Game Thread GAME# 42: BLAZERS @ PELICANS - JANUARY 12, 2018 - FRIDAY, 5:00 PM (PST), NBCSNW

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Darkwebs, Jan 10, 2018.

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Half the season is done. Blazers are 5th in the West. Who will overtake them by season's end?

Poll closed Jan 17, 2018.
  1. Thunder

    40.6%
  2. Nuggets

    3.1%
  3. Pelicans

    6.3%
  4. Any of the Western teams currently out of the playoffs picture (Clipper, Jazz, Grizzlies, etc.)

    6.3%
  5. None of these teams

    50.0%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. Darkwebs

    Darkwebs Awakened to emptiness Staff Member Moderator

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    [​IMG]



    2017-18 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
    PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
    22 - 18
    (12-8 Road)
    NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

    20 - 19
    (10-9 Home)


    _____________________________
    ---------
    PROBABLE STARTERS---------


    ----PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS----
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    DAMIAN LILLARD (PG) , C.J. McCOLLUM (SG)

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    MAURICE HARKLESS (SF) , AL-FAROUQ AMINU (PF)

    [​IMG]
    JUSUF NURKIC (C)



    -------- NEW ORLEANS PELICANS --------
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    RAJON RONDO (PG) , JRUE HOLIDAY (SG)

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    E’TWAUN MOORE (SF) , ANTHONY DAVIS (PF)

    [​IMG]
    DeMARCUS COUSINS (C)



    ------------------------------------------------------




    WHEN: 5:00 PM, FRIDAY, 1/12/2018

    WHERE: SMOOTHIE KING CENTER, NEW ORLEANS, LA
    [​IMG]



    TV BROADCAST:
    [​IMG]


    RADIO BROADCAST:
    [​IMG]


    ------------------------------------------------------



    --------------BENCH--------------
    - PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS -
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    NAPIER , CONNAUGHTON
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    LAYMAN , VONLEH
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    COLLINS , DAVIS , LEONARD

    - NEW ORLEANS PELICANS-
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    NELSON , CLARK , COOKE
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    LIGGINS , JONES , MILLER ,
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    CUNNINGHAM , DIALLO , ASIK

    INJURIES

    TRAIL BLAZERS
    Damian Lillard (right calf strain): QUESTIONABLE
    Even Turner (illness): OUT
    C.J. Wilcox (right knee rehab): OUT
    Wade Baldwin IV (G-League): OUT
    Caleb Swanigan (G-League): OUT

    PELICANS
    Anthony Davis (Right Ankle): QUESTIONABLE
    Tony Allen (Left Fibula Fracture): OUT
    Alexis Ajinca (Right Knee Injury): OUT
    Solomon Hill (Left HamstringTear): OUT
    Frank Jackson (Right Foot Fracture): OUT



    HEAD COACHES
    [​IMG] - VS – [​IMG]
    TERRY STOTTS --- ALVIN GENTRY


    :reading:OFFICIAL PELICANS' GAME NOTES
    :reading: OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES






    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2018
  2. KingSpeed

    KingSpeed Veteran

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    I think we could conceivably win our next 9 games. That would make us 31-19 and likely 4th in West with time to chase Spurs.
     
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  3. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    Lol.
     
  4. BBert

    BBert Weasels Ripped My Flesh

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    I do not think that word means what you think it means ;)

    :cheers:
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2018
  5. KingSpeed

    KingSpeed Veteran

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    Look at the schedule. It's a Cake Walk.
     
  6. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    It's more likely we go 0-2 over the next two games than 2-0. 5 of our next 9 games are against .500+ teams.

    I expect us to go 5-4 and end up with a 27-23 record. What's your honest opinion?
     
  7. KingSpeed

    KingSpeed Veteran

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    Um next 2 games are easy. We are elite road team with elite defense against two teams full of "stars" who have never reached playoffs. I expect wins in both. As for the next 7, a bad bounce of the balk could cost us 2 wins I suppose but honestly, I'll go 8-1. 9-0 is completely doable though. Just watch. Nurkic and Turner are going to hit a groove. Don't look now but Turner has raised his 3point % from 19 to 30 and rising.
     
