Talkin Ball panel says the Clippers are simply just the better overall team.

Vonleh's got a long way to go. He had a good first game, but was pretty much lost in space last night. 1 for 3 shooting, no rebounds, no assists, 3 fouls, and a plus/minus of -12.

 

Thanks, SlyJinxDog

 

Not re-writing history....just got the games injured incorrect. However, it is just as much speculation and conjecture to say we would have beat them if they were completely healthy. So that would adjust the 'completely healthy' record to 3-1 in favor of the Clippers since last year's playoffs. I love the Blazers as much as anyone but it seems too many people think somehow that winning 1 game at home after getting blown out twice on the road had us having momentum. It would be just as easy to say that the Clippers let down thinking it would be an easy series. Not taking anything away from the Game 3 win but it's difficult to gauge much accomplishment when 2 All-NBA players are missing from the other team for a good portion of the series. Remember how close Portland came to losing Game 6 at home without both of them and then they would have had to win a Game 7 in LA to move on.

 

Which is exactly what I said.

No, but you are taking something away from the Game 4 win. In fact you are completely discounting it, like it didn't happen. As I stated, we never trailed in that game. We led and were in control when LAC had their 2 All-NBA players and ended up winning by 14. Yet, you overlook that game completely when you say we are 1-3 against them in the last 4 games when they were healthy. By my count, we are 2-2. You can blame the Game 5 and 6 wins on their injuries, but if you do so, you should also give us credit for the Game 4 win.

Regarding momentum. After losing Games 1 and 2 by 20, we won Game 3 by 8 and never trailed in Game 4, winning by 14. If that's not a shift in momentum, I don't know what is.

And as much as we all hate injuries, they are part of the game and part of that roster. Their core players are getting older and both CP3 and Blake have a history of injuries. Unlike Pop, Doc rides his stars hard in the regular season, to secure the highest seed possible, and then they end up falling short in the playoffs. Everyone talks about how lucky were were last season with respect to injuries, and an injury can happen to any player at any time, but in general, older players get injured more and take longer to recuperate than younger players. We had the youngest team to make the playoffs last year and I think that had as much to do with our "luck" as anything.

BNM

 

Well at least your not blaming the refs. There was some bad calls but that didn't blow the game.

 

I think people severely underestimate the impact of refs bad calls. It gets into your head. It makes you question your game your playing for fear of being called on a BS call again.

There is a point where one bad call might only equate to 2 points plus or minus, but the overall mental impact can cost double digit points.

No, players should not let bad calls get into their head, but we are all human, and you can only hear that whistle so many times before your play becomes hesitant instead of steadfast.
The refs 100% had an impact on the game in the 4th quarter.

 

Not just the fourth quarter. Aminu had to take a seat with three fouls early in the game. Two of those fouls were complete bullshit. I don't recall the third. On one, Griffin grabbed Aminu then jerked his arm through and flailed. It was a foul on Griffin, but the ref (who couldn't actually see what had happened) called a foul on Aminu. The other was the Chris Paul push off that sent Aminu to the floor. Again, foul on Paul, that went against Aminu. Horrible, horrible call. It never helps when one of your starters has to sit for early foul trouble.

 

Your right and I don't disagree, its just that things that happen in the first half I think can be overcome, but the 4th quarter is do or die and when the refs are still making bad calls, you have no time left to make up for it.
The whole game start to finish was extremely poor officiating, but the icing on the cake was the Plumlee Griffin issue and I think we got derailed from there and the head games began.

 

When Blake Griffin finds someone to punch out again they'll come back down in the standings again....are they a playoff team? Sure....We're only winning 54 games....don't know where you get that outrageous homerish 60 from

 

We needed to get into the Clips heads...instead, they got into ours...

 

Clearly superior. No contest. Slam dunk.

 

Last night seemed like a bad example to make any concrete claims on who is the superior team. Both teams played like shite. I don't claim to have a high bball IQ, but a complete shit-fest seems like a bad place to pull samples from.

 

Clips have the edge, but wait till we got our paint protector (Ezeli) and the bench unit flowing.

 

Can we please trade Daddy Warbucks from the talking ball crew for someone who doesn't talk like he just smelled a fart all the time?

 

Amen!

 

Are the Blazers even good enough for these two teams to be even considered legit rivals.

 

Wow. I'm speechless. I just turned on the game; didn't know what the score was.

What the holy hell happened here? 50-93? Are you kidding me?

Stotts needs to answer for this.

And oh yeah: CLIPPERS BETTER TEAM. And if you doubt that, you are out of touch with reality.

 

It's not close right now.

 

Healthy, they are on a different level than us. It ain't really much of a rivalry.