Game Thread GAME# 31: BLAZERS @ NUGGETS - FEBRUARY 23, 2021 - TUESDAY, 7:00, TNT

[Darkwebs]

2020-21 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
18 - 12
(10-6 Road)
DENVER NUGGETS
16 - 14
(8-6 Home)

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_____________________________
---------PROBABLE STARTERS---------

PG

DAMIAN LILLARD VS JAMAL MURRAY

SG

GARY TRENT Jr. VS WILL BARTON

SF

DERRICK JONES Jr. VS MICHAEL PORTER Jr.

PF

ROBERT COVINGTON VS ZEKE NNAJI

C

ENES KANTER VS NIKOLA JOKIC

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------- JERSEYS -------

---

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WHEN: 7:00 PM (PST), TUESDAY, 2/23/2021

WHERE: BALL ARENA, DENVER, CO

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

​

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-------------- RESERVES --------------
-- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS --

SIMONS , BLEVINS

ELLEBY , LITTLE , HOOD

ANTHONY , GILES


- DENVER NUGGETS-

CAMPAZZO , HOWARD

MORRIS , HAMPTON

CANCAR , HARTENSTEIN , BOL


INJURIES
TRAIL BLAZERS
Harry Giles (left calf strain): QUESTIONABLE
C.J. McCollum (left foot fracture): OUT
Jusuf Nurkic (right wrist fracture): OUT
Zach Collins (left ankle stress fracture): OUT
NUGGETS
JaMychal Green (shoulder strain): OUT
Gary Harris (left adductor strain): OUT
Paul Millsap (right knee sprain): OUT
P.J. Dozier (right hamstring strain): OUT
Greg Whittington (knee): OUT




HEAD COACHES

- VS –

TERRY STOTTS --- MICHAEL MALONE

OFFICIAL NUGGETS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Portland's Feb. 23 game against Denver will be the first matchup between the Trail Blazers and Nuggets during the 2020-21 season. The remaining two games will be played during the Second Half of the season.

• LAST SEASON: Denver took the season-series with Portland in 2019-20, 3-1. The Nuggets have won three games against the Trail Blazers in each of the last three seasons.

• Damian Lillard averaged 27.8 points (44.4% FG, 39.5% 3-PT, 84.6% FT), 3.0 rebounds, 10.0 assists and 1.50 steals in four games against Denver last season.

• In three games against the Nuggets last season, Gary Trent Jr. averaged 12.7 points (51.9% FG, 60.0% 3-PT, 50.0% FT), 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists, including a 27-point performance in the bubble which is the third-highest scoring game of his career.

• Nikola Jokic averaged 19.3 points (54.8% FG, 47.1% 3-PT, 78.6% FT), 10.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists in four games against the Trail Blazers last season.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 99-85
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 69-23
AT THE NUGGETS: Nuggets lead, 62-30

​

 

[Darkwebs]

It'll be a tough back-to-back for the Blazers, as they will be traveling to the higher altitude of Denver.

Luckily, the Nuggets are suffering from about the amount of injuries as Portland.

This gives us a legitimate shot to steal this one. And boy, do we need it badly after losing 2 games in a row, and facing the defending champs (Lakers) the game after this.

This will be the first of 4 consecutive games the Blazers will be on national TV. Can't get blown out here like against the Suns.

 

[Tince]

Kanter should be able to lock Jokic down!

 

[TBpup]

Please play Little more.

 

[Darkwebs]

Kanter should be able to lock Jokic down!

 

[DDolla]

Just Win Baby!

 

[kjironman1]

That calf strain sure seems like a pretty bad injury at this point?

 

[Tince]

That calf strain sure seems like a pretty bad injury at this point?

Its Giles we're talking about, this should come as no surprise.

 

[kjironman1]

So the higher altitude makes the ball lighter and the players can jump higher right?

 

[BlazerBeav]

Hey look - the Lakers are in danger of losing to the Wizards at home.....

Give them two injuries and they fall apart. Amateurs.

 

[Darkwebs]

Its Giles we're talking about, this should come as no surprise.

Harry "Don't call me fra" giles

 

[illmatic99]

why is it we always play in Denver on the 2nd night of back to backs?

 

[KSF-ERIC]

We have a better road record than Denver's home record. Let's get this!! Start a new win streak!

 

[Darkwebs]

why is it we always play in Denver on the 2nd night of back to backs?

 

[kjironman1]

Harry "Don't call me fra" giles

I'll bet you were just waiting to use that one.

 

[Darkwebs]

I'll bet you were just waiting to use that one.

 

[DDolla]

Need to win this one... can’t go against an angry Lakers team

 

[AldoTrapani]

another loss.. guaranteed

 

[blazerkor]

So I can see this going a few ways. One way is that the ass kicking we just endures lights a big enough fire under our guys and by that I mean Dame, that we make this one competitive and have a very very slim possibility of winning.

The other two ways are that this loss was demoralizing, the team continues to struggle and...

A. Denver beats us savagely and wins by an excess of fifteen points or...

B. The Nuggets lose interest off and on and win by whatever the fuck the spread is... eight.

My official prediction and I hope I'm as wrong as I was against the Suns but the prediction is Denver by 12. You heard it here... we're not going to kick their asses. Let's hope I'm wrong.

 

[THE HCP]

We lose by 20 FAMS.

