Live from the Moda Center as the Portland Trail Blazers host the Atlanta Hawks.
Well, that was one hell of a 2014 for the Blazers. Not only did they end last season with one of the most iconic moments in franchise history, they also managed to jump out to the second-best record in the league this season. The last calendar year could not have gone much better. I mean, a championship is the ultimate target, but isn’t that what 2015 is for? What’s a new year without goals?
After finishing 2014 by toppling the team with the best record in the East, Portland will start 2015 by going up against…the team with the best record in the East. As of last night, the Hawks are tops in their conference for the first time since 1997. They’re on some kind of run right now, losing only twice in their last nineteen games.
So one of the more middling teams of the last fifteen years is finally off the treadmill of mediocrity and doing really well, and what’s the result? Sell, sell, sell. Don’t ever change, Hawks.
PRE-GAME:
The Hawks are one of the best coached teams in the league, and it’s no surprise since Mike Budenholzer learned from the best. They’re the Spurs of the East, all ball movement, shooting, and team basketball. No superstars, just consistency from players who know their roles. And, just like the Spurs of old, they’re really kind of boring. Jeff Teague is their best player, and even Jeff’s mom thinks his brother Marquis is the fun one.
Not boring? Kyle Korver’s off-season workout. Dude dives underwater, picks up a large boulder, carries it as far as he can, then resurfaces. And does this over and over and over, moving said boulder like some kind of masochistic Sisyphus. It worked, because he has turned into the Human Torch with an absurd 50/52/94% shooting split this season. Those numbers are not real. I picked up a pebble on my way into the arena and have it in my pocket, just in case Korver is onto something with this rock carrying thing.
For Portland, the new year brings a chance to stay the course. Things are going just fine—LaMarcus Aldridge is back, the defense is still elite, and Robin Lopez will get healthy at some point. The West is stacked, but the Blazers have as good a chance as anyone to come out on top. And we all know someone from the West is winning it all this year. I mean, the freaking Hawks are currently leading the Eastern Conference, so how good could it actually be?
FIRST QUARTER:
11:30 – Nicolas Batum got the scoring started by draining a triple! He was aimlessly dribbling behind the line and decided to just pull up. 3-0 Blazers.
9:15 – That’s one way to start a ball game. The Hawks are 0-5 from the field with a turnover, while Wesley Matthews had a three rattle out, bounce off the backboard, and rattle its way back in. Timeout Atlanta. 8-0 Blazers.
8:01 – Wesley Matthews and Kyle Korver are going after each other on offense. Neither has really touched the ball, but both are using every pick they can find and are trying to run the other ragged. If you like off ball screens, this is your game. 12-4 Blazers.
6:52 – Maybe that shooting slump is finally, officially over? Batum with his second three of the night! 15-9 Blazers.
4:37 – And the Hawks have their first lead of the night. 18-17 Hawks.
3:57 – Dame and Aldridge switched on a pick and roll, and almost-Blazer Paul Millsap had the mismatch advantage on the perimeter. He drove, spun in the lane, and put it in easily over Dame. Timeout Portland. 20-17 Hawks.
3:02 – The Blazers haven’t scored in over three minutes, and have five (?) turnovers in that stretch. Unsurprisingly, the Hawks have opened this one up. 24-17 Hawks.
2:41 – Matthews for three. Finally, something positive on the offensive end. 24-20 Hawks.
0:00 – Turnovers. Turnovers, turnovers, and more turnovers. The Blazers coughed the ball up eight times that quarter, and the Hawks turned an early eight-point deficit into a nine-point lead. 29-20 Hawks.
SECOND QUARTER:
11:45 – And Steve Blake turned it over on Portland’s first possession of the second quarter. Ugh. 29-20 Hawks.
10:02 – Steve Blake nearly turned the ball over with a sloppy pass, but the ball ended up finding Chris Kaman for the easy dunk. Baby steps. 34-25 Hawks.
8:24 – Blake with another turnover, his third tonight, by trying to fire a weak cross court pass. I might be wrong, but I’m pretty sure you want to have more points than turnovers in any given night. 38-31 Hawks.
6:29 – Are the Blazers still hungover from New Year’s? My goodness, they can’t hang on to the ball at all tonight. They’ve turned the ball over twelve times, but it feels more like fifty. 45-34 Hawks.
5:11 – Dame with his first points on the night. Maybe he’ll get it going, because nothing else is working right now. 45-36 Hawks.
3:59 – Korver with his first good look from deep, Korver with his first make from deep. 50-39 Hawks.
3:11 – The free throw battle inches closer, as Matthews hit Portland’s third and fourth freebies on the night. Atlanta already has made it to the stripe ten times, but they’ve easily been the more aggressive team thus far. 50-43 Hawks.
