Game Thread GAME# 73: BLAZERS @ CLIPPERS - MARCH 24, 2016 - THURSDAY, 7:30 PM (PDT), CSNNW

Clipps just called a timeout and setup a play and got better offensive players in the game. They can hit three's in a flurry as we saw with Reddick and Crawford at the end. They have a great chance to score at that time despite what happened a few minutes earlier. There was still 4 minutes left; plenty in a 7 point game. Maybe Clippers have to yank DeAndre from the game for a minute when we foul and he is certainly a difference maker on both ends. If he misses both as often happens Stotts made the right play.

Of course its easy to say with hindsight what should have been done because we know what was done didn't work. But in a similar situation in the future I like fouling DeAndre and hope to see us do it again.

 

Thoughts on sitting Lillard for the Philly game? He rolled both ankles tonight and we should be able to beat the Sixers handily (I know we lost by 25 earlier this year to them).

 

If trainers say he has no higher risk of reinjury he can play. Keep his minutes at or under 30. We have rest days before and after.

I would sit Dame and CJ and anyone else with accumulated fatigue against Golden State. Thats game two of a 4 games in 5 day stretch and our only back to backs left. Golden State will have a rest day. We need every other win we can get. We may be favored in every other game the rest of the season. Miami will be playing second of a back to back on long trip and 3 in 4 nights. Boston is a coin flip. OKC won't have anything to play for and will be playing 3 in 4 nights; they may sit starters. If we can beat all the cellar dwellers 7-2 is certainly in play here on out. That gives us a 50/50 chance at the 5 seed.

 

Both him and CJ I'd sit. We have enough to handle Philly

 

We might win a rugby match without those two, but a basketball game? Maybe if we hold the cheese stakes below 60 pts...

 

Our two best players had mediocre games. Still, this game was stolen.

When shots aren't falling this team goes on long droughts because they have no low-post scorer.

Oh, if Rivers playing his son this many minutes isn't nepotism I don't know what is.

 

I'll tell you what it was better than I expected

 

Well on that note. You are absolutely wrong on fouling with only 5 seconds left and i can give you countless examples but just for fun i'll play along. What happens when you give up a 3 to Crawford and they tie it up. That didn't turn out so well now did it? You can go Doomsday on any approach. The Blazers played their heart out on the second of a B2B in their gym. I didn't have that game picked as a win in the first place. Now they get a long stretch of home cookin. It will get them time to work on things in practice. Defense and late game situations i am sure will all be part of that practice time. I expect to see a much improved Blazer team in the next 2 weeks. Just like the last time they spent a long period playing at home.

 

Tough loss, Dame -3 ouch. poor shooting night for him. I didn't get to the see the last 5 minutes, but we were up. Bummer

 

Still pissed, but I'm getting over it. It does seem like we have had an unusually large # of losses like that.

Corey Brewer, ZBo, Dirk, Redick, etc. Man, this has been so tough.

 

Spot on. The big picture!!!

Was this worse than the Dallas OT? They both stung deep, but I think Dallas more because... i Dunno.. we should have and I think were expected to win. I don't think many had us winning on the clips court. With that said, when you have the opportunity to win a game your not supposed to... man the emotions run rampant and bipolar mode kicks in. One moment I'm like... DAMN!!! We could have had that one that no one thought we could have had... but then I think.. we weren't supposed to win anyhow, and we were competitive, so is it really that bad?

I'm with ya though, I need a day to get over this one....

 

Our predicted wins per 538 didn't change; this was one we only had a 30% chance of winning anyway and we really came close to stealing it. I'm not bothered much, except it's the Clips and they are assholes.

 

I had us beating Dallas both times but Dallas was just on fire the first game. Wesley was 5 for 5 from three. D will was playing good. Dirk had 40. I had us losing the clippers game but got excited when I saw how they were playing. We should of had last nights game but that's part of a young team learning and sharpening up on mistakes

 

Honestly I don't get why Stott sat Davis with 4 minutes to play, he was killing it the whole game ! Momentum kinda shifted after that.

 

Plumlee barfed it up when he came in. Missed a free throw, turned it over, and got handily outrebounded.

 

I do question Stotts sometimes on when he sub players in and out of the game. It seems when a player going strong he takes them out of the game. This has cost some wins this year but that what I see. Last night has to be lesson learn you have to close game.

 

Which was unexpected because he did great against Jordan earlier in the game. Davis is too small to stop Jordan.

 

WTF is wrong with fouling for possession so the Clips can't tie with a 3? Stotts will never do it but I would take my chances from the line.

 

With 40 sec left?

 

Why give them a chance to tie the game? We've been burned on this many times.