Tipoff: 7 tonight at the Rose Garden. TV: ESPN. Radio: KTCT (1050). Trail Blazers update: Portland beat the host Los Angeles Lakers 91-80 Tuesday to move to a half-game behind Utah in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Blazers have a challenging stretch run, finishing the season at San Antonio, at Denver, then home against San Antonio and the Lakers. Portland is 1-2 against the Warriors this season, the win coming Feb. 20, the day after it traded F Rasheed Wallace. The Trail Blazers are 15-9 since the deal. F Zach Randolph has enjoyed a breakout season and is averaging 20.1 points and 10.5 rebounds. Warriors injuries: C Erick Dampier (ankle), C Evan Eschmeyer (knees) and G Nick Van Exel (knee) are out. Trail Blazers injuries: G Omar Cook (quadriceps), F Travis Outlaw (knee) and C Vladimir Stepania (knee) are out.
well the W's spoiled Cleveland's chance at the playoffs on Saturday, we beat Houston who has 2 or 3 teams breathing down their backs for the 7th and 8th spot and one of those teams happens to be the Blazers. I gotta say, even though it sucks not getting in the playoffs, its fun playing the spoiler should be a close game though with both teams coming off a back to back
i'm from Cleveland and I must say you didnt spoil it just yet.. The odds are stacked, but it'll be fun to watch.. About this game tonight, I think the Blazers can win this game, if they play as good as they did last night against the Lakers.. Also Shareef has to step up his game if the Blazers want to make a run for the playoffs..
This is a must win for the Blazers tonight. A night after beating the blazers, a loss to the Warriors at home would put them in a hole. I think the Warriors will fight to the end and this game can go either way with the Blazers getting the edge. And about the Cavs, the Warriors all but destroyed the Cavs playoff hopes.
agreed. and if the W's didn't do it, the 1 pt loss to Toronto last night sure did. The Cavs are my second favorite team and it does sadden me that they did not make it in, but with Lebron, im sure they will have their opportunities soon enough. I gotta agree with you Rudeezy, I think the game will be close, but I feel Portland will pull away in the 4th since they are at home and the W's depleted roster is probably exhausted after last night. Hope they prove me wrong.
ESPN has idiot announcers. I swear I am going to turn the mute button on. They asked, "oh why didn't the warriors play this well during the beginning of the season." If they can't answer that themselves then they are the most retarded basketball announcers to still have a job. I'd like to see the lakers or any other team learn how to play well with mostly their bench after they've traded away their top two players and sustained all these injuries. You have to learn how to play together after you've lost your main guys to injury and offseason moves. Then you have to get used to certain players on the floor because your main guys are injured and keep coming and going back out.
^ Yeah, the one thing I hate about national broadcasts is that the announcers never know jack about our team. In one of our few chances to get national coverage, they give false information to the other people watching it, and they pretend to know more about the Warriors than you do. When you say that they're wrong, they're all "but I heard it on ESPN- Bill Walton said so!" hahaa LMAO.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Cleveland_Sheed:</div><div class="quote_post">what about that dunk by J-Rich over Ratliff i think.... One word... AMAZING!!!</div> Yeah that was super sick! I love Jrich
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting kobeonfire:</div><div class="quote_post">^ Yeah, the one thing I hate about national broadcasts is that the announcers never know jack about our team. In one of our few chances to get national coverage, they give false information to the other people watching it, and they pretend to know more about the Warriors than you do. When you say that they're wrong, they're all "but I heard it on ESPN- Bill Walton said so!" hahaa LMAO.</div> If you're an announcer broadcasting nationally they better do their homework that's all I can say. I don't know how many times people throw ignorance on air or say b.s. comments. When you've got a lot of injured players going back and forth between the active roster and the I.R. you're going to have to give the team time to get used to one another. Also having 8 healthy players with very thin depth at your 5 and 4 spots is devastating. We could have really used Dampier to control the paint and work some post moves inside. Foyle can't do that yet. He's still offensively challenged and sluggish still from the knee surgeries.
Ratliff was the difference in this game with his blocks because anytime the warriors got to the rim he changed their shots. He even made J-rich airball a 3 footer. Also I think he goal tended the last shot that chaney had and that just changed the game. It could have been a two point lead instead it became 6. Also I Dunleavy looked horrible out there when he was on the court.
Damn, came up short again. We "almost" beat em... the word that comes up frequently this season. Damn it, if we had Dampier in there It'd wouldn't have been so easy for them to take us in the paint.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Gohn:</div><div class="quote_post">Ratliff was the difference in this game with his blocks because anytime the warriors got to the rim he changed their shots. He even made J-rich airball a 3 footer. Also I think he goal tended the last shot that chaney had and that just changed the game. It could have been a two point lead instead it became 6. Also I Dunleavy looked horrible out there when he was on the court.</div> Yea, Cheaney's shot looked like it was going downwards when Ratliff spiked the ball.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Gohn:</div><div class="quote_post">Ratliff was the difference in this game with his blocks because anytime the warriors got to the rim he changed their shots. He even made J-rich airball a 3 footer. Also I think he goal tended the last shot that chaney had and that just changed the game. It could have been a two point lead instead it became 6. Also I Dunleavy looked horrible out there when he was on the court.</div> I thought that was a serious goal tend. The refs goofed on that play.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting openglfx:</div><div class="quote_post">Damn, came up short again. We "almost" beat em... the word that comes up frequently this season. Damn it, if we had Dampier in there It'd wouldn't have been so easy for them to take us in the paint.</div> The center spot we're going to need badly next year. But there is a chance that Damp could stay if he doesn't feel like relocating and he is impressed with the way the warriors played without him.
I think Damps pretty much gone, unless he feels his injury is going to lower his value, but I don't thinks so. I think the warriors will do fine without him, but they clearly miss him. One of the reasons is Murphy is an awful defender and Foyle hasn't played like he did last year. If he played like he played last year, the drop off would be that noticable. His shotblocking presence hasn't been there this year.
Maybe this year might unveal a hidden jewel at the center spot. Who knows. Did anyone think that Jamal Magloire would be decent when he was drafted 19th overall?
J-Rich had a nice night, he tried to take over the game in the 3rd and did a pretty nice job of it until Cliffy caught fire. Rich was a little out of control with some of his ball handling though. Does anyone else think we should trade Uncle Cliffy, cause I don't, I love his defense and his clutch 3's and that smug look on his face after he gets whistled for a foul is classic. This was the first Blazer game I have seen since they traded Sheed, and I must say that they are really talented and if I was the #1 seed I would be praying that they dont get in the playoffs.
I think we should hold on to Cliffy, especially if we are planning to make the playoffs next season. This guy is a great defensive presence and you would definately need him in a series in the West with guys like Duncan, KG, Malone, etc.
