Monday Night: Biggest Game Of The Year To Date

[ABM]

The Thunder want/need payback.

Will the Blazers rise to the proverbial challenge?

We shall see. We shall see.

 

[ABM]

Oh, and OKC is somewhat rested. I wouldn't doubt they're in Portland tonight...watching the SB.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Oh, and OKC is somewhat rested. I wouldn't doubt they're in Portland tonight...watching the SB.

Hopefully at Exotica making it rain and running the well dry.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Oh, and OKC is somewhat rested. I wouldn't doubt they're in Portland tonight...watching the SB.

I wonder if they got $5 ribs at the downtown Portland Safeway?

 

[Rhal]

At least were playing them at home were we have a shot. Thunder are playing insane though hopefully our home crowd pumps our guys up and they bring it like they have been at home.

 

[ABM]

At least were playing them at home were we have a shot. Thunder are playing insane though hopefully our home crowd pumps our guys up and they bring it like they have been at home.

Well, like I said, this is a payback game for them as the Blazers have handed them their only home loss to date.

 

[magnifier661]

Every game against a division rival should be the biggest game of the year. We gotta win every series!

 

[Carlito]

Slim to none chances for the blazers

 

[ABM]

Slim to none chances for the blazers

Hmmmm...why is that? This is the same team that beat the Thunder in their gym. Right?

 

[Nikolokolus]

Slim to none chances for the blazers

Actually I'd say slim to decent chance.

 

[ABM]

Actually I'd say slim to decent chance.

Why the 'slim' part? Are the Blazers worse than when they beat the Thunder in OKC?

 

[Nikolokolus]

Why the 'slim' part? Are the Blazers worse than when they beat the Thunder in OKC?

Yeah a little bit.

 

[ABM]

Yeah a little bit.

Hmm....despite the competition, (or lack thereof), I don't know of any other team in the NBA that has wiped the boards with their opponents 3 straight times at home. Plus, even though they've given up leads late, they're not getting blown out by any other team. Say what you want, but at least they're in every single game.

 

[B-Roy]

Yeah a little bit.

Care to explain the reasoning?

Blazers have been consistently dominant at home, consistently trash on the road. Were they really better on the road at the beginning of the season? I know they actually won in OKC, but they got drilled in LA the game before.

 

[illmatic99]

Felton questionable. Don't know if that hurts or helps us if he's out.

 

[THE HCP]

I think them losing to the Spurs hurts us more then them losing to us at home. Had they beat the Spurs, they might have come in here a little relaxed.

 

[magnifier661]

Felton questionable. Don't know if that hurts or helps us if he's out.

Hurts cause Felton did a good job getting in westbrooks head

 

[BlazerBeav]

Care to explain the reasoning?

Blazers have been consistently dominant at home, consistently trash on the road. Were they really better on the road at the beginning of the season? I know they actually won in OKC, but they got drilled in LA the game before.

Drilled in LA? We were on the verge of victory until the refs like Chris Paul call a timeout while sitting out of bounds. We played horribly for three quarters that night and still should have won. We match up well with OKC - I for one am expecting another home win.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Care to explain the reasoning?

Blazers have been consistently dominant at home, consistently trash on the road. Were they really better on the road at the beginning of the season? I know they actually won in OKC, but they got drilled in LA the game before.

I think we started off really hot and ... well, we're just not as hot now (blowouts against the horrendous Bobcats and dog-ass-tired Nuggets not withstanding). Mostly I think this game comes down to some matchups that help the Thunder and the level the Thunder are playing at now compared to the start of the year -- The Blazers should still be slightly favored, but I'd be shocked if they were giving anything more than a point or two against the spread.

Mostly my comment about their chances being "slim to decent" just means that I'd put the odds around fifty-fifty ... but of course people just zero in on the slim part.

 

[jlprk]

Our home court advantage is that we have fans cruel enough to boo Rudy and Oden. I feel sorry for what awaits the Thunder, whatever pieces of them will be left.

 

[ABM]

Mostly my comment about their chances being "slim to decent" just means that I'd put the odds around fifty-fifty ... but of course people just zero in on the slim part.

Now, if you were bold enough to call a woman "slightly" overweight. All she hears is "overweight".

FWIW... (don't be callin' me no woman. )

 

[MickZagger]

Wait, so when we lost our lead and eventually the game against the Warriors on our 3rd night it was a horrible loss. But, when we beatdown Denver on their 3rd night its because they were just dog-ass-tired.

We aren't playing awesome. But, were right in the thick of things. Who would have thought over 20 games in we'd have a better record than Dallas and the Lakers.

 

[tlongII]

We should beat OKC.

 

[KingSpeed]

Our problem hasn't been winning the big game. It's been winning the game after that one. We'll beat OKC easy. We'll probably lose the next one though.

 

[Rhal]

The thunder are a team that you can Offensive rebound on, if we can get a bunch of second chance points off of that it should give us enough of a cushion for if KD and Westbrook decide to go off.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Wait, so when we lost our lead and eventually the game against the Warriors on our 3rd night it was a horrible loss. But, when we beatdown Denver on their 3rd night its because they were just dog-ass-tired.

We aren't playing awesome. But, were right in the thick of things. Who would have thought over 20 games in we'd have a better record than Dallas and the Lakers.

It wasn't a horrendous loss, it was a fully expected loss ... the only horrendous part of that game was an effective Nic sitting on the bench for most of the fourth quarter with fresh legs.

 

[magnifier661]

It wasn't a horrendous loss, it was a fully expected loss ... the only horrendous part of that game was an effective Nic sitting on the bench for most of the fourth quarter with fresh legs.

Horrendous loss was to Sac Queens. I expected us to lose against Golden State.

 

[jlprk]

Batum stupidly told the Thunder how to guard him tonight. No more 3s tonight.

[The Blazers] went 15 of 33 beyond the arc, with Nicolas Batum hitting 9 of 15 to finish with a career-high 33 points.

Batum said he was forced to shoot from distance because of an injured knee, which kept him sidelined the previous two games.

"When I came in tonight I was thinking, 'Don't hurt my knee, don't be crazy tonight,'" he said. "I tried to drive to the basket. I could not dunk, I could not even make a layup. All I could do is shoot from the 3-point line."

http://espn.go.com/nba/preview?id=320206022

 

[THE HCP]

That scouting report got sent out 36 hours ago.

 

[THE HCP]

The HCP will be rocking his old school Sonic hoodie tonight!