POR at LAL, Game 38, 1/11/2015
LAL 12-25, last in Pacific Division
Our Last Game: W v. ORL, 103-92 1/10/15
ESPN said:
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 25 points and the
Portland Trail Blazers handed the
Orlando Magic their sixth consecutive loss, 103-92 on Saturday night.
Aldridge hit 10 of 22 shots to help the Blazers (29-8) tie Golden State for most wins in the NBA this season.
Wesley Matthews scored 18 points, including two free throws that gave the Blazers the lead for good at 87-85 with 3:56 remaining. Portland had five players in double figures.
The Magic out-rebounded Portland 49-43. The Blazers lead the NBA in rebounding at 46.7 per game.
Portland threatened to make it a rout at the outset, rolling to a 24-9 lead late in the first quarter. The Magic couldn't make shots, hitting only 5 of 22 during the opening quarter.
The Blazers led by as many as 19 during the first half before Orlando caught fire midway through the second quarter. Vucevic, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds during the first half, scored three consecutive baskets to help the Magic finish the first half on a 12-2 run, cutting the halftime deficit to 46-41.
Portland led 72-70 after three quarters, surviving a flurry from Orlando. Oladipo scored six points during an 11-0 run as the Magic grabbed a 52-48 lead three minutes into the third. The teams traded the lead 10 times during the remainder of the quarter, with Aldridge giving Portland the edge heading into the fourth on two free throws.
Their Last Game: W v. ORL, 101-84 1/9/15
ESPN said:
When
Kobe Bryant stays home to rest, the
Los Angeles Lakers must play a different game to compete. With balanced scoring, relentless rebounding and an unlikely contribution from a newcomer, they got the formula exactly right against the slumping
Orlando Magic.
Jeremy Lin scored 18 points,
Carlos Boozer added 12 points and 14 rebounds, and the Lakers beat the Magic 101-84 on Friday night.
Rookie
Tarik Black had all of his career-high 14 points and nine rebounds in the second half for the Lakers, who won for the second time in their five games this season when coach Byron Scott chooses to rest the 36-year-old Bryant.
Bryant wasn't at Staples Center to watch his teammates' steady effort in finishing off the Magic. He also sat out three games last month, and he missed Monday's game in Portland.
"We try to bring more energy when he's out, play more up-tempo," said
Nick Young, who had nine points.
They had plenty of energy, maintaining a lead throughout the final 45 minutes. They finished off Orlando with a 12-2 run midway through the fourth quarter, highlighted by three straight baskets from Boozer.
"I just saw us being much more aggressive than we were the last game, much more physical," Lakers coach Byron Scott said, referring to their blowout loss to the Clippers two nights ago. "(We) quit assuming every shot is going in."
Last L*ker Matchup: W v. LAL, 98-94, 1/5/15
ESPN said:
On a night that could have gone terribly wrong for the Trail Blazers,
Damian Lillard made everything right in the end.
Lillard scored 39 points and made the go-ahead basket with 36 seconds remaining as Portland rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half to beat the
Los Angeles Lakers 98-94 on Monday night.
In the first quarter, Blazers starting guard
Wesley Matthews collapsed to the floor and grabbed his left knee while driving to the basket. Matthews was helped to the locker room, then returned to the bench and eventually the game during the second quarter.
Matthews, averaging 16.9 points per game, said he had a hyperextended left knee but didn't think it was serious. He played 30 minutes and scored five points.
"I told him he scared me, because he did," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "I was shocked to see him come back. I'm no doctor, but it didn't look good."
Lillard hit four 3-pointers, and scored 16 points during the fourth quarter to lead the Blazers (27-8). He has scored at least 39 points in three of his past nine games.
LaMarcus Aldridge added 21 points, and reserve center
Meyers Leonard had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Portland.
Injuries: POR -- Lopez (out), Freeland (out), Crabbe (out)
LAL: Price (probable), K*be (Probable), Nash (out), Randle (out)
Matchups:
Lillard v. Price (5.6ppg, 3.7apg, 1.5stl/g) 11pts, 8 ast last POR game
Matthews v. K*be (23.0ppg, 5.6rpg, 5.3apg) DNP last POR game
Batum v. Johnson (9.4ppg, 3.7rpg, 37% 3pt) DNP last POR game
Aldridge v. Davis (8.0ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.2blk/g) - 4pts, 4reb last POR game
Kaman v. Hill (12.0ppg, 8.0rpg) 23pts, 14 reb last POR game
Power Rankings:
ESPN (24) No. 24 just became one of only three players in history, along with Wilt and J-Kidd, to post multiple triple-doubles in a single season at age 36 or older. Until Sunday, furthermore, Kobe had missed all five of his potential go-ahead shots with less than 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter or overtime this season.
NBA.com (25)
Pace: 97.7 (7), OffRtg: 103.9 (15), DefRtg: 109.7 (29), NetRtg: -5.8 (27)
Kobe Bryant hit some clutch shots this weekend (
he's taken 16 more than anybody else this season), but it would be nice if he didn't have to
overrule his coach and point guard when it's obviously time to foul. Carlos Boozer has better numbers (14.2 points per game on 57 percent shooting) coming off the bench than he did as a starter (12.4, 50 percent).
Covers (27) Though they still stink, the Lakers have covered 10 of their last 13 games, including four straight.
Washington Post: (25) Kobe Bryant took a much-needed three-game rest and has returned looking to do more than shoot until his right arm felt rubbery. In his past two games, Bryant has recorded 19 rebounds and 19 assists and became the third player in NBA history with multiple triple-doubles in a season at age 36 or older.
Arizona Central Republic (27) Comment: A pass-first Kobe Bryant doesn't mean wins, but it has made them more watchable.
Link to Grandpa Blaze's Prediction Game
Link to Mediocre Man's Over/Under Game
Final Thoughts: It took a monster game from Dame (39/6/5) last week to pull away with a win that wasn't easy until the final minutes. Their bench (Lin, Ellington, Young) all shoot 38% 3pt or higher, so they can stay in games. Then again, K*be's playing tonight, so you can probably subtract 7 points on their end and add 7 for us. I think the pace will be a bit higher, and you'll see more of LMA/Kaman/Leonard doing what they can against the L*ker interior D. They give 107.6ppg to average teams they play, and POR is decidedly above-average.
Us 114
Them 99
- VS –
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