McMillan is juggling the delicate balance of mixing work and rest for the Blazers and, after taking Friday off, McMillan had his team merely watch film and go through a light walkthrough Sunday. By the time practice had opened to reporters, Brandon Roy, Steve Blake and Joel Przybilla -- who continues to battle an illness -- already were lifting weights, and virtually everyone else already was shooting. It's rare for players to be scattered that early in practice.
We asked McMillan following Saturday night's game if the Blazers were tired and how he planned to manage his team's physical condition in the coming weeks. He said he keeps in constant communication with team trainer Jay Jensen and the players, and tries to read their body language to get a feel for the team's condition. McMillan is more inclined this time of year to give the guys a day off.
I get the sense this team is tired. But I asked Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Przybilla following the Timberwolves' game and they emphatically disagreed.
"I am," center Joel Przybilla said, laughing. "No, I don't think so. We're too young to be tired."
McMillan was a bit more pragmatic.
"It's just part of the season," he said. "Mentally, with all the games coming up and the situation we're in, it could be. So we have to look at that. We have to look at them, talk to the trainers, talk to the players and just get a feel for the guys. I felt like (Friday) we needed a day off."
• The Blazers did not begin preparing for the Lakers today. Instead, they watched film of Saturday night's game and focused on their own shortcomings, specifically their end-of-game execution. The Blazers, who lead the NBA with an 8-1 record in games decided by three points or less, have been near automatic in nail-biters this season. But at least part of that has come courtesy of luck.
In their last two victories, against Indiana and Minnesota, Jarrett Jack and Randy Foye got open, potential game-winning three-pointers at the buzzer but missed.
"Last night, even though we won that game ... we have to understand the time, score and situation," McMillan said, uttering a phrase I've heard dozens and dozens of times the last two seasons. "So we covered that. Reviewing. It's that time to review. We just want to make sure that we understand the situation. There has been several games where we haven't executed down the stretch."
