Live from the Moda Center as the Portland Trail Blazers host the Sacramento Kings.
The Blazers are in the midst of their first three-game losing streak of the season. They had three games against Western Conference playoff squads, two of which were on the road, and the Blazers responded to the tough slate by, sigh, dropping all three. Cue the national media sleeping on Portland once again.
But hey, nothing like a visit from the lowly Kings to really lift the spirits.
Yes, I realize that Sacramento beat Portland way back on Halloween, but that was a different Kings team. That was before the 4-on-5 madness, before Mike Malone was fired and replaced by Tyrone Corbin, before Boogie Cousins came down with viral meningitis. Despite a torrid start to the season, the Kings just can’t seem to get out of their own way. Free Boogie.
If there’s one things the Kings have going for them tonight, it’s that the Blazers don’t have anyone on their depleted front line that can stay in front of Cousins. (Not many teams do, even when fully healthy.) He could easily swing this game with a massive 50/20 line, or he could get two techs in a matter of minutes, melt down, take his shoes off at mid-court and wait for security to drag him out. As long as we don’t have to watch Rudy Gay jack up twenty-footers all night I’m cool, but I’m really hoping Boogie goes for the full Tenenbaum.
PRE-GAME:
To everyone out there demanding the Blazers trade Nicolas Batum, just stop. Yes, he’s been playing like a wet sock, but the only real problem is his shooting. His wrist is jacked, so his shot is off, so he’s playing tentatively and passing up open jumpers. Up his three-point percentage by just 5% and nobody would care one bit. He’s fine, he’s playing fine, and he’ll find his shot soon enough. Shooting slumps happen, and shooting slumps end. No need to overreact.
The bigger worry is when the Blazers will get Robin Lopez or Joel Freeland back into the rotation. Chris Kaman is not a good fit for the starting lineup—he needs to anchor the second unit, and the Blazers need a better rim protector alongside LaMarcus Aldridge. Once one of the two injured big men get back this is going to look like a much better team, but until then they just need to tread water for a little longer.
Rudy Gay, Boogie Cousins, and Ramon Sessions were all questionable heading into tonight’s contest, but all three are active and good to go. Good. Watching a Kings game without Boogie is used as torture in some countries.
FIRST QUARTER:
10:35 – Take that, Batum haters. He drove the lane, collapsed the defense, and dished to an open Kaman for the easy layup. See, it isn’t all about scoring. 2-2 Tie.
10:04 – Batum again! This time he scored with ease on a two-on-one fast break. 4-2 Blazers.
9:12 – Matthews is getting all kinds of love tonight for being the new franchise leader in threes made. Paul Allen gave him a plaque pre-game, and they just played a nice montage for him on the big screen during that timeout. It’s LaMarcus doing the damage from distance tonight, though, as he sunk a corner three that hit every part of the rim and backboard before falling. 7-2 Blazers.
8:07 – Aldridge for three! Again! That one broke what was a quick 8-0 from the Kings. 10-10 Tie.
5:52 – Wedgie alert! We have a wedgie, as a Jason Thompson jumper got stuck between the rim and backboard. 16-12 Kings.
4:50 – Meyers Leonard versus Boogie Cousins is going about as poorly as you’d expect, and the Blazers need time. 20-12 Kings.
4:31 – Oh, Batum. He turned the ball over out of the timeout—to his credit Meyers should have been able to handle the pass—and then picked up a technical arguing a foul call on the other end. He must have been somewhat in the right, because the Kings were only able to convert on one of their three free throws. 21-12 Kings.
2:10 – Meyers Leonard just barely beat the shot clock on one end—the first Portland points in forever—but immediately gave it back by getting smoked by Boogie for a massive dunk. 27-14 Kings.
1:16 – Meyers tried to Dream Shake Boogie, but ended up getting his shot demolished. Darren Collison scored with ease off of the rejection. 29-16 Kings.
0:00 – A late Matthews three slightly salvaged things, but that’s about as bad of a quarter as the Blazers could have played. Not the best start for a team on a three-game losing streak. 31-23 Kings.
