GAME THREAD: THUNDER @ BLAZERS - FEB. 11, 2014, TUESDAY, 7:00 PM, NBATV & CSNNW

[Darkwebs]

VS

2013-14 Season Record
THUNDER
41-12 (18-9 Road)
BLAZERS
36-15 (19-5 home)




WHEN: 7:00 PM, TUESDAY, 2/11/2014​

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV BROADCAST:

AND

RADIO BROADCAST:

​

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BENCH

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

FISHER , LAMB , JONES , COLLISON , ADAMS


PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

WATSON , MCCOLLUM , WRIGHT , ROBINSON , FREELAND




INJURIES
THUNDER
Russell Westbrook (right knee)
TRAIL BLAZERS
Mo Williams (personal reasons)





HEAD COACHES

- VS –

SCOTT BROOKS--- TERRY STOTTS




BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Tuesday will mark the fourth and final regular season matchups between Portland and Oklahoma City.

• Portland won the first two regular season matchups against Oklahoma City, winning 111-104 in Portland on Dec. 4 and 98-94 on Dec. 31 in Oklahoma City. The Thunder won the third contest between the two teams, 105-97 on Jan. 21.

• Robin Lopez and LaMarcus Aldridge both recorded double-doubles in the the Jan. 21 matchup against the Thunder.

• LaMarcus Aldridge has posted a double-double in seven of the last eight games against Oklahoma City.

• Damian Lillard recorded his second double-double of the season against the Thunder on Dec. 31 by totaling 21 points and 11 assists.

• LaMarcus Aldridge has posted a double-double in every contest against the Thunder this season. On Jan. 21, Aldridge registered 29 points and 16 rebound. Previously this season, he led the Trail Blazers on the Dec. 4 matchup with 38 points and 13 rebounds and had 25 points and 14 rebounds in the second meeting with Oklahoma City. Aldridge is averaging 30.7 points and 14.3 per game against the Thunder this season.

• The Trail Blazers’ win on Dec. 4 snapped a seven game losing streak for the Trail Blazers against the Thunder, ending the longest active losing streak for Portland.

• In eight of the last 10 meetings, at least one team has scored 100-plus points.

• Thunder assistant coach Robert Pack played his rookie season in the NBA with the Trail Blazers during the 1991-92 season.

• Earl Watson played three-plus years with the Thunder franchise, playing in 247 games and averaging 9.3 points and 6.0 assists.

• Thunder forward Kevin Durant and Trail Blazers forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns.

• Thomas Robinson and Thunder forward/center Nick Collison both attended the University of Kansas.

• Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook and Portland guard Earl Watson both played collegiately at UCLA.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Thunder lead, 111-103
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 68-39
AT THE THUNDER: Thunder lead, 72-35

GO BLAZERS!!!​

 

[Strenuus]

Ugh. I gotta sit through class while the game is going on. One of the bad things about night classes. lol.

 

[KingSpeed]

Can't wait for this game. Lillard didn't have 11 rebounds on Dec 31. He had 11 assists.

 

[Darkwebs]

Can't wait for this game. Lillard didn't have 11 rebounds on Dec 31. He had 11 assists.

Fixed. Thanks

 

[1honestfan]

Wow. Great game thread header.

 

[Rhal]

We owe them some payback, time to see LMA and Lillard go nuts and hopefully Durant doesn't shoot 18 billion FT's and over 50%.

 

[H.C.]

I hope the Thunder make zero adjustments and put continue with fatty on Aldridge.

doesn't Sefolosha sound like some dreaded disease?

 

[illmatic99]

Nic needs to carry that D he had with him when shut down George. I don't care if he doesn't take a shot tonight as long as he keeps KD down.

 

[BlazerBeav]

Nic needs to carry that D he had with him when shut down George. I don't care if he doesn't take a shot tonight as long as he keeps KD down.

We still need a few shots out of him - we can't be getting 4 points out of our starting SF spot.

 

[maxiep]

We still need a few shots out of him - we can't be getting 4 points out of our starting SF spot.

Also, having Nic attack KD when he's on offense forces Durant to work on both ends of the floor and also may put him in some foul trouble.

 

[H.C.]

Also, having Nic attack KD when he's on offense forces Durant to work on both ends of the floor and also may put him in some foul trouble.

or... maybe they'll put durant on aldridge. I can dream

 

[rasheedfan2005]

Looking at the starting 5 I don't get how they are that good. Durrant is carrying the shit out of them. I'm confident in this win

 

[Pinwheel1]

Interesting that CJ is listed at 6'4" and Lamb is listed at 6'5". Curious to see them standing next to each other. I am guessing it is more than 1 inch difference. Regardless I want to see how CJ does against a taller SG.

