GAME THREAD: SPURS @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 15, 2014 - MONDAY, 7:00 PM (PST), CSN

[Darkwebs]

PROBABLE STARTERS

|PG| CORY JOSEPH VS DAMIAN LILLARD

|SG| DANNY GREEN VS WES MATTHEWS

|SF| KAWHI LEONARD VS NICOLAS BATUM

|PF| ARON BAYNES VS LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE

|C| MATT BONNER VS ROBIN LOPEZ







WHEN: 7:00 PM, MONDAY, 12/15/2014​

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR ​

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

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BENCH

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

BELINELLI , ANDERSON , DAYE , DIAW , AYRES


PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

BLAKE , CRABBE , FREELAND , KAMAN




INJURIES
SPURS
Tim Duncan (rest): OUT
Manu Ginobili (lower back): OUT
Tiago Splitter (calf): OUT
Tony Parker (left hamstring strain): OUT
Patty Mills (right shoulder surgery): OUT
TRAIL BLAZERS
C.J. McCollum (fractured right index finger): OUT




HEAD COACHES

- VS –

GREG POPOVICH--- TERRY STOTTS




BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Monday marks the first of four contests between the Trail Blazers and Spurs in 2014-15.

• The Trail Blazers are ranked seventh in the league in assists per game (23.3), while the Spurs are ranked sixth with 24.1 assists per contest.

• Both Portland and San Antonio are ranked in the top-five in the NBA for fewest points allowed. The Spurs are ranked second (95.1) and the Trail Blazers are ranked fifth (95.7).

• San Antonio defeated Portland four games to one in the Western Conference Semi-finals last season.

• The Trail Blazers have won at least two regular season games against San Antonio in five of the past six seasons. Portland owns a 14-7 record against the Spurs dating back to 2008-09.

• Portland has beaten the Spurs in nine of the past 11 games played at the Moda Center.

• In that fIve-game postseason series against the Spurs in 2013-14, LaMarcus Aldridge averaged 21.8 points and 10.0 rebounds. He logged four double-doubles in five games.

• LaMarcus Aldridge has shot at least 50% from the field in seven of his past eight games (five straight) against San Antonio. During that time, Aldridge is 71-of-143 shooting (49.6%).

• In seven career games against San Antonio, Damian Lillard is averaging 26.2 points and 6.5 assists per game. He has scored at least 20 points in every game and is shooting 49.6% (66-133 FG) from the field.

• Damian Lillard scored a game-high 31 points in Portland’s last meeting against the Spurs on Feb. 19 (L, 111-109).

• Wesley Matthews made six of the seven 3-pont field goals he took against the Spurs on Jan 17, 2014 (W, 109-100). Matthews shot 12-of-22 from beyond the arc against San Antonio last season (52.2%).

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Series tied, 76-76
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 48-28
AT THE SPURS: Spurs lead, 48-28

GO BLAZERS!!!​

 

[Darkwebs]

Reserved for BrainFromWA

 

[BlazerCaravan]

God the Blazers pictures are just standing around while the San Antonio ones blow right past them! What the hell guys! Get it together!

 

[KingSpeed]

Looking forward to this one.

 

[GoBlazersGo]

Batum gets his mojo back!

 

[illmatic99]

Wonder if Pop will rest everybody as they're coming off a back to back in DEN last night.

 

[Eastoff]

And so our trials begin.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Wonder if Pop will rest everybody as they're coming off a back to back in DEN last night.

I'm wondering the same thing. Duncan played 32 minutes last night and Leonard played 37 minutes.

 

[rasheedfan2005]

No patty to torch us. We have a good shot.

 

[magnifier661]

I thought I read that Pops will rest at least Duncan

 

[blue9]

When was the last time we won our first game back after a road trip? For some reason my memory has us ALWAYS losing the first home game after returning from the road.

 

[magnifier661]

When was the last time we won our first game back after a road trip? For some reason my memory has us ALWAYS losing the first home game after returning from the road.

You are mostly correct, but I remember last season we beat some teams back from a road trip. I could be wrong though.

 

[blue9]

I want the date of our last home win after a road trip of at least 4 games.

 

[magnifier661]

I want the date of our last home win after a road trip of at least 4 games.

Don't know why you couldn't look for yourself, but here it is. We won 4 after a long road trip against the Bulls, Hornets (NOLA), nuggets and Griz

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/2014_games.html?mobile=false

 

[blue9]

Cool - thanks!

 

[magnifier661]

Portland 103, Spurs 95

 

[riverman]

Revenge game tonight! Going to be a real dogfight

 

[riverman]

I'm going with a 2 pt Blazer win and I never pick em that close

 

[BBert]

Wonder if Pop will rest everybody as they're coming off a back to back in DEN last night.

He may as well since it's a sure loss anyway.

 

[BBert]

When was the last time we won our first game back after a road trip? For some reason my memory has us ALWAYS losing the first home game after returning from the road.

It sure seems that way. At the very least, the first game back we tend to suck, win or lose.

 

[B-Roy]

Parker, Duncan, Ginobili, Splitter are all out.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

Parker, Duncan, Ginobili, Splitter are all out.

And the Spurs will still be plenty dangerous. Teams take them lightly when they do this.

 

[illmatic99]

Parker, Duncan, Ginobili, Splitter are all out.

Of course. ugh.

Always want a win, but wanted a legit test even more.

 

[BBert]

We should rest Batum and Matthews, unless needed.

 

[illmatic99]

We should rest Batum and Matthews, unless needed.

Terry would never do that. He's closer to Thibs than Pop in that regard.

 

[KingSpeed]

Good. Regular season is about winning as many games as possible to get into playoffs. The test games are in the playoffs. Beating a full Spurs team in regular season means nothing.

 

[blue9]

Parker, Duncan, Ginobili, Splitter are all out.

Well shit, this is a lose/lose situation.

 

[Strenuus]

Well shit, this is a lose/lose situation.

I just wanna win. No team has ever lost in basketball scoring more points than the other team.

 

[Strenuus]

Terry would never do that. He's closer to Thibs than Pop in that regard.

Totally, and unfortunately, true.

 

[magnifier661]

Duncan, Parker and Ginobli are sitting this game out