Notice TRAIL BLAZERS ASSIGN CLIFF ALEXANDER AND LUIS MONTERO TO D-LEAGUE’S SANTA CRUZ WARRIORS

[jlprk]

Xavier Henry, on our team, looks just like a tall Andre Miller. Misses the FT. We are down 42-28, 8 minutes left in the half.

A makes a baseball pass to Thompson, who makes it downcourt. A misses a dunk and is upset, holding his left knee. Sitting on the floor with trainer looking at it. Limps off the court.

 

[jlprk]

Time out. Commentator lets a secret slip...This is the last game for A and M. Back to the Blazers after this game.

The D-League is mostly a weekend league, like college. 2 games on weekends, no games in between.

A had been missing a dunk as he got hurt. Still sitting on the bench, not bad enough to go the locker room.

 

[jlprk]

M the layup, then delay of game warning. Everytime he does something right, he does something wrong. I think he does it on purpose.

 

[jlprk]

A comes back in! The Blazers need this guy and our fears for the playoffs were unfounded.

 

[jlprk]

Hyperactive M saves the ball. Someone shot, it floated over the line out of bounds, he jumped there and threw it back in in time. Now he plays defense while I'm typing and makes a 3 from what I hear.

 

[jlprk]

Okay that was good. Coming down, someone passes to M 8 feet from the hoop, he twirls about 180 and loops it in over a defender. I actually saw that one. He's working so fast that I only hear half his moves while typing the previous play out.

 

[jlprk]

Lead of 17 down to 5. The Blue's lead, not ours. M getting confident because he's not saddled with fouls tonight as in previous games.

 

[jlprk]

On the fast break, A hammers a dunk. Teammates looking for M but feeding him passes over his head. M blocks a shot.

 

[jlprk]

M misses a step-back from the corner where he and Batum live. A gets his first foul. Great foul situation for our 2 heroes, finally. They are learning how to avoid fouls. Why are the Blazers bringing them back?

 

[jlprk]

Halftime, down only 58-56 because of M!!

Well, Mychel Thompson (Klay's brother) hitting late 3s too, and they cut down the turnovers.

 

[jlprk]

I'll try to copy the halftime box score.

MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A +/- OREB DREB REB AST PF STL TO BS BA PTS
12 4-7 1-2 1-1 0 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 0 10 Montero
14 1-4 0-0 0-0 3 0 4 4 1 1 1 2 3 1 2 Alexander

 

[jlprk]

Let's try the whole thing.

POS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A +/- OREB DREB REB AST PF STL TO BS BA PTS
Darington Hobson
13 F 17 3-7 1-3 0-0 -11 0 4 4 3 1 0 2 0 1 7
Luis Montero
21 F 12 4-7 1-2 1-1 0 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 0 10
Cliff Alexander
19 C 14 1-4 0-0 0-0 3 0 4 4 1 1 1 2 3 1 2
Verdell Jones
17 G 17 4-7 2-3 2-5 -10 1 3 4 2 1 0 1 0 1 12
Aaron Craft
14 G 18 3-7 0-1 1-1 -8 1 2 3 6 0 1 0 1 1 7
Anthony Vereen
34 5 3-3 0-0 0-0 -5 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 1 0 6
Mychel Thompson
15 14 4-7 2-4 0-0 5 0 1 1 2 2 0 1 0 0 10
Xavier Henry
8 6 1-3 0-0 0-1 5 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
Daniel Coursey
41 12 0-0 0-0 0-0 16 0 5 5 0 1 0 1 1 0 0
Ronnie Brewer
18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Terrence Drisdom
9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mac Koshwal
55 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Daniel Nwaelele
12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Chris Udofia
24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total
- - 23-45 6-13 4-8 - 3 21 24 15 11 3 9 8 5 56

 

[jlprk]

It's halftime and I have nothing to do, so I experimented there. After the game, the box scores by quarters and by halves are available, so I guess I'm not providing any public service by recording them before they change.

 

[jlprk]

Short halftime! I missed a minute editing the box score! A gets a foul. 1 minute into the half. M feeds A for the layup. A likes to finish inside with his left hand. M misses a hard close shot he shouldn't have tried.

 

[jlprk]

M races down with it and makes one. Now time for A to look spectacular. He shows quickness blocking a shot. Then he shows power on offense, getting the hard rebound, going back up, repeating for the second attempt against arms all around him, getting fouled. The guy has power but no height. Needs to become a forward and soon.

Commentators say M is fun to watch, is slithery. Calling his Luis sometimes. Getting familiar with him. He is disruptive. Play by play guy interviewed him in Spanish this week. M splits a pair of FTs.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Do these commentators actually like or guys add much as they seem to, or is it just their style?

Regardless, I certainly like what Montero has shown so far.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

The color man sounds like a member of "The Kids in the Hall".

 

[jlprk]

M left open, simply heaves in one from, was it a 3? Looked like it. Like Damian does for the Blazers.

Now inside in traffic, gets the rebound, puts it back in. Showing he can score when alone outside and inside over everyone else.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

That's a pretty jump shot from Montero!

 

[jlprk]

Vereen is fat. He makes A look like a shrimp. 2:42 left in the 3rd quarter, 76-76.

Keep posting, Platypus! We need posters! Help me!

 

[ripcityboy]

The color man sounds like a member of "The Kids in the Hall".

"It is so written so now let it be played!"

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Couple of silly plays from Montero before that last timeout, once on offense, and one on defense. But overall, the commentators seen really high on him. "Taking over a D League game, as an NBA player should do."

 

[jlprk]

Commentator says the guys who have never, ever committed a foul are in order 1) Mychel Thompson (who is currently complaining) and 2) Cameron Jones.

 

[jlprk]

No time to watch your video, Ripcityboy, but keep on posting!

M brings it down like the playmaker he thinks he is, passes to where he expects his teammate to be, but he isn't. Out of bounds. We are down 82-81 at the end of the 3rd.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Vereen is fat. He makes A look like a shrimp. 2:42 left in the 3rd quarter, 76-76.

Keep posting, Platypus! We need posters! Help me!

Vereen too fat to roll to the hoop to get a good drive and dish from Montero. Goes in the books as Montero's turnover, but is the fat guy's fault.

 

[jlprk]

Couple of silly plays from Montero before that last timeout, once on offense, and one on defense. But overall, the commentators seen really high on him. "Taking over a D League game, as an NBA player should do."

He tries to dominate, and succeeds half the time. The Blazers are calling him back after this game, and shouldn't. His confidence is increasing and he needs this experience.

 

[jlprk]

M comes out of nowhere, rejects one, brings it down coast to coast, shoots, out of bounds as usual. Mychel Thompson making great plays, but I'm reporting our 2 guys mainly.

 

[jlprk]

Vereen does not equal Verdell. Verdell Green starts at guard. Fat Vereen subs and just made some great play while I typed. I think I got them mixed up earlier. We are up 87-81 from some great plays not involving our 2 players.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

M comes out of nowhere, rejects one, brings it down coast to coast, shoots, out of bounds as usual. Mychel Thompson making great plays, but I'm reporting our 2 guys mainly.

Don't neglect to mention that the block was of Dakari Johnson, a true center who played at Kentucky and was (IIRC) touted in high school as the player most likely to become the next big time NBA center. FANTASTIC block.

 

[jlprk]

A is a great cheerleader on the bench, is cheering Vereen's plays, not his rival for time at all.