 

[maxiep]

Monster game tonight. If we win, we will have won the season series and gain a game in the loss column. They can make all the Russell Westbrook excuses they want (and they're legit), but going 3-1 over the Zombie Sonics would be huge.

It will likely come down to us and OKC for the NW crown. It would be great to secure home court advantage.

We have three big games with OKC, LAC and SAS. We should be able to win them all. Tonight is step one.

 

[THE HCP]

Wow. Great game thread header.

Whatever! Wait til you see one of MINE!

 

[Strenuus]

Whatever! Wait tip you see one of MINE!

We like to create site traffic, good sir.

 

[BigGameDamian]

This game should be on channel 8.

 

[1honestfan]

Whatever! Wait til you see one of MINE!

Sweet, can't wait.

Maybe in time (After I get familiar with the site tools here) I will create on and you can critique me...... In the past, I like to get the game notes from both teams provided by the NBA and put them up. I also like to post the STD scoring averages as well from basketball reference but I have not found a way (yet) to do it and keep the formatting. I guess in all due time.

 

[1honestfan]

I am interested in tonights game for the obvious reasons but I think that it's a good preview for the playoffs. Both teams are well rested and I expect the RG (Intentional) to have a playoff atmosphere tonight. This game to me begs for two questions to be answered.

1) Is the Thunder actually a better team with Westbrook out for team chemistry both on and off the court? Addition by subtraction?

2) Is Portland actually a better team without Mo Williams. I like Williams but it seems to me that Portland's defense is actually better and they are not as wild on offense.

I think that this game is a great opportunity to see Portland raise their game up a level or two.

 

[BlazerBeav]

The important question of the day - who are the officials? No Scott Foster?

 

[santeesioux]

The important question of the day - who are the officials? No Scott Foster?

Game is already over if he's a ref in this game.

 

[santeesioux]

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html

Oklahoma City @ Portland Ed Malloy Bennie Adams Tre Maddox

 

[Boob-No-More]

1) Is the Thunder actually a better team with Westbrook out for team chemistry both on and off the court? Addition by subtraction?

Yes, they are. I predicted Durant's scoring outburst, and OKC's better 4th quarter performance when Westbrook went down. Russell Westbrook is the only person on the planet that can shut down Kevin Durant in the 4th quarter.

2) Is Portland actually a better team without Mo Williams. I like Williams but it seems to me that Portland's defense is actually better and they are not as wild on offense.

I know Mo is inconsistent, but in the last game against OKC he had 13 points and 9 assists. And, in the last game against the Clippers, who we play tomorrow, he had 12 points and 8 assists. That's damn good production off the bench and hard to replace.

BNM

 

[santeesioux]

I hope Presti doesn't figure it out and trade Westbrook for a good center.

 

[Strenuus]

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html

Oklahoma City @ Portland Ed Malloy Bennie Adams Tre Maddox

I like Malloy, he seems to be one of the more consistent refs in the league (eye test only... and barring that one play late in the game with the Wolves... I think it was the wolves at least.)

Bennie Adams, on the other hand...

 

[Boob-No-More]

I hope Presti doesn't figure it out and trade Westbrook for a good center.

No shit, doesn't even need to be a good one. An average, or slightly below average starting center and that team is on the verge of becoming a dynasty. Of course, they could already be a dynasty if they would have amnestied Perkins and resigned Hardin, but their hillbilly owners were too cheap to pay Perkins (worst starter in the league) not to play.

Shoot, just imagine how good they'd be right now if they would have amnestied Perkins back in July and went after Robin Lopez. Give then a decent 5th starter and they'd be damn scary.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

I hope Presti doesn't figure it out and trade Westbrook for a good center.

I would be trying to get Cousins, Drummond, or see if Orlando would bite on Vucevic/Oladipo for Westbrook. Probably not, but worth a shot.

 

[1honestfan]

Yes, they are. I predicted Durant's scoring outburst, and OKC's better 4th quarter performance when Westbrook went down. Russell Westbrook is the only person on the planet that can shut down Kevin Durant in the 4th quarter.



I know Mo is inconsistent, but in the last game against OKC he had 13 points and 9 assists. And, in the last game against the Clippers, who we play tomorrow, he had 12 points and 8 assists. That's damn good production off the bench and hard to replace.

BNM

True and True.

Oh how badly I wish we had a bench who can guard out on the perimeter.

 

[blazedanugz]

LMA questionable for tonights game with "general soreness." just tweeted by joe freeman.

TOO MANY MINUTES TERRY

 

[VanillaGorilla]

LMA questionable for tonights game with "general soreness." just tweeted by joe freeman.

TOO MANY MINUTES TERRY

^My new catchphrase, if anyone's wondering (I know you're not)