1:20 – Here come the Blazers, a little earlier than normal. Aldridge has four straight for Portland, who are in the middle of an 8-0 run. Timeout Atlanta. 50-47 Hawks.
0:00 – Dame with a great look to end the quarter, but he left the layup just a hair short. Still, the Blazers ended the second on a 10-2, and are right back into this one. Funny what happens when you stop turning the ball over. 52-49 Hawks.
THIRD QUARTER:
11:26 – DeMarre Carroll took a dive into the first row of the stands—it was initially called out of bounds to Portland, but since Carroll took out a lady with his fall, a foul was called on Joel Freeland instead. 54-51 Hawks.
9:29 – Joel Freeland is completely helpless against Al Horford—he’s been getting pushed around and scored on with ease, and here comes Thomas Robinson to try and provide a bit of a spark off the bench. 58-51 Hawks.
8:21 – Oof, back to back highlight reel dunks from Atlanta. The Blazers are scuffling on defense here to begin the second. 62-51 Hawks.
7:09 – Portland is going with a steady diet of LaMarcus Aldridge, which would be working just fine if they were able to get a stop on the other end. 66-57 Hawks.
5:55 – It’s like the Hawks know Robin Lopez is injured. They’re attacking the rim on every possession, and Portland’s interior defense has been lacking to the tune of 42 points in the paint. 70-57 Hawks.
4:19 – Hey, remember when this was a three point game at the half? Yeah, me neither. A transition three from Korver gives Atlanta their largest lead of the game. 77-59 Hawks.
3:17 – Portland needs a stop in the worst way possible, but Jeff Teague is having his way in the lane. He has four straight by simply taking it right into the teeth of the Portland defense, and they’ve been helpless to stop him. 81-61 Hawks.
2:39 – It’s not much, but it’s a start. After a Lillard three and a transition dunk from Aldridge, Atlanta calls time to squash Portland’s quick 5-0 run. 81-66 Hawks.
0:50 – When all else fails, just have Steve Blake bank in a three. 83-70 Hawks.
0:00 – The Blazers converted a couple of shots, made a couple of stops, and with the crowd getting into it Dame brought the house down. He drove the length of the court in six seconds, and with the clock about to expire, pulled up from thirty feet out and swished the three. The place exploded, and we have ourselves a game. 83-75 Hawks.
FOURTH QUARTER:
11:36 – And the Hawks kill the mood by converting an and-one off of an offensive rebound. 86-75 Hawks.
9:09 – Uh oh, Freeland is hurt. Paul Millsap tried to go for the poster dunk, but Joel met him at the summit for the block. For his trouble, Freeland is now clutching his shoulder and looks to be in serious pain. To add insult to injury, the loose ball found its way to Korver behind the line for the triple. Ugh. 93-82 Hawks.
8:32 – Millsap with a strong move in the lane, and here’s the part of the night where I say the Blazers just don’t have it in them to pull this one out before they miraculously come back behind a flurry of threes. 95-82 Hawks.
5:51 – After a timeout, the Blazers gave up a wide open three to Kyle Korver. Yep, they just don’t have it tonight. 100-87 Hawks.
4:04 – When Lillard is missing free throws on and-one opportunities, you know it’s over. 104-91 Hawks.
2:54 – Off of a turnover, Wesley Matthews took it right between Pero Antic and Al Horford with a behind the back dribble. He scored the bucket, and-one, and there’s a little fight left in this team yet. The crowd is into it at least. 106-96 Hawks.
2:28 – Another turnover, and Wesley hit a three on the other end. Holy hell! There’s a chance! 106-99 Hawks.
1:30 – Too little, too late. CJ McCollum missed a three and picked up a foul going for the rebound. DeMarre Carroll hit one of two, and this lead is just a bit too large. Give it to Portland—they had this crowd into it and believing they could pull out another crazy win. 109-101 Hawks.
0:45 – Horford missed two big free throws, but the Blazers are still out of time. Jeff Teague has been unreal in this quarter, slicing up the Portland defense to stop any kind of positive momentum. 111-103 Hawks.
0:23 – Another glimmer of hope, another squashed dream. The Blazers played the foul game, and Carroll missed his two freebies. Dame drove the length of the court to go for the quick two, but Carroll recovered and blocked the layup attempt. The Hawks secured the rebound, the Blazers fouled, and Thabo Sefolosha didn’t miss. That’s your game. 113-105 Hawks.
FINAL: 115-107 Hawks. You aren’t going to win many games giving up 64 points in the paint. The Hawks had Portland scouted well and attacked the rim relentlessly, and the interior defense isn’t going to get much better if Freeland is hurt for any extended period of time. Not the best way to start the new year, but thankfully there will be a good chance to wipe the slate clean when the Lakers visit on Monday.