SECOND QUARTER:
10:45 – Meyers getting his revenge for that terrible Dream Shake earlier, catching a transition pass from Steve Blake and skying high for the one-handed dunk. The Blazers are on a quick little 4-0 run here to start the second. 31-27 Kings.
9:29 – Thomas Robinson in the game against the team that drafted him. He came up with steal, tried to take it the length of the court with a behind the back dribble, but only got the ball halfway around before losing it off his back. Of course. 36-30 Kings.
8:41 – Is letting your opponent shoot 60% from the floor? Asking for a baker’s dozen worth of friends. 40-32 Kings.
6:55 – If Thomas Robinson got to play the Kings every night, he could make the All-Star team. He’s on his game tonight—taking charges, throwing full court outlet passes, getting up to try and flush alley oops. 41-36 Kings.
6:19 – The Blazers are in the penalty for the rest of the quarter. Oof. 41-38 Kings.
5:48 – Oh no. No no no. Aldridge is in the locker room with an apparent hand injury. I saw him holding his thumb after trying to get after that Cousins dunk in the first, and apparently he must have done something to it. 42-40 Kings.
4:05 – Dame was hammered on a drive but couldn’t draw a foul. Cousins was bumped on the rebound attempt and fell over, and somehow he was able to get the call. Free throws for the Kings. 43-40 Kings.
3:57 – Shit. Shitty shit shit shit. Aldridge isn’t going to return tonight. Unreal. More injury woes for Portland. 43-42 Kings.
3:11 – The Blazers have the lead but, hell, what does it matter if Aldridge is seriously hurt? They literally do not have enough big bodies left. Hopefully he’s just being held out tonight as a precaution. There’s no word yet on the injury. 47-43 Blazers.
2:05 – I’m pretty sure Boogie has drawn fifteen fouls on the Blazers tonight. Great. Get those big men in foul trouble, and Portland will literally have to play Batum at center. 49-47 Kings.
0:00 – Well, that was a half of basketball. I’m too afraid to refresh Twitter. I don’t want to hear that Aldridge is going to be out for weeks and not just this second half. Ugh. Tonight is the worst. 56-51 Kings.
THIRD QUARTER:
12:00 – Victor Claver is starting the third quarter at power forward. That’s…that’s a bit of a downgrade from Aldridge. The Kings are shooting 55% from the floor, they have seven more free throw attempts, and are out-rebounding the Blazers by twelve, yet this is somehow just a five point game. 56-51 Kings.
10:46 – Dame with the four-point play. That’s one way to catch up quickly. 58-55 Kings.
9:37 – Alright, Claver. He stole the ball from Rudy Gay after Gay corralled a Batum miss, and the Blazers were able to get points off of the turnover. 60-57 Kings.
7:15 – The Blazers have gone cold, with Batum missing three wide open looks. They need time. Funny how much worse this teams looks without Aldridge. (/sobs) 66-57 Kings.
5:31 – Claver with a three, right before he was going to get yanked from this game but things are still dire. Portland can’t score. They’re going to lose tonight, and forever. Time to just embrace the darkness. 68-60 Kings.
2:59 – Will Barton time. Nothing feels good, but at least we still have the People’s Champ. 71-62 Kings.
1:44 – The Blazers just look lost without Aldridge—there’s no cohesion to the offense. Lillard is having to go one on one, and he’s going to need a HUGE game just to get things close. 73-64 Kings.
0:50 – The crowd is losing it after Barton was unable to draw a foul at the rim on back-to-back possessions. Off of the second miss, the Kings were able to leak out in to transition and get a dunk after Reggie Evans set a moving screen. Ugh. 75-64 Kings.
0:00 – Dorell with a three at the buzzer. Still, ugh. 75-67 Kings.
FOURTH QUARTER:
11:28 – Will Barton with a monster two-handed dunk to start the quarter. Okay, then. 75-69 Kings.
10:24 – Watching the assistant coaches stand up and yell at Barton as he’s playing defense is the most enjoyable part of this game. 77-72 Kings.
9:17 – Barton with the and-one and subsequent fist pump. Would have been that much sweeter if he hit the free throw, though. 81-74 Kings.
