Game Thread Blazers at Bulls TNT 7:00ct

[TB#1]

Any chance we can have one of the posters who actually puts effort into the game thread do the honors?

[TB#1]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores10 ... 776468.htm

Trail Blazers-Bulls Preview

Jim Boylan has fared well early in his first NBA head coaching job. He could have a hard time extending that success when his Chicago Bulls meet one of the league's hottest teams over the last month.

The Bulls go for their fourth win in five games under Boylan on Thursday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers, winners of 14 of their last 15.

Boylan, a former assistant, took over one game after the Bulls fired Scott Skiles following a disappointing 9-16 start. Chicago (12-18) has gone 3-1 under the new interim coach, and its only loss in that stretch came on a buzzer-beating shot in a 112-110 overtime defeat against Southeast Division-leading Orlando on Monday.

The Bulls have scored at least 100 points in each game under Boylan, averaging 105.5 while shooting 46.4 percent from the field. They averaged just 89.0 points on 42.4 percent shooting in their previous five contests, failing to reach the century mark in any of them.

On Wednesday, they shot 49.4 percent from the field and rallied from a 12-point third-quarter deficit to beat Charlotte 109-97. Boylan used 6-foot-11 rookie Joakim Noah to counter Charlotte's three-guard lineup, and he responded with a career-high 17 points.

``Sometimes you go the way the game is going,'' Boylan said. ``If things are going well for you, then your enthusiasm and your concentration and our focus is really sharp. Tonight (Noah) was very focused, his energy was infectious to our guys and it really gave us a lift.''

Like the Bulls, the Trail Blazers (19-13) got off to a disappointing start, but they turned their season around with a 13-game win streak Dec. 3-30 - the second-longest run in franchise history. That streak ended with a loss at Utah on Monday, but Portland got back on track by beating Minnesota 90-79 on Wednesday.

``I'm happy with the way we responded,'' said second-year guard Brandon Roy, who had a team-high 24 points. ``The big thing was, we've got to win this next game to show everyone we lost the streak, but we're still a good team and have a lot to play for.''

Roy has averaged 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists since the beginning of the Blazers' run.

While Roy keyed Portland's turnaround, Ben Gordon has been key to Chicago's resurgence. Gordon is averaging 29.3 points in four games since Boylan removed him from Chicago's starting lineup. He's shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 57.9 percent (11-for-19) from 3-point range in that stretch.

Despite Gordon's reserve role, Boylan says he's still counting on him to carry a large part of the offensive load for a team that still ranks near the bottom of the league in points per game (93.3) and field-goal percentage (41.9).

``Our season is starting to slip away a little bit,'' Boylan said. ``We need our main guys to come through.''

The Bulls have won five of their last six against the Blazers, including three in a row. Luol Deng was 18-for-25 from the field and had a career-high 38 points in Chicago's 100-89 win over Portland on March 26 as the Bulls completed a season series-sweep.

Portland will try to snap its skid against Chicago in the finale of a three-game road trip. The Blazers are just 4-10 on the road, where they play eight of their next 10.

``We've got a lot of road games, especially this month,'' Blazers coach Nate McMillan said Wednesday. ``The challenge to the guys tonight was to try to improve on the road. Continue trying to do what we're doing at home, but also improve our road record and see where that leaves us.''

[suckfish]

Any chance we can have one of the posters who actually puts effort into the game thread do the honors?

Good point.

Maybe we should change the format, have posters pick a game off the schedule like other boards do. That way there isn't a frantic rush or race to start the thread, the quality is crap because people are trying to start the thread before everybody else.

The game threads could be pretty fun if people spent a few extra minutes to add some creativity.

How about we post up the schedule and everybody can pick the dates of the game thread that they want?


Or we could save our energy and just deal with the crappy game thread introductions..

[DuckIII]

Well, I don't really care who starts the game threads. Outside of randomly dropping a couple of thoughts prior to the game on occassion, I ignore game threads like the plague. Too emotional. I prefer the post-game threads.

But it does strike me that if you are going to start the game thread, at least put some effort into it. Otherwise, just let someone else do it.

News flash: There is no reward for being the guy who starts the game thread.

[JackFinn]

Oh man national TV? That means Barkley. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Bulls are turrable just turrable lol

Heh heh, silly Chuck. It's clearly pronounced "terriable."

[Rerisen]

The Bobcats game was unique for the Bulls in that we actually got to go big on someone else for a change and we saw the result, almost all our bigs had successful nights.

