Game Thread GAME# 43: BLAZERS @ SUNS - JANUARY 21, 2015 - WEDNESDAY, 6:00 PM (PST), CSNNW

PROBABLE STARTERS




PG
DAMIAN LILLARD VS GORAN DRAGIC

SG
WESLEY MATTHEWS VS ERIC BLEDSOE

SF
NIC BATUM VS P.J. TUCKER

PF
DORELL WRIGHT VS MARKIEFF MORRIS

C
CHRIS KAMAN VS ALEX LEN







WHEN: 6:00 PM, WEDNESDAY, 1/21/2015​

WHERE: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ




TV BROADCAST:





RADIO BROADCAST:


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BENCH

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

BLAKE , MCCOLLUM , BARTON , CRABBE

CLAVER , LEONARD , ROBINSON


PHOENIX SUNS

THOMAS , ENNIS , DRAGIC , GREEN

WARREN , MORRIS , WRIGHT , PLUMLEE





INJURIES

TRAIL BLAZERS
▪ LaMarcus Aldridge (left thumb injury): OUT
▪ Joel Freeland (right shoulder strain): OUT
▪ Robin Lopez (fractured right index finger): OUT

SUNS
NONE


HEAD COACHES
- VS –
TERRY STOTTS --- JEFF HORNACEK




BLAZERS' OFFICIAL GAME NOTES ​

OFFICIAL SUNS' GAME NOTES



GO BLAZERS!!!​

 

Game 43: POR (31-11, 12-7 road) @ PHX (25-18, ), 1/21/2015

PHX 3rd in Pacific Division, 8th in West, 6.5 back of POR

Our last game: W v. SAC, 98-94, 1/19/15

Their last game: W @ LAL, 115-100, 1/19/15

Injuries: POR: Aldridge (out), Lopez (out), Freeland (out), Crabbe (day-to-day)
PHX: None

Matchups:

Lillard v. Dragic (17.0ppg, 4.1apg, 3.7rpg)
Matthews v. Bledsoe (16.0ppg, 5.9apg, 5.2rpg)
Batum v. Tucker (7.9ppg, 5.2rpg, 37% 3pt)
Leonard v. Markieff Morris (15.5ppg, 5.8rpg)
Kaman v. Len (6.3ppg, 6.0rpg)

Power Rankings:
ESPN: (9) Two factors that have triggered the sudden availability of Miles Plumlee: Phoenix's recent acquisition of Brandan Wright and the ongoing development of 2013 No. 5 overall pick Alex Len, who has overcome ankle/knee/pinkie woes to help the Suns to a handy 12-5 record in games he starts.

NBA.com: (9) Pace: 99.0 (3) OffRtg: 106.9 (6) DefRtg: 103.8 (18) NetRtg: +3.1 (12)
Alex Len has averaged only 7.9 points and 8.0 rebounds in his 17 games as a starter, but the Suns' starting lineup has allowed just 92.4 points per 100 possessions in that time. And all other lineups have been potent offensively, scoring 111.2. It's a good time for a Phoenix vacation, with temperatures in the 70s and lots of good teams coming to town.

Washington Post: (13) Offensive Rating: 109.6
Defensive Rating: 107.0
The Suns take the third most three-point shots as a percentage of all field goals and rank sixth in three-point percentage (37.3 percent).



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

Final Thoughts:
I'll start with this, thanks to the Washington Post:


They score 107 a game, and they do it with a three-guard lineup that bombs from three and can get into the paint (let Bledsoe shoot 'em--31%--but they have 8 players that shoot 2.6 3s or more per game an all between 33% and 39%). We have a slight issue with big men not available to defend the paint due to calamitous injurity (which I don't think is a word), so I expect that our normally-stellar D is in part cancelled out by having at least 65 minutes of someone named Wright or Leonard or Robinson or Claver playing the 4 or 5. I also know that they give up the 3rd-most ppg (just about 105) against average teams, and while we may be missing a bunch with LMA out, we have people (namely, the RainBroz) who can more than adequately take up excess shot volume. I'm going to be interested in seeing the deep bench get run against a savvy, playoff-level team who can exploit mistakes, and who gave us fits last year. Still and all (how's that for sounding southerly?) I think POR pulls it out in a shootout, with a generous helping of Lillard Time and at least 5 "Clav3r!" or "T-LOB-inson!" or "l3onard!" calls in the game thread. And if you aren't careful, Blanky might toss out 10 dimes to people you thought 3 months ago should be in the D League.

POR 118
PHX 110

 

I'll be in Las Vegas for a few days of fun. Mags is in charge while I'm gone. He's going to give me a full report when I get back and if you're in the report I'm going to ban you.

Or you can give Mags $20 not to be included in the report.

 

:MARIS61:

 

If OKC gets in, they'll match up against the Warriors. THAT'S a win-win. Today, Ijust want a win.

 

what could go wrong with us playing "bombs away" in PHX?

PHX is the worst team in the league at giving up FTs... an unconventional Wes-in-the-post and Dame driving, kicking to Leonard and Dorell could be pretty lethal.

 

sorry, the top line should've been green. You can look at 2 of the first 8 games we played last year. We were way better, but shot 4-19 (21%) in a 13pt loss and 5-15 (33%) in a 90-89 win. (we also lost 120-106 a few weeks later shooting 41%)

When shooting <24 3PA/g, we're 9-1. When shooting >28, we're 12-3. Between 24-28 we're 10-7