Game Thread GAME# 1: LAKERS @ BLAZERS - OCTOBER 18, 2018 - THURSDAY, 7:30 (PDT), TNT

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WHEN: 7:30 PM (PDT), THURSDAY, 10/18/2018

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR



TV BROADCAST:



RADIO BROADCAST:



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--------------BENCH--------------

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

BALL , CARUSO , HART

STEPHENSON , BONGA , MYKHAILIUK

BEASLEY , WEAR , KUZMA

WAGNER , ZUBAC


---- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ----

CURRY , BALDWIN , SIMONS

TURNER , STAUSKAS , TRENT Jr.

HARKLESS , SWANIGAN

COLLINS , LEONARD


INJURIES
LAKERS
Brandon Ingram (left quad tightness): PROBABLE
Josh Hart (left hamstring tightness): PROBABLE
Alex Caruso (right hip strain): QUESTIONABLE
Moritz Wagner (left knee): QUESTIONABLE
TRAIL BLAZERS
Moe Harkless (right ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Evan Turner (left shoulder): PROBABLE
Gary Trent Jr. (right quadricep): QUESTIONABLE



HEAD COACHES
- VS –
LUKE WALTON --- TERRY STOTTS



OFFICIAL LAKERS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

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IT HAS ARRIVED!!!!

BEAT THE SNOTNOZZLE OUT OF LA.

 

Are you pumped about this game? If not, you must have no soul (either that or you are a Lakers fan, which I guess is redundant since they are essentially the same thing).

This is the season opener for both the Lakers and us, not to mention our home opener as well! This is our first game since the passing of our great owner, Mr. Paul Allen (the best owner in all of sports).
This will be on national TV, against LeBron and his regular season debut for arguably the most storied and celebrated franchise in NBA history. Ptui! (I had to spit after typing that last part)

This will be like David versus Goliath. The overlooked/underrated small-market team versus the media darling, big-market glamour team who will get the most national televised games in the league, despite not winning anything yet. The press and media will be all "Lakers, Lakers, Lakers." But we in Rip City know it's Portland who is the better team.

Our 15-game winning streak against the Lakers is on the line here, folks.
Our 17 consecutive home-opening win streak is on the line, as well. You heard that right, brah! We haven't lost a home-opening game since the beginning of the new millenium (year 2000 for those that can't do math). And guess who beat us that year? Yup, you guessed it: the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad* Flakers . But can you believe 17 in a row since then? Our franchise has gone through at least a couple of rebuilds and retools, yet somehow still managed to win the season-debut games in Portland. These two winning streaks can't come to an end just yet, dammit!

In addition, this will be the widely-anticipated (said nobody ever) rematch of the NBA Las Vegas Summer League championship game! C'mon folks, it doesn't get much better than this.

All eyes of the NBA and its fandom will be on this game. You have to assume this will be the highest-rated NBA game of the week, if not the season (obvious hyperbole, but don't mind me, I'm on a roll). All of America will be watching. Nay, all of the WORLD will be watching (other than the third world countries that don't have TV's, like Canada, I think).

So in conclusion, the stakes for this game are so very high. Higher than Linsday Lohan on a Friday night, as hard as that is to believe!

To say this is a monumental game would be a vast understatement (note to HCP: that word means of great importance, size, or magnitude).

We must seize victory in honor of Mr. Paul Allen (R.I.P.)
WE MUST "BEAT LA!" Otherwise, the terrorsists win.


*"terrible, horrible, no good, very bad" is in reference to their character, not the talent of that obvious stacked team. Ptui! (I hate having to say good to neutral things about the Lakers)

 

And this may be one of the Blazers' last home-openers in Portland, if some of the less-optimistic posters are correct in their evaluation of the future of this franchise, post-Allen.

 

Whelp, I'm calling into work now.