Bobcats were playing Jrich 6'6 and Wallace 6'7 as their two forwards for large portions of the game with Mcinnis and Felton in the backcourt.

Whether Joe Smith and Noah can have equal success in the paint against Portland will be a stiffer challenge.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

I want to see Noah playing Aldridge.

Do it. Do it now.

[richard]

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Heh heh, silly Chuck. It's clearly pronounced "terriable."

also, newskoolbulls, try learning what the quote function is all about.

[girlygirl]

Please, whatever you do Bulls, do NOT double down on the Blazers big men. EVERYONE on this Blazers team (with the possible exception of Przybilla) can hit outside shots, from Roy on down. Steve Blake will drill 3's all night if he's left open, James Jones I believe LEADS the NBA in 3-point shooting and Outlaw and Webster have been money this year as well. As a team, Portland is 4th in the NBA in 3-point shooting (37.8%) but is NEXT TO LAST in points in the paint (31.6 PPG)

Keys: Keep the guards (especially Jack, who will get to the FT line a bunch of times if he's able to penetrate at will) out of the lane, stay on the perimeter shooters, and on offense, try to attack the basket (the Blazers are getting outscored in the paint by nearly 11 PPG this season).

[Red Larrivee]

If the Bulls don't guard the perimeter, they will lose. Portland's just as perimeter oriented as us, except they have more playmaking point guards with Blake and Rodgriguez. If they give it to Aldridge in the post a few times, let him do whatever.

[suckfish]

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Heh heh, silly Chuck. It's clearly pronounced "terriable."

Turble

[Dieselbound&Down]

If the Bulls don't guard the perimeter, they will lose. Portland's just as perimeter oriented as us, except they have more playmaking point guards with Blake and Rodgriguez. If they give it to Aldridge in the post a few times, let him do whatever.

It's depressing reading that the two point guards you mentioned are better playmakers than the Bulls group.

The Blazers are on a roll. Need to come out and match their energy in the first half. I agree with others that the Bulls should be fine. They are playing back to form and the offense is producing which limits other teams ability to go on runs and hold the Bulls to under 15 points in any quarter.

This will be a nice momentum builder and put Barkley on notice that the Bulls are scoring much more effectively in the lane and through the post which, combined with the faster pace, has the offense playing much better. He'll still trash the team though.

[Cliff Levingston]

Cliff Levingston agrees strongly with the "don't double down, defend the perimeter" sentiments. Thus, Nocioni should be planted to the bench for this game.

[TB#1]

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Turble

just because I can never get enough of it, lets go once again to the Frank Caliendo/Charles Barkley segment on TNT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEJG06qEwLA

Tuurrble.

[suckfish]

'Ive watched it too many times already. The Bill Walton impression is gold!

[Jack wore plaid]

I like the Bulls chances tonight. Portland is a decent team. but they are still really young, and a bit inconsistant. My beloved Blazers will have to be firing on all cylinders for them to pull this one out tonight. During a lot of the win streak the team was shooting the ball really well. They have cooled off a bit, but have still managed to play solid enough to win. I'm not sure they can get away with that tonight. The Bulls are better than their record suggests.

Good luck the rest of the season.

[Shootdabull]

The Bulls arrive at 3-2 in the post SS era. The three wins have come against bottom four east pretenders. The Orlando loss was as close as it gets. The bulls need to build on the momentum and protect the home court against a good team. A win here and we start back on the road to respectability. A loss shows we are still not ready to compete with the good teams. I think this is a big game psychologically for us. I'm not convinced the Bulls are ready to step it up when the going gets tough. I think Portland takes this one, with good outside shooting.

[da Bulls!!!]

We need to stop Roy...if we do that,we will win

[BobbyBulls]

Roy and Aldridge may have extra incentive from being passed by Paxson. I expect Roy to post Hinrich and use his strength. As far as Aldridge goes, it comes down to whether he's hitting his jumper. It's virtually unblockable because of his Rasheed Wallace like high release. You can only hope he misses. He's also deleloping a nice turnaround jumper.

[breaker91]

Aldridge vs TT

A- 36min 22 points 7 rebounds

TT- DNP

As Duck posted on the Blazers board I wouldn't expect to see these two head to head tonight. Although it looks like Tyrus has fallen on the depth chart, there is a case for him to get some decent time on the 2nd unit. Travis Outlaw most plays the 4 on the Blazers second unit. Outlaw has some serious hops and can get his shot off against almost ever player in the league. Tyrus is at the top of my list as someone who has the physical abilities to give Travis all sorts of problems offensively.

Good luck tonight, should be a good game.