Game Thread GAME# 39: THUNDER @ BLAZERS - JANUARY 4, 2019 - FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, ESPN & NBCSNW

I remember feeling slightly embarrassed when Brandon Roy used to get questionable calls in his favour (after he developed his patented “HEY!”).

I’d love to have that feeling back again.

 

Harden is going to fucking destroy us.

 

Is Dame still sick or something? He needs a break if he is.

 

Not for meJ it isn’t

 

Pretty much.

 

And we can't win a playoff series if we're not a defensive team. The blueprint is well out on how to stop the Blazers.

 

If you want to dwell on that, that's fine.

 

Yeah, we were isolating and setting 35ft ball screens. Common issues.

 

We're getting better, still long way to go, the season isn't decided in January

 

At times yes, but to fair on that last play, they were switching everything so not sure the quick 2 was a realistic option.

But we'll never know.

 

Whyd we stop going to Nurk and running side pick n rolls?

Terry?

 

At the end of the 3rd, George by himself almost had I think 12 to our team's 6 or 8. Westbrook himself also had 6. It was like a total of 22 to 8. Late in the 4th when they started to pull away a little bit, the refs decided to fix up the box score and called a bunch of cheap, ticky tack fouls on them to get us into the penalty early. The final count was 26 to 21 (fouls ended up being 21-17, but again, they had a bunch of cheap ones called later in the 4th).

 

This was such a winnable game.

Moe was unbelievable on defense in the fourth.

 

You have to expect them to switch. In that situation most teams switch everything. He should have a set to take advantage of that, but he doesnt.

 

He's top 3-5 in the league in 2nd half scoring isn't he? I don't think it's "dame time" that's the problem. Just literally everyone has figured out how to guard the Blazers when it matters. Pressure Dame, with traps and double teams. Stick a man on CJ and Nurk, just forget that Moe / Aminu are even on the court and make those guys play 3-5. Once in a while Moe or Chief will make a clutch 3 or play offensively but it's very rare. They do make solid plays defensively, but the offensive is so bogged down in the 4th quarters that's pretty much one of the guards are hitting or you lose. Tonight, they weren't hitting all game long.

 

At least the Lakers lost at home to the Knicks.

 

It was working too well and Dame/CJ weren't getting their shots.

 

Same. I'd prefer if they just called the game straight up, but that's never going to happen.

 

Man i hate CJ. FUCK HIM