Live from the Rose Garden as the Portland Trail Blazers welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers. First it was Kobe Bryant on Friday, and tonight it’s LeBron James and Shaq. If seems like everyone that has sold a shoe in the past decade is here this weekend. Tomorrow the Blazers will scrimmage Manolo Blahnik.
Women’s shoes and basketball coverage after the break.
PRE-GAME:
The Blazers put up a marvelous effort in toppling the Lakers on Friday night to the tune of a 107-98 victory. Tonight will be an even tougher matchup for the Blazers, since Cleveland has won their past five meetings, including two in a row in this building. Plus they are a much bigger team, with three players that are either flirting with, or towering above, the seven-foot mark. While Shaq is a rounder/softer/cuddlier version of his former self, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao can give this smaller Blazers lineup fits. Throw in Mo Williams, some role players, and the best basketball player on the planet (LeBron James, not Jawad Williams), and it’s an uphill challenge for Portland.
Tonight is an ESPN game, which means it’s an excellent time for Brandon Roy to get some much-deserved attention from an audience outside of Oregon. He’s currently ninth in All-Star voting for Western Conference guards, which is a crime. Also flying under the radar is Martell Webster, who is playing his best basketball in years—if not ever—with a defensive showcase against Kobe on Friday, all the while averaging over 19 points in his past five games.
Steve Blake is active for tonight’s game. Yay?
What if the Blazers took away the chalk/talcum that LeBron tosses in the air? Does the league insist that it is out there? Couldn’t they just have an empty bottle of it? Or a bottle with those novelty snakes in it?
FIRST QUARTER:
10:21 – Much like the Lakers game, Portland is coming out of the gates strong. But it also helps that LeBron has yet to touch the ball. 4-2 Blazers.
8:56 – LeBronsplosion. King James casually scores three baskets in a row with all the same effort he probably puts into an afternoon nap. 9-6 Cavs.
5:52 – LeBron gets whistled for a carrying violation. It was, but why start calling that now? That is like the untucked jersey technical foul. It might be the rule, but it’s not a common call. 18-15 Cavs.
3:25 – While the Cavs have scored every shot—with the exception of a three pointer—from within the paint, the Blazers have kept up the pressure and now trail by a single basket. 22-19 Cavs.
2:46 – Jeff Pendergraph—who can make a huge difference tonight—does his part by putting back a Jerryd Bayless miss. Bayless’ shot was a three attempt, with his foot on the line. Again. 22-21 Cavs.
1:09 – After a few games of nothing by scoring from Roy, Webster, or Bayless, welcome back LaMarcus Aldridge. He hits back-to-back shots to pull within one. 26-25 Cavs.
0:15 – LeBron is killing it. 8-8 shooting, for 20 points. Seriously. He looks like a man possessed. 34-29 Cavs.
SECOND QUARTER:
9:29 – Well, the good news is that LeBron doesn’t have 50 points yet. The bad news is that the towering heights of Ilgauskas and Shaq have been punishing the Blazers. To make things worse—I guess—Shaq went for a loose ball in the crowd and ended up in the lap of whatever Baldwin brother lives here in Portland. Danny? Bob? Fatty? 42-31 Cavs.
7:53 – LeBron makes everything look far too easy, while Roy makes everything look like complete chaos. Both just hit layups, but only one ended up on the floor after his shot. 46-33 Cavs.
5:55 – Four of the Blazers’ starters have a combined 20 points. LeBron has 24. So it’s going to be like that, huh? 51-37 Cavs.
4:14 – 68% shooting for Cleveland. So much for that defensive stand from the Blazers. Why not just lower the basket for them? Or make them shoot on a Pop a Shot? 55-43 Cavs.
2:31 – LeBron with a superstar foul call on a turnover that Bayless was called for. They should just let him have his own whistle. He can call the fouls on the honor system. 64-47 Cavs.
0:00 – Ugh. Not the prettiest first half. LeBron nets 31 points, while the Blazers limp into the locker room, trailing 64-49 Cavs.
THIRD QUARTER:
10:40 – Remember when the Blazers used to make three pointers? Well, those shots are not falling tonight. Portland has a single three on the night, while LeBron has three. 66-49 Cavs.
7:37 – Following a LeBron miss—oh, so rare—Andre Miller guns a pass the length of the floor to Webster for a dunk. He might have knocked over James to get open, but it’s not a close game. Let us not worry about such calls. 70-57 Cavs.
5:50 – Any sort of momentum that Roy generates for Portland is quickly snuffed out by LeBron trading baskets with him. Roy has 22, James has 35. That difference in points pretty much matches the scoreboard. 76-63 Cavs.
3:40 – Webster picks a grand time to make his first three of the night, pulling the Blazers within seven. He tops that by hitting one more directly in front of the Cavs bench. Oh, hello competitive game. Nice to see you again. 76-72 Cavs.
1:36 – Miller with a quick layup that falls beyond the hand, and hair, of Varejao, and now Portland trails by a single basket. 11-0 Blazers run. 76-74 Cavs.
0:35 – After every whistle against him Varejao throws his arms in the air with a stunned look. It’s like he is riding a rollercoaster. 80-78 Cavs.
FOURTH QUARTER:
11:20 – Not a promising start to the final quarter by letting a man named Jawad score the first basket off you. Jawad Williams for three. Good for him. 83-78 Cavs.
9:01 – Roy with the drive, pump-fake, hang in the air for a few seconds, send up a prayer, and watch it go in shot. You know the one I’m talking about. 87-84 Cavs.
7:11 – Two Cavs shots in a row that haven’t even touched the rim. If you assume those were shots from players not named LeBron, You are right. Meanwhile Roy just hit a three. Boom. Tie game. 87-87.
5:14 – The numbers say Roy is a better fourth quarter player, but LeBron is a scarier one. Following Shaq splitting his free-throws, it’s 92-89 Cavs.
3:35 – The Blazers offense has stalled on the past three possessions. One turnover, followed by a pair of missed Aldridge free-throws, and Roy follows by dribbling off his foot. Not a good sign. 98-89 Cavs.
2:36 – Aaaaaaand, that’s game. Webster for some strange reason tosses up a prayer of a three. His prayer was not answered. 100-89 Cavs.
0:56 – A tip-in from Aldridge and a three from Roy close the gap, but that won’t be enough. 102-94 Cavs.
0:00 – Noble effort, but it will not be enough. Your final score, Cleveland 106, Portland 94. See you here on Wednesday.