Game Thread GAME# 62: TIMBERWOLVES @ BLAZERS - MARCH 1, 2018 - THURSDAY, 7:30 PM (PST), TNT

Ask me, game ball goes to Ed Davis......his defense in the 2nd half was amazing!

 

Nobody ever does

 

Salty Timberwolves fans in realgm

"Officials keeping Portland in the game"

"And Lillard always gets the call. Is he Harden now?"

"These Portland bums celebrating like they've won it already!"

"With average officiating this game would've been over already. Atrocious calls that clearly went Portland's way... Lakers-Kings level of bs. I haven't been this heated because of a stupid game in a minute. That hook call was actually correct in my eyes, but all the freaking contact calls on layups are tragic."

"Lillard can go eat a bag of d***s, and the rest of those JailBlazers.."

"Lillard is a Bitch"

"Celebrating like a hero every time he hit a shot, like he won a championship... Congratulations "

"Blazers’ bench people are the most annoying in the league along with the warriors. Especially Leonard. What a douche"

Hahahahaha fuck them all

 

Even with Butler, they had blown ten 4th quarter leads. Last night was the 11th time this season they have lost the game when leading in the 4th quarter. That has been a problem for them for years. I used to blame Rubio (hard to close out a game when the guy with the ball isn't a scoring threat), others blame their youth.

Well, Rubio is gone, and they brought it vets like Butler, Crawford, Gibson and Teague and have still blown more 4th quarter leads than any other team in the NBA. What's the excuse/reason now?

MIN and OKC have been consistently bad at blowing 4th quarter leads over the last several seasons. They usually rank 1st and 2nd in blown 4th quarter leads. OKC is because of Westbrook and his hero ball that leads to freezing out teammates, poor shot selection and unforced TOVs.

I'm really curious why MIN is still blowing so may games late. They have gone though multiple coaching changes, shuffled the roster and still can't seem to hold leads late. Reggie Miller was blaming their youth last night. Sure, they were without Butler and Gibson (at the and) last night, but they still had Teague and Crawford on the floor last night when POR took the lead and stole the game from them. And, that also doesn't explain their 10 previous blown 4th quarter leads.

It's interesting how some teams just can't put a game away. Durant's last season in OKC they won 55 games, but led the league with 15 blown 4th quarter leads - and they did that with one of the most unguardable players in league history. If they could have just won the games they led late, they would have won 70 games. Same with MIN this year. Even if they'd only won half of those games they led late, they would be running away with the 3rd seed.

Whatever the reasons, I'm just glad two of the teams that blow the most leads happen to be division rivals.

BNM

 

Wow, so much salt in those tears.

I LOVE it!

It's so obvious they wish they had a player half as good as Dame is at closing out games. If they did, they'd be fighting HOU and OKC for the first seed, not battling POR and everyone else for HCA. That was the 11th time they've lost a game while leading in the 4th quarter. Did the refs screw them every time?

BNM

 

fighting OKC???

 

Oops, meant GSW.

BNM

 

So you're saying that Minnesota gets..................cold?

 

That 90 lbs in your lap was all you buddy, the motion was from the HVAC.

 

You can have a defensive minded head coach.
You can bring in a two way player like Butler.
But frankly when you have players like Teague, Crawford, Wiggins, KAT who so obviously take plays off defensively.
You'll find it hard to keep the lead.
Then when you play your starters for the majority of the game... They get tired in the 4th. I don't think it's a coincidence Lillard was struggling early getting open looks, but was able to get wide open shots in the 4th quarter.

Anyone who watched the Minn game in the 4th quarter saw that entire lineup gassed with about 9 minutes to go in the game.
Sure they went on a run, and forced Stotts to call a timeout. But it was clear they were gassed.
Outside of the person with the ball, they were walking up the court.

 

So on one hand you say some of them take plays off on D and on the other you say they get were all gassed in the 4th because they play tough D. Can it be both ways?
The only thing I can think of why they close poorly is they lack a versatile offensive guard like Dame or CJ, (Great 3 point shooter who also has a pull up mid range shot, and attacks the basket) Butler is a great player but not necessarily a great shooter . I thought Crawford could be that guy for them, but maybe they don't use him in that roll? or maybe he has finally gotten old?