Bubble game 2: Portland vs Boston 12:30pmKATU/SNW

[blazersfan52]

I wasn't able to watch the game. But checking the box score, losing by 4 when you allow 60% from 3, and the other team having more then double you FT isn't that bad. Oh well, do better next game.

[zzaj]

A lot to like from Nurkic and Trent Jr. in this one...

Whiteside is almost unplayable. For every good thing he does he misses a defensive rotation. I'm glad his minutes are reflecting that. Same story with Anthony. I'd like to see Collins' hands get better. He did a pretty good job containing Tatum on the island...much better than Melo. A few times Nurkic got sped up around the basket a little bit--like Nurk of old.

Nurkic really changes the look of this team vs. what we saw earlier in the year...Collins to a lesser extent as well. Nice to see the team not give up once they were down 20+, that's veteran stuff. The Blazers need an actual SF who can play and another ball handler+, before they are going to beat teams at Boston's level with any regularity.

[monopoman]

we need to go 6-2 or 5-3 if we are lucky to force the play in. Let's hope for a 4 and 2 finish.

If the Pels beat the Grizz tomorrow it will help quite a bit. I also really hate these early as **** start times far more favorable to the east coast teams with a 3:30pm start time locally vs. a 12:30pm start time in Portland. Not as bad as it is normally with the flight trip to Boston and then a stupidly early start time but still annoying.

[zzaj]

Perimeter defense is getting exposed. Exposed? I don't know if I can say that since every single person watching the game knows it. Cs riding Lillard and limiting his options and it's working. Would help if Blazers could actually hit an open shot or two...

How much better was defense with Aminu and Harkless playing forwards last season vs. this season?

Melo shoots better than either, 3-4% better from 3 than Aminu and 10% better than Harkless from last year.

But he's obviously targeted by other teams on defense.

Just different. Blazers had much better success containing players and plays that start with high PnR when they had the length and quickness of Aminu and Harkless as options for defending the SF position. Of course now, most teams' offenses originate with some form of that play. With Hood out (who isn't that great of a defender anyway), the Blazers now have Melo (yuck), Mario (yuck) and an undersized Trent Jr...Trent is a good defensive player, but he doesn't have the size to make things that difficult for bigger, active SFs.

[Matt800]

we need to go 6-2 or 5-3 if we are lucky to force the play in. Let's hope for a 4 and 2 finish.

If the Pels beat the Grizz tomorrow it will help quite a bit.

Grizzlies are playing right now too. I'm not sure I want the Pelicans winning though. Grizzlies would be hard to pass, and the Pelicans have a decent shot at passing Portland. Although if the Spurs beat the Grizzlies today, that puts them a little more in the picture to overtake Portland as well.

[monopoman]

we need to go 6-2 or 5-3 if we are lucky to force the play in. Let's hope for a 4 and 2 finish.

If the Pels beat the Grizz tomorrow it will help quite a bit.

Grizzlies are playing right now too. I'm not sure I want the Pelicans winning though. Grizzlies would be hard to pass, and the Pelicans have a decent shot at passing Portland. Although if the Spurs beat the Grizzlies today, that puts them a little more in the picture to overtake Portland as well.

I think I will always root for losses for those ahead of us but within reach so not like I hope Utah loses and Pels win for an example, trying to predict the next 5+ games after is harder unless one has a a stupid hard schedule and the other has a joke one. Even then we have seen teams get schooled by bad teams and Grizz+Pels are so young anything can happen on any given game.

[zzaj]

we need to go 6-2 or 5-3 if we are lucky to force the play in. Let's hope for a 4 and 2 finish.

If the Pels beat the Grizz tomorrow it will help quite a bit.

Grizzlies are playing right now too. I'm not sure I want the Pelicans winning though. Grizzlies would be hard to pass, and the Pelicans have a decent shot at passing Portland. Although if the Spurs beat the Grizzlies today, that puts them a little more in the picture to overtake Portland as well.

IMHO, we want the standings to realistically shake out with the same order that they were at when the stoppage occurred. I don't think Memphis is going to plummet.

[Matt800]

If the Pels beat the Grizz tomorrow it will help quite a bit.

Grizzlies are playing right now too. I'm not sure I want the Pelicans winning though. Grizzlies would be hard to pass, and the Pelicans have a decent shot at passing Portland. Although if the Spurs beat the Grizzlies today, that puts them a little more in the picture to overtake Portland as well.

I think I will always root for losses for those ahead of us but within reach so not like I hope Utah loses and Pels win for an example, trying to predict the next 5+ games after is harder unless one has a a stupid hard schedule and the other has a joke one. Even then we have seen teams get schooled by bad teams and Grizz+Pels are so young anything can happen on any given game.

yeah its just that if I did the math correctly, if Mem goes 2 and 6, Portland would need to go 6 and 2 to beat them. Both are probably not that likely. Portland could get in with a 5 and 3, if the other lower teams do the same or worse, which seems fairly possible. But who knows when factoring in rest and effort once teams know they are out of the picture, or are already set in their position.