8:01 – Barton with the block, Matthews with the three. We’ve got ourselves a (terrible) game. 81-77 Kings.
6:38 – Barton is playing like these minutes are the last he’ll get in the next four games. He’s probably right, but still. That last one on four offense, weaving through the Kings and hitting the little jumper in the lane, was so good that I saw a dude physically pull his girl out of her seat to make sure she was on her feet to cheer. 83-81 Kings.
5:03 – Of course it’s Batum who hit the three to give the Blazers the lead. 84-83 Blazers.
3:42 – After Robinson knocked the ball out contesting a Boogie drive, the Kings were called for a five-second inbound violation. That was a huge stop for the Blazers defense. Timeout Portland, most likely so they could all synchronize their watches to Lillard time. 87-84 Kings.
3:08 – Cousins is beasting, but he just picked up his fifth foul on a Thomas Robinson flop in the post. He’s getting angry, and rightfully so. For all the fouls he was drawing in the first half, he’s getting demolished this quarter with no whistle. We might be headed for a tech here soon. 87-86 Kings.
2:09 – Matthews with the step-back three! If the Kings somehow blow this… 89-87 Blazers.
1:42 – Wow. Cousins just fouled out on a super ticky tack foul, after the refs had been calling it loose pretty much all half. That wasn’t as bad as the call he got when Tyson Chandler flopped on him the other night, but still. That’s a brutal break for Sacramento. 89-89 Tie.
1:20 – Matthews missed a three, but Dame came flying in for the rebound and was able to lay in the followup attempt. The Blazers are getting out-rebounded 52-34, but that might have been the biggest one of the game. 91-89 Blazers.
1:02 – Matthews knocked the ball away from Rudy Gay, who then fouled Batum as he was leaking out into transition. They refs reviewed it, but called it a common foul as opposed to a clear path. If that wasn’t clear path, I don’t know what is. Still, Batum got two freebies, and was able to knock them both down. 93-89 Blazers.
0:45 – Will Barton fouled Ben McLemore on a three, right in front of Stotts. Coach just stood there, staring blankly into the void. I would love to have heard his inner monologue there. McLemore hit all three, and Portland needs time. 93-92 Blazers.
0:34 – What?! Dame split the double team, drove the lane, and threw down a vicious one-handed dunk in traffic. That wasn’t quite as good as the one he landed on the Lakers, but it was close. 95-92 Blazers.
0:32 – The Kings went for the quick two, and Matthews hacked Rudy Gay in the lane. That’s rough, as the time left means the Kings are going to get the final look at it. Gay hit ’em both, and Portland takes time. 95-94 Blazers.
0:21 – Dame went pretty quick there, but was able to draw the shooting foul on Darren Collison. He must have used up all his energy on that dunk, though, as he was only able to split the pair. The Kings are going to get it with a chance for the win. 96-94 Blazers.
0:08 – Rudy Gay had a good look from twenty-feet out, but he drew back iron. Dame grabbed the rebound, picked up the foul…and made just one of the two freebies. Dame missing shots in the clutch, especially at the line, does not compute. The Kings now have another chance to tie things up. 97-94 Blazers.
0:04 – More Serial theme music as the refs have another call to review. The Blazers knocked the ball out of bounds with four seconds left. It was called Kings ball on the floor, but it sure looks like it touched Collison last. The fans are chanting “Blazers ball,” and it worked! Blazers ball. 97-94 Blazers.
0:02 – Batum to the line to ice this one for good. He missed the first, but made the second! That should do it. 98-94 Blazers.
FINAL: 98-94 Blazers. Credit the Blazers for scrapping their way back into this one. They turned up the pressure in the second half, rode the energy provided by Thomas Robinson and Will Barton, and somehow managed to pull out the win. Beating the Kings is good, and beating the Kings without LaMarcus Aldridge is even better. But if Aldridge is out for any extended amount of time? Fingers crossed for the best—Portland can’t afford another injury to a big man, let alone their All-Star anchor.
Please talk to your peeps and trade LA.