 

[blazerkor]

Need to win this one... can’t go against an angry Lakers team

That's some positivity but I think the Lakers with AD out are the better chance to get a W and that's also a very slim chance. Honestly I thought tonight was the best chance but they played well... not their best and we played about as badly as we can. With this roster that we are rolling out every night, with one guy over 6'8" who isn't even a good defender, this is a rough road.

There really is not a single excuse why we haven't picked someone up that's a post on a 10 day. Not a reason I can possibly think of. The 10 day contract window isn't closed, we don't even have to apply for the hardship clause because we have an open roster spot, we would get the hardship exception anyways. This is managerial negligence and there really isn't a good reason why it shouldn't cost Neil his job, if in fact we are trying to make the playoffs... which it looks like we will.

Donta Hall is a G League all star who gets 2 blocks a game, shoots 66 percent from the field on mostly dunks, gets 10+ rebounds is 6'10" and 230 lbs. Why the fuck wouldn't we give this guy a shot on a 10 day. He's on an unaffiliated team and he's their for us to give him a try.

 

[blazerkor]

We lose by 20 FAMS.

Goddammit, that means we lose by 32 why would you do this to us... again?!?

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Nuggets are not a good team. Not sure why Aldo, bkor, Nate, and HCP are so afraid of them. We beat Philly without Dame. We beat Dallas. We beat Toronto. We are 10-6 on the road. We can win this game.

 

[blazerkor]

Nuggets are not a good team. Not sure why Aldo, bkor, Nate, and HCP are so afraid of them. We beat Philly without Dame. We beat Dallas. We beat Toronto. We are 10-6 on the road. We can win this game.

Maybe we're blown away by the way we played tonight. Maybe we realize just how bad the Kanter/Joker match up is. Maybe we realize that this "not good" team is only 2 games behind us and has a much better point differential than we do.

I said before that I hope I'm wrong and I really do but this will either be a game where the team has had a big wake up call and plays competitively or a game where the team is a bit demoralized and gets beaten badly.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Maybe we're blown away by the way we played tonight. Maybe we realize just how bad the Kanter/Joker match up is. Maybe we realize that this "not good" team is only 2 games behind us and has a much better point differential than we do.

I said before that I hope I'm wrong and I really do but this will either be a game where the team has had a big wake up call and plays competitively or a game where the team is a bit demoralized and gets beaten badly.

How’d the Kanter/Embiid matchup go? We got the W.

IF we’re as bad as you say, then 2 games below us IS “not good.”

 

[blazerkor]

How’d the Kanter/Embiid matchup go? We got the W.

IF we’re as bad as you say, then 2 games below us IS “not good.”

I never said we're bad, I said this is a bad match up for us. Look at my record, I almost always predict wins but this game coming on the heels of that debacle earlier tonight is a tough one to say is going to be a win and not feel like I'm kidding myself. Sure everyone could come out with a vengeance and it doesn't hurt that our main guys besides Gary got rest in the fourth going into the altitude of Denver but this won't be an easy game and could be another blow out.

If you ignore the fact that tonight could have been bad for the team, then you're putting your head in the sand, which you are known to do. If you think that the loss will light a fire under our team then you should see this game as competitive but not an easy win.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

I never said we're bad, I said this is a bad match up for us. Look at my record, I almost always predict wins but this game coming on the heels of that debacle earlier tonight is a tough one to say is going to be a win and not feel like I'm kidding myself. Sure everyone could come out with a vengeance and it doesn't hurt that our main guys besides Gary got rest in the fourth going into the altitude of Denver but this won't be an easy game and could be another blow out.

If you ignore the fact that tonight could have been bad for the team, then you're putting your head in the sand, which you are known to do. If you think that the loss will light a fire under our team then you should see this game as competitive but not an easy win.

Kanter beat Jokic in playoffs. Where is the bad matchup? Tonight was bad for the team cuz we lost. That’s all. We were never gonna go 61-11. Losses happen. Wins happen too. More often. My head isn’t in the sand. I see it all.

 

[blazerkor]

Kanter beat Jokic in playoffs. Where is the bad matchup? Tonight was bad for the team cuz we lost. That’s all. We were never gonna go 61-11. Losses happen. Wins happen too. More often. My head isn’t in the sand. I see it all.

You always see it positive and I like that more than the other way. So I hope you're right.

 

[SIeepwalker]

Please play Little more.

Why would we play the high potential unknown when we have the comfort of our two consistently mediocre at best forwards !

 

[kjironman1]

There is talk about the brutal schedule the Blazers have had.
I looked at the Nuggets schedule. They just did a 4 game road trip with one B2B in it. This is their first game back after a road trip. So altitude could hurt them as well.
Obviously they have their injury issues as well. They lost to the Celtics, Wiz and Hawks on that road trip but got one win vs the Cavs.
Jokic is dealing with a couple nagging injuries just like Lillard. Sprained Thumb and a tweaked right ankle he is playing on.

This is as close to a "Schedule Loss" as i have ever seen. Combination of injuries, B2B, Type of opponent, Elevation just being in Denver, Mix in the way the Blazers have played the last two games and this one is already in the Loss column right?

Nope.... There is a reason they play the games. All it takes is one player getting a hot hand and the Blazers are in this game.
If they are close you never count Lillard out.

Go Blazers
Kjironman is a fan!!!