Also Mem just lost, putting the Spurs ahead of Portland.

[monopoman]

Spurs do have a pretty brutal schedule though unless as you said some of those teams take the night off if their playoff seeding is secured.

@Sixers
vs.Nuggets
vs.Jazz
@Pels
vs.Rockets
@Jazz

The only team in that 6 game final stretch that is not a playoff team right now is the Pels.

[Dzon Dilindzer]

how can a team be so bad at defending the 3-point line, both memphis and boston torched us from there and thats been the problem whole season and that problem must be solved... it was expected that boston wings will do that to us

dame, cj mccollum and gary trenr jr joined the party in the second half and team almost pulled it off, but couple of bad plays cost us the game... nurks layup was a mistake, he shouldve look for someone at the 3-point line (trenr jr was open) and then that inbound pass was really bad, there was no need to do that

other than that, nurk looks really great, trenr jr too, great find by neil olshey

[monopoman]

how can a team be so bad at defending the 3-point line, both memphis and boston torched us from there and thats been the problem whole season and that problem must be solved... it was expected that boston wings will do that to us

dame, cj mccollum and gary trenr jr joined the party in the second half and team almost pulled it off, but couple of bad plays cost us the game... nurks layup was a mistake, he shouldve look for someone at the 3-point line (trenr jr was open) and then that inbound pass was really bad, there was no need to do that

other than that, nurk looks really great, trenr jr too, great find by neil olshey

I listened to the Lillard post game interview he said the play was for him or CJ to get a 3 point shot there but Lillard saw Nurk wide open near the basket so he passed it to him.

[Epicurus]

how can a team be so bad at defending the 3-point line, both memphis and boston torched us from there and thats been the problem whole season and that problem must be solved... it was expected that boston wings will do that to us

dame, cj mccollum and gary trenr jr joined the party in the second half and team almost pulled it off, but couple of bad plays cost us the game... nurks layup was a mistake, he shouldve look for someone at the 3-point line (trenr jr was open) and then that inbound pass was really bad, there was no need to do that

other than that, nurk looks really great, trenr jr too, great find by neil olshey

How many of the Celtics' made threes were uncontested? To me it looked like they were making contested threes, even a few that were tightly contested.

[d-train]

1st quarter GLB pic

Spoiler:

I don't see any room there to carry a baby.

[d-train]

Can't miss the layins, Nurk, especially at crunch time.

I wish he would dunk it more often, it feels like he loves to just tip it in and rarely ever dunks it even when he has a clear line to dunk.

I mean on the first shot sure maybe a lay in is better but when he gets the rebound and is right by the basket just dunk it.

The layup was more contested because the pass was a click late.

[d-train]

I have no **** clue what the Blazers did to the refs, felt like any iffy foul went Bostons way in this game, and **** felt the same way in the last game.

There is no way in hell that the Blazers are fouling that much more than the other team.

I thought refs were calling it closer against Collins and Trent than everyone else.

[d-train]

We win if Ariza plays.

So far, Trent is playing Ariza's role better than Ariza could have done it.

[d-train]

Well I guess whiteside will be let go in free agency now I’m glad we had this chance to play Nurk again healthy or else we might’ve done something stupid like ink Hasan up for 4 years 40 mil-80mil

I don't want Blazers to consider signing any player that isn't a bargain. Blazers should use their financial advantage to get bargains and/or a cheap great player. I'm ready to just let Whiteside walk anyway. He doesn't have a good feel for the game and he reacts slow. Some say his stats are empty, I say everyones stats are empty. Wins and who contributes to them are what matters.

If Blazers are able to use our TPE and MLE, we can't afford to keep Whiteside anyway. Not if the Blazers want to stay under the tax.

[DaVoiceMaster]

I put this on Stott's. Why in the world did he use his last timeout. The ref's were reviewing the foul call so he had plenty of time to draw up a play that was piss-poor management on his part and ultimately cost them an opportunity to advance the ball with 3 seconds remaining.

It's too bad the Blazers took the first half off and gave Boston a 20 point lead. Will Boston swap Kanter for Whiteside?

[zzaj]

We win if Ariza plays.

So far, Trent is playing Ariza's role better than Ariza could have done it.

It would have been nice to have them both. Ariza would have been the best defender on Tatum this afternoon.

[JasonStern]

Boston's shooters were hot, especially early on when Portland's were cold. Even when the Blazers were contesting their wings, they still managed to hit what felt like Every. Single. Shot.
Glad I stuck through the whole game. Would never have guessed the Blazers would ever lead once they were down 24. Still don't understand that quick 2 down 3 with no timeouts late call.

I thought the game was better officiated than the Memphis one. people need to understand that a big reason for the foul discrepancies is the combination of playing small guards that get burned frequently and refusing to fight through screens, resulting in mismatches, at which point it makes more sense to foul than give up an easy bucket.

Obviously Kanter was a better fit for this team than Whiteside, but I'm not opposed to bringing Whiteside back. Or not. All comes down to what other teams are willing to offer him, what other players are realistically available, etc.