GAME THREAD: RAPTORS @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 30, 2014 - TUESDAY, 7:00 PM (PST), CSN

PROBABLE STARTERS

TORONTO RAPTORS

KYLE LOWRY (PG) , TERRENCE ROSS (SG)


JAMES JOHNSON (SF) , AMIR JOHNSON (PF)


JONAS VALANCIUNAS (C)




PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS


THE RAINBROZ



NICOLAS BATUM (SF) , LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE (PF)


JOEL FREELAND (C)







WHEN: 7:00 PM, TUESDAY, 12/30/2014​

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR ​

TV BROADCAST:





RADIO BROADCAST:


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BENCH

TORONTO RAPTORS

VASQUEZ , WILLIAMS

PATTERSON , HANSBROUGH , HAYES

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

BLAKE , MCCOLLUM , CRABBE

CLAVER , ROBINSON , KAMAN




INJURIES
RAPTORS
Landry Fields (Acute gastritis): QUESTIONABLE
DeMar DeRozan (Torn left adductor longus tendon): OUT
TRAIL BLAZERS
Nicolas Batum (Wrist sprain): PROBABLE
LaMarcus Aldrdige (Upper respiratory infection): PROBABLE
Meyers Leonard (left shoulder strain): OUT
Robin Lopez (Fractured Right Index Finger): OUT



HEAD COACHES
- VS –
DWANE CASEY--- TERRY STOTTS




BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

[color=#RED]

GO BLAZERS!!!​

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POR vs. TOR, 12/30/14

TOR: 24-7, 1st in Titanic Division, 1st in East

Our last game: W v. NYK, 101-79

Their last game: W @ DEN, 116-102, 12/28/14

Injuries: LMA (Probable), Leonard (inactive, shoulder), Lopez (inactive, hand)
TOR: Fields (questionable), DeRozan (out)

CBSsports.com(1) After a disappointing start to their road trip (what feels like the first time they've used their passports all year), the Raptors rebound from a loss to Chicago to humiliate the Clippers in Los Angeles, then win in Denver on the dreaded back-to-back. Toronto has done everything you can ask a team to do to show it's a legit contender, and have captured the hearts of NBA fans across the nation.

Covers.com (2) Look at this. I'm done underselling the Raptors, who jump seven spots this week past nearly all the Western Conference teams. They average 112 PPG on the road!

ESPN (6) Make it four double-doubles (and nearly five) in the last eight games for Kyle Lowry after four in his first 20 games this season. Don't think he has to worry about All-Star snubs this February, though we must note Toronto is shooting roughly eight fewer FTs per game with DeMar DeRozan out.

Washington Post: (6) The Raptors have re-branded their image by issuing a logo – including a black and gold alternative – that has received mixed reviews from their fans. Rapper Drake has taken some of the blame but recently distanced himself from the process, stating that he wasn’t involved.

Link to Grandpa Blaze's Prediction Game

The best team we play this homestand. They're solid on D and really good on O, and LMA is going to be limited/rusty, but Wes and Dame are on fire, and Nic showed some life, and the bench bigs have been playing well. Too much at Moda, and Wessy Wes holds Lowry down.

Us 116
Them 104

 

How do you guys like the Raptors' new official logo, which was just released about 10 days ago? With their new slogan, "We The North" and new logo, it appears the Raptors are trying to rebrand themselves. It makes me wonder when the Blazers will do so.

 

I like their new logo, but I have to admit that's because their old one was so bad.

As for Portland "re-branding", they don't need to. If they do ANYTHING, just tilt the pinwheel back to it's original roots (although it's been tilted longer than it was upright) and maybe go back to a simpler design on the uniforms.

As for the game. Toronto is on a hot streak (8-1 in their last 9), but that hot streak was against 7 teams below .500 (including the Knicks twice), and only 2 winning teams. They lost to Chicago, but beat the Clippers in LA. And while I'm not saying this to take away anything from their win in LA, there is something wrong with the Clippers. Not that their record is bad, but they're kind of middle of the road right now. Not sure if it's injuries, or what.

Anyway, Toronto is a good team. They could beat Portland especially if LaMarcus is out, but the Blazers should win. It should be a good game, and I hope Damian and co are up for it. A loss will suck, but I think it's worse in the sense that it gives OKC a better shot at winning the division.

But any (and every) chance Portland gets at winning games against the best in each conference, they need to take advantage of it.

 

Hopefully never. Best logo in pro sports. Even Bill Simmons likes it.

 

This is going to be a good test to see where we are at. Hope LMA is healthy because we'll probably need him. I expect to see a good game. Can't wait!

 

the PPG defensive isn't an end all be all for how good a defensive team is, but compared to last year it's a HUGE improvement.

They allowed 103 ppg last year, and were 22nd in the NBA for that. Their defensive rating last year (according to basketball-reference) was 16th in the league, this year they're 2nd.

By comparison, the Raptors are 18th this year in defensive rating, and that's a significant drop off from last year where they were 10th.

Should be an exciting game.

 

did you mean the Rip City ones? I think it's well documented that a lot of us liked the Rip City uniforms, just not when they were T-shirts.

btw, in a post that is unrelated to your post, the rebounding #'s above (on Boise Blazers post) must be % of rebounds, not rebound totals.

 

From those stats, it appears that fastbreak points and points in the paint are going to be key tomorrow. Have to limit the "easy" baskets.