Game Thread GAME# 40: BLAZERS @ SPURS - JANUARY 16, 2015 - FRIDAY, 5:30 PM (PST), CSNNW

PROBABLE STARTERS




VS








WHEN: 5:30 PM, FRIDAY, 1/16/2015​

WHERE: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX




TV BROADCAST:





RADIO BROADCAST:


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BENCH

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

BLAKE , MCCOLLUM , CRABBE , BARTON

WRIGHT , CLAVER , ROBINSON , LEONARD

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

MILLS , JOSEPH , GINOBILI , ANDERSON

DAYE , DIAW , AYRES , BONNER



INJURIES
TRAIL BLAZERS
▪ Joel Freeland (right shoulder strain): OUT
▪ Robin Lopez (fractured right index finger): OUT
SPURS
▪ Kawhi Leonard (Bruised Right Hand): PROBABLE
▪ Marco Belinelli (Mild Strain, Left Groin): OUT

HEAD COACHES
- VS –
TERRY STOTTS --- GREG POPOVICH




OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

OFFICIAL SPURS' GAME NOTES


GO BLAZERS!!!​

 

Game 40: POR @ SAS (24-16, 4th in Southwest Division, 13-6 home), 1/16/15

Our last game: L v. LAC, 100-94 1/14/15

Their last game: W @ CHA, 98-93 1/14/15

Previous season games: POR 2-0, including 129-119 (3OT) last game

Injuries: POR - Crabbe (out), Lopez (out), Freeland (out). SAS - Bellinelli (groin) - out

Matchups:

Lillard v. Parker (14.8ppg, 4.7 apg, 56% 3pt)
Matthews v. Green (12.6ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.1apg, 40% 3pt)
Batum v. Leonard (15.2ppg, 7.6rpg, 2.5apg, 2.0stl/g)
Aldridge v. Duncan (15.1ppg, 10.3ppg, 3.1apg, 2.0blk/g)
Kaman v. Splitter (7.7ppg, 4.7rpg)

Power Rankings:
ESPN (7) This is the first time in a long time -- going all the way back, in fact, to 2009-10 -- that the Spurs will lose more than 15 games before the All-Star break. Their 23 wins in 38 games is actually tied for the lowest win total through 38 games in the Tim Duncan era, matching a 23-15 start in 2000-01.

NBA.com (4) Pace: 95.4 (20), OffRtg: 105.0 (11), DefRtg: 100.2 (6), NetRtg: +4.7 (7)
The Spurs know drama. They've played the most games that were within five points in the last five minutes and are just 13-13 in those games after a brutal loss against Detroit and a comeback win against Phoenix. Tony Parker is back and Kawhi Leonard is back to traveling with the team, but they've added two more injuries (Manu Ginobili and Marco Belinelli).

CBSSports.com (8) Uh-oh. Since the Spurs held Star Wars night this week (their only loss in the past five games), here's a quote: "That's no moon." The loss to the Pistons disguised the fact that Spurs, after beating the Suns on Saturday, have won four of five. I'm half-convinced they lost to the Pistons just to throw us off the scent. They're coming.

Link to Grandpa Blaze's Prediction Game
Link to MediocreMan's Over/Under Game

Final Thoughts: Obviously SAS is good, but they don't seem to care much about the regular season. Kawhi is cleared to play, so while he may be rusty he's a defensive force and someone you can't sleep on on offense. Duncan is still Duncan and can grab ORBs, but isn't going to cause you to double him. SAS has a couple of good 3pt shooters (especially Parker and Green), but POR is generally pretty good at taking that away. Normally I'd go with a relatively high-scoring game, but I think that POR D holds the Spurs down a bit while the offense does slightly better than average. They have 3 starters who average over a block or steal per game (Duncan and Green do both) and POR will have to play disciplined ball. I still think they squeak it out, though.

POR 104
SAS 100

 

Preview updated in post 2.