  8. Strenuus

    Strenuus Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Butler has played 35 games in the playoffs. (Considered a star - which he is)

    Tony Allen has been in 50 games (not a star, but we're looking overall now)

    And although not a star anymore - There's Rondo.

    I know you're going to come back and say I said "stars" but anyone with that much playoff experience is good as a starter or on the bench, so indirectly or directly they can affect the game.
     
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  9. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    How??? We already lost to the Pelicans at home when they were without Davis. Now we have to beat them in New Orleans when they have Davis. Their team is just about as good as ours (20-20 compared to 22-19).

    The Timberwolves are better than us so how the hell is that going to be easy? They're 4 games ahead of us and 16-6 at home. We're 12-9 on the road yet you consider us "elite"... well they're more of an elite home team than we're an elite road team.

    BTW, Holiday and Davis have reached the playoffs. Rondo has won a championship. E'Twaun Moore got his NOP contract because of one stellar playoff stretch.
    MIN has Butler and Gibson (multiple playoff series in CHI), Teague (multiple playoff series' in ATL & IND), and Crawford (multiple playoff series in LAC, ATL, etc.). In fact, 4 of MIN's top 6 playoffs have reached the 2nd round.

    But what does "playoff history" have to do with winning regular-season games? Have this current iteration of the Minnesota Timberwolves missed the playoffs? No, and they'll make it. Cousins and Davis have been playing together for less than a year... Organizational playoff history is irrelevant...

    So basically, your prediction isn't logical, for the reasons I stated.
     
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  10. Strenuus

    Strenuus Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    [​IMG]
     
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  11. KingSpeed

    KingSpeed Veteran

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    Yes but Cousins, Towns, and Wiggins are the ones I'm obviously referring to.
     
  12. KingSpeed

    KingSpeed Veteran

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    We beat Pelicans at the home opener. You can't compare teams by record when they have played different schedules. Minnesota isn't "better than us." We are an elite road team. 3rd best road record in the West. Never said Rondo or Butler or Moore hadn't been to playoffs. Just saying those teams have "stars" who haven't been to playoffs such as Cousins, Towns, and Wiggins. It's true. They're learning how to win. We've already proven ourselves making playoffs last 4 years and winning two rounds. Minnesota hasn't been in playoffs since 2004. Not worried about our matchup with them at all. If we met them in playoffs, we would win the series in 4 or 5 games.
     
  13. stampedehero

    stampedehero Make Your Day, a Doobies Day Staff Member Moderator

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    That is the key word. It also represents optimism. Paper wins are great for a fantasy league but we can consider the referring and sporadic defense we had seen in the first 40 games as the counter element to your optimism. I really hope we do we 9. Just sayin...
     
  14. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    You said "full of stars that have never been to the playoffs", but they have multiple stats that have as well. Basically, but teams have multiple stars, which is why they're good. By that logic though, we better bench Collins in the playoffs.

    Minnesota is 4 games ahead of us with a harder schedule. How are they not better? They have a better record at home than we do on the road too. You sound like a Laker fan.. "They haven't been to the playoffs since 2004"... So what? Are the Lakers better than us because they have 15 rings to our 1? Why are you basing how good a team is based off the past? You realize Butler, Cousins, Teague, Rondo, and Gibson were added on the past year? Do you realize the Wolves are improving because they're young as well?

    Are the Timberwolves not an elite home team?
     
  15. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    So how are the Pelicans full of stars that haven't made the playoffs if they have one star player that hasn't made the playoffs? *facepalm*
     
  16. Mr. Robot

    Mr. Robot Well-Known Member

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    [​IMG]
     
  17. BrunoSOC

    BrunoSOC Ripcity from Brazil

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    This is a winnable game. I hope Dame gets angry and lead us to a big run. We have been playing good basketball last few games. Time to win this and get ready for a war against the Wolves on sunday.
     
  18. Strenuus

    Strenuus Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Butler is a star.
     
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  19. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    SIGH
     
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  20. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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