blazers usually do not get opening day billing to start the playoffs. They usually get second day and the benefit of an extended first round series because the NBA wants to have it's big names on the rolling schedule. With any luck the Blazers will again get this extra day before the start of the playoffs. And the 2 games in 5 days to start the playoffs.

One other nice thing about this years playoffs is that Dallas won't be in them and the Rockets and Spurs don't look to be a first round matchup at this point. I always have had a problem with the way the Spurs could spend essentially the entire month of April and even as much as the first two weeks of May in Texas when they pulled Dallas or the Rockets in the first and second rounds. Then even getting OKC in there is not really travel now is it? It would be even worse if the Clippers and Lakers were ever good at the same time and had to play each other. NBA needs to get a team back in Seattle ASAP. Travel most definitely has it's effect on the Blazers by the end of the season.

It has now been eleven days since Mo Harkless had his surgery. Two weeks when the season is done. He will get a few days before the start of playoffs. I'm wondering how he will respond? Game shape is elusive but he is young and i'm betting playoff atmosphere will carry him a bit. Getting home court would also help him stretch out that rehab time maybe? Can he make it back for a first round series? Sure could use him.

Like i said to start this all off the team looks like it is playing very tired to me. Stotts doesn't seem to do rest schedules so i would bet he will continue to drive the team the way he always does. So the Denver game might be a real difficult game to watch as both CJ and Lillard try to hero their way to a win and Aminu keeps shooting them right out of it. Then look for limited minutes from guys with plenty of steam like Baldwin because that just seems to be the way Stotts does it.

Kjironman is a fan!!!

 

[tykendo]

Every team is tired. This team needs to buck up, stop feeling sorry for themselves, go have some fun at the Rockies game to loosen the necktie squeezing their collective necks, and go out and WIN the last 2 games. IT'S A GAME! They look like they aren't having any fun. If CJ's tired, quit jacking his jaws on the radio, and get some extra Z's. Every team is in the same boat right now. Go have some fun today at the game, it's sunny and beautiful here, and remember ,you're in it together, and go out and play for each other tomorrow night. Resting and "throwing out the white flag in Denver "philosophy makes me want to puke. Go Blazers!!

 

[tykendo]

Time to get back on track. Nurk should come out with a lot of energy playing against the team that gave up on him. I see him and Dame having big games. I also think CJ finds his way out of the funk he's been in. I think we'll win this one and I don't think it will be close. The team will be back on track. Go Blazers!!!

Bravo! None of that sniffling whiney BS. Go get'em Blazers.

 

[Chris Craig]

Look its easy to point our losses again and again and again like some of you have done. But, there is nothing the Blazers could do about that now. While I am sure they would love to go back in time to change the error of their way and win some of those shoulda coulda wouldas, but they can't. What they can do is get some rest, hit the hot tub, go to that rockies game like @tykendo advised, loosen up and then go into the game sunday with some fight, like a 3rd place team should. Sounds like Davis will return this game. More Baldwin less Pat. Feed the Beast. Have fun. Win.

 

[DDolla]

This game will be a blow out. Denver is fighting for a playoff spot. We know that Denver plays well at home and the Blazers hardly wins in there. Murray and Will the Thrill puts up some big numbers with a Win.

 

[riverman]

I'm hoping Nurk wishes the Nuggets a nice summer after we kick their butts

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

Would like to see a “None Of The Above’ choice in the poll.

 

[riverman]

Would like to see a “None Of The Above’ choice in the poll.

my favorite multiple choice option....the election polling booths need this option as well

 

[tykendo]

This game will be a blow out. Denver is fighting for a playoff spot. We know that Denver plays well at home and the Blazers hardly wins in there. Murray and Will the Thrill puts up some big numbers with a Win.

Sounds like you're rooting for Denver. Gahbige KJ. Dame plays well in Denver, and will score 60 if he has too.

 

[DDolla]

Sounds like you're rooting for Denver. Gahbige KJ. Dame plays well in Denver, and will score 60 if he has too.

Nah I always want to be negative so the Blazers can hear me out and proves me wrong. Extra motivation for them.

 

[tykendo]

Nah I always want to be negative so the Blazers can hear me out and proves me wrong. Extra motivation for them.

I get it. Man! Apologies to KJ, but he's been so "ooh they need rest, they need a binky", I figured he posted that. But I get the motivation now. I'm going to the game with my Blazer fan Daughter, and my best buddy Nugget Freak Dave. I want this one bad. That last one in Feb. was tough to take. Blazers can win this. They just need to buck up, follow their leader, and have some fun.