LaMarcus Aldrige...
Well, you can call him Mister Big Dunk, now*.
(*The nickname expires at midnight.)
With 5:08 remaining in the fourth quarter,Aldridge threw down a power dunk that brought the Rose Garden fans to their feet.It was an exclamation point after a hard fought 3rd and early 4th quarter. The jam--a tremendous rebound dunk off a missed shot--came as a surprise to everyone, including Aldridge himself.
After that Roy, Outlaw, Jones and Jack pushed the point, making shot after tough shot. And the Blazers didn't rattle when the Lakers dropped in a pair of 3's late and Kobe threatened.
(Note to Reader: Jones knocked down several clutch shots late in the game. It's good to have him back and prowling the perimeter)
Roy's clutch free-throws with 39 seconds left, confirmed his leadership ability and toughness.
The ankle injury which kept him out against the Clippers was treated as an afterthought. When it came time to take over, he did.
Roy matched Kobe's aggression one to one. His confidence against Kobe was a catalyst for his teammates' success.
So here's the low down:
The Blazers showed toughness and shared the ball. Roy and Outlaw led the way. The Lakers' ten game win streak is over. And LaMarcus Aldridge will sleep well tonight.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Death by Crossover: Roy takes Luke Walton to the Hoop.
Brandon just gave Luke Walton a strong taste of his ailing ankle by breaking him down with a sick crossover move to the basket. A very pretty 2 points. Roy's change of speed and explosiveness are so deceiving.
Blake is starting to heat up as well. Three 3's in the 2nd quarter. He's shooting with confidence and the crowd is loving it. Can you say "En Fuego!!!" After being down by 10, The Blazers are up by 5 going into the half.
Halftime Score:
Lakers: 59 (55% FG shooting).
Blazers: 65 (55% FG shooting).
Blake is starting to heat up as well. Three 3's in the 2nd quarter. He's shooting with confidence and the crowd is loving it. Can you say "En Fuego!!!" After being down by 10, The Blazers are up by 5 going into the half.
Halftime Score:
Lakers: 59 (55% FG shooting).
Blazers: 65 (55% FG shooting).
That's the End of the 1st Quarter
LA: 32
Blazers: 28
The Lakers are carving through the Blazers' interior defense much too easily. I guess that's the beauty of the triangle offense. But put a body on someone. Hell, a hard foul now and again wouldn't be such a bad thing. LA is shooting 67% and getting pretty much any kind of shot they want.
Thank goodness for the skill of the Blazers' perimeter players. Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake are stroking it from deep. 3 is better than 2, you know. To keep the easy buckets coming, Jarret Jack needs to continue driving to the basket and kicking it out to the Blazers' sharp-shooters. He's at his best when he's being aggressive and not trying to orchestrate the offense.
Blazers: 28
The Lakers are carving through the Blazers' interior defense much too easily. I guess that's the beauty of the triangle offense. But put a body on someone. Hell, a hard foul now and again wouldn't be such a bad thing. LA is shooting 67% and getting pretty much any kind of shot they want.
Thank goodness for the skill of the Blazers' perimeter players. Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake are stroking it from deep. 3 is better than 2, you know. To keep the easy buckets coming, Jarret Jack needs to continue driving to the basket and kicking it out to the Blazers' sharp-shooters. He's at his best when he's being aggressive and not trying to orchestrate the offense.
Roy Shines Early. But So Does Kobe
Welcome back Brandon!
With two early buckets, it looks like the Blazers' team captain is feeling pretty good on that sore ankle. He's got all 5 of the Blazers early points, including a tough pull-up jumper. But the team is down by 8 and Kobe is heating up already. Doesn't he know that he's supposed to come out flat in the second game of a back-to-back. Some physical D is in order. I'm waiting to see which Blazer steps up to the challenge.
With two early buckets, it looks like the Blazers' team captain is feeling pretty good on that sore ankle. He's got all 5 of the Blazers early points, including a tough pull-up jumper. But the team is down by 8 and Kobe is heating up already. Doesn't he know that he's supposed to come out flat in the second game of a back-to-back. Some physical D is in order. I'm waiting to see which Blazer steps up to the challenge.
Pregame Musings: Taking the Kobe Challenge
So Kobe's in town and ready to do his usual assassin's act. In all honesty, the man scares me, and I think this much improved Laker's team scares the Blazers a bit as well.
Let's see if the Blazers can get off to another hot start but follow through with a win this time. They did a nice job beating LA's other team earlier this week. With Brandon Roy and James Jones back in the line-up, let's see if they can build on that momentum.
After watching the pregame segment featuring Greg Oden doing Pilate's, I'm pretty optimistic the Blazers can channel their "positive energy" and come up with a much needed home victory.
Let's see if the Blazers can get off to another hot start but follow through with a win this time. They did a nice job beating LA's other team earlier this week. With Brandon Roy and James Jones back in the line-up, let's see if they can build on that momentum.
After watching the pregame segment featuring Greg Oden doing Pilate's, I'm pretty optimistic the Blazers can channel their "positive energy" and come up with a much needed home victory.
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