Details: When: Thursday, March 23rd Where: Rose Garden, Portland Time (Seattle): 7:00 P.M. TV: Fox Sports, League Pass Projected Starters: <font color="Green">Seattle (46-20) </font> Luke Ridnour Ray Allen Rashard Lewis Reggie Evans Jerome James <font color="Indigo"><font color="Red">Portland (23-43)</font> </font><font color="Indigo"> <font color="Black">Damon Stoudamire</font> </font>Sebastian Telfair Darius Miles Shareef Abdur-Rahim Joel Przybilla Injury Troubles: <font color="Green">Seattle</font> Mateen Cleaves: Sprained thumb, ruled out. Vladimir Radmanovic: Stress fracture in leg, ruled out. Danny Fortson: Foot injury, probable. Ray Allen: Sprained ankle, questionable. <font color="Red">Portland</font> Zach Randolph: Bruised knee, ruled out. Nick Van Exel: Arthritic knee, ruled out. Theo Ratliff: Sore left shoulder, ruled out. Brief Notes: <ul> [*]The Supes catch a big break as Sonic killer and dominating postman Zach Randolph will sit out because of injury. They should instead face a young and quick lineup including first round pick, much hyped Sebastian Telfair. The Blazers also boast Joel Przybilla who had a downright amazing game in Portland's last (a loss to Sacramento). Przybilla dominated the paint with 21 rebounds and 8 blocks. [/list] <ul> [*]Ray Allen will once again be a gametime decision as he nurses a sprained ankle and according to recent success from the Sonics may indicate that it is not such a bad thing. Rashard Lewis has stepped into the all-star/team leader role superbly as role players such as Flip Murray, Nick Collison, and Luke Ridnour have also taken it upon themselves to fill in for the ailing superstar. Ridnour is fresh off of a game where he scored over 20 points for the first time in his career and was an assist away from a double double. [/list] * Useful/less stat of the day: Blazers' guard Richie Frahm has virtually the same stats with Portland as he did last season with the Sonics. * Word of the Day: Pulchritude; n: physical comeliness, beauty "Dozens upon dozens of females find Luke Ridnour to extrude pulchritude." Random Family Guy Quote (Peter and Brain are in jail) Brian: Uh, how was your shower? Peter: Oh, I tell ya Brian, all the rumors about dropping the soap are true. Brian: Really? Peter: Oh yeah, you can't hold onto that thing to save your life. Oh, it was slipping all over the place. Guys were laughing. All predictions, analysis and discussion relating directly to the game, both before, during and after, to be posted in this thread.
What the hell happened to Przybilla? He's looking like the best center in the West lately (which I guess isn't saying much). I'd be willing to throw some free agent dollars at him if he didn't look like Jim McIlvaine so much. If Foyle can get 40 million he'll probably get 60.
I love when these two teams match up. For whatever reason we always seem to get Portland's best game. Last year's game at Portland in March may have been one of the best games I've ever seen. I hope if Ray is available Nate doesn't go back to burrying Murray at the end of the bench. I think that the fact that we have a higher winning percentage when he is playing substantial minutes should weigh heavily on Nate adjusting the rotation. The fact that Radman is out too should bode well for Flip. *'Spoon--you are something else
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting d00d:</div><div class="quote_post">Details: (Peter and Brain are in jail) Brian: Uh, how was your shower? Peter: Oh, I tell ya Brian, all the rumors about dropping the soap are true. Brian: Really? Peter: Oh yeah, you can't hold onto that thing to save your life. Oh, it was slipping all over the place. Guys were laughing. </div> "Hey, there's that guy who couldn't hold the soap!" "Haha yeah, that was hilarious!"
I have this great idea. Let's not lose to Portland, the team who has lost 10 of 11 since firing Cheeks, has their best player out and has little to play for. Get your f*cking act together, Supes.
Is there a team in this league with more depth than us. When you have a guy whose been on the injured list all season come in for Sweet Lew and give you 21 points and great defense you know that you've done a great job as a general manager. Howard Schultz really needs to make a priority to resign Rick Sund. Damien Wilkins looked very comfortable and very confident. His contract is up at the end of the season as well and this performance will definitely help him in the negotiation process. Nate's rotation still continues to baffle me. Ray Allen has been out with a tender ankle, Fortson and James just came off of an injury, Sweet Lew left the game in the first quarter, and Vlad is out for the rest of the regular season. All of these factors in my mind would suggest to me that Flip would get consistent minutes especially considering that he has given us a huge spark in the three previous games when these players were out of the line up. He had a couple defensive lapses and Nate gave him the quick hook. I haven't looked at the box score but I don't think that he played 10 minutes. Granted we won the game, but I don't think that those antics will help us when we are playing against a team that is better than the Blazers. Considering the fact that most teams in the league are better than the Blazers, Nate needs to stop playing with people's heads. I wish that he would be as particular with Ray Allen when he comes down court and dribbles for the entire shot clock and then shoots an ill advised contested shot. Or when Ray funnels his man down the lane so that our bigs end up getting in foul trouble. All that playing the game the right way rhetoric that Nate preaches should apply to Ray Allen also.
That was great the way Damien Wilkins stepped in. I like his energy on D but I had no idea he had any kind of stroke. Love the way the team mobbed him at center court at the end of the game, particularly Flip.
Nice quote from Damien after the game: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">They mobbed him at halfcourt of the Rose Garden last night and danced like teenage boys enthralled in March Madness. Somewhere in the middle of the Sonics' mosh pit, Damien Wilkins grinned, knowing that finally he had made a difference. "It made me feel like a million bucks, the way I've been feeling all year long around these guys," he said. "I say all the time: We're like the NBA's Red Sox, a bunch of idiots that truly care about one another. </div>
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Rose Garden just seemed that way after the Sonics' first win here since March 30, 2002.</div> http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/217558_sonx25.html I don't know why all of Seattle's publications are saying that we haven't beaten Portland in Portland in three years. Didn't we beat them in Portland the third game of the season last year when we returned from Japan? I remember that game distinctly because it was televised on ESPN and it was the first time that I saw Flip play live.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Iron Shiek:</div><div class="quote_post">http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/217558_sonx25.html I don't know why all of Seattle's publications are saying that we haven't beaten Portland in Portland in three years. Didn't we beat them in Portland the third game of the season last year when we returned from Japan? I remember that game distinctly because it was televised on ESPN and it was the first time that I saw Flip play live.</div>According to basketballreference.com that game you mentioned was a home game. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Date Opponent Score W-L Location <font color="#0000ff"><u>10/30/2003</u></font><u><font color="#0000ff">Los Angeles Clippers</font></u> 109 - 100 <u><font color="#0000ff">Box</font></u> 1 - 0at Saitama, Japan] <u><font color="#0000ff">10/31/2003</font></u>at <u><font color="#0000ff">Los Angeles Clippers</font></u> 124 - 105 <u><font color="#0000ff">Box</font></u> 2 - 0at Saitama, Japan <font color="#0000ff"><u>11/7/2003</u></font> <u><font color="#0000ff">Portland Trailblazers</font></u> 100 - 82 <u><font color="#0000ff">Box</font></u> 3 - 0 </div> Source
It probably was a home game. I just thought, for whatever reason, that it wasn't a three year span between the last time we've beaten Portland at Portland.
