Game Thread - Sacramento @ Portland 7:00PM

[The Sebastian Express]

I've no problem with the Kings winning. I know why they did, and it isn't because of the refs. What I do have a problem with however is Martin flopping and getting a call at a crucial time (please note I did not say this won the game), while Brandon gets hit in the face and is bleeding and doesn't get a call. I have a problem with that.

[Mr Odd]

Haha, some pissedoff Blazers fans!!

[taufblazers33]

hope this motivates KP to make a move

[doogul]

I've no problem with the Kings winning. I know why they did, and it isn't because of the refs. What I do have a problem with however is Martin flopping and getting a call at a crucial time (please note I did not say this won the game), while Brandon gets hit in the face and is bleeding and doesn't get a call. I have a problem with that.

I agree 100% with what you wrote. We didn't lose cause of the refs, but that sequence was the epitome of the treatment Roy gets. What does it freakin' take for Roy, an all-star, to get a call? They can't even say "no blood no foul" on that one, because he'd -still- get the call if they went by that rule. It's just irritating...

[Wizenheimer]

cant wait till nxt year with Greg Oden, then lets see Ron Artest or Kevin Martin the pussy drive in the lane.

maybe you should cool down 30 minutes or so before posting after a loss. It might help the tone of some of your posts.

just a suggestion

[PDXKnight]

I've no problem with the Kings winning. I know why they did, and it isn't because of the refs. What I do have a problem with however is Martin flopping and getting a call at a crucial time (please note I did not say this won the game), while Brandon gets hit in the face and is bleeding and doesn't get a call. I have a problem with that.

Yeah, that was my main issue tonight as well. Roy just made the all-star game yet these refs treated Sacramento's players like all-stars tonight. I know that a team should play above the refs but it's hard to do that when Roy is being treated like a rookie. I wonder if the game would have at least been respectable if Roy had gotten some calls during the game.

[Mr Odd]

Again, my main issue was Roy being put
on Artest. I think if Outlaw were on him
Artest would of had to work harder to
get those easy scores down low. All
Artest had to do is back down the
smaller Roy. Artest has little lift &
Outlaws long arms would of made
it tougher for him to score aswell
as Outlaw had the speed to keep
up with Artest, but Roy could do
that. I think Artest probably still
could of backed down Outlaw but
it would of took more work and his
shot would of been more disrupted.

Its true Roy still is not getting calls
but you cant blame the refs. NBA
refs have always been inconsistent,
its just part of the NBA game.. .You
cant change that, but you CAN change
lineups and how you play players.. .

Anyway, goodnight everyone!!

[cucad8]

Problem is they tried Outlaw on him as well, and that did nothing. Just an awful sequence by Nate, as he sits there and watches two guys get abused by Artest, and doesn't think about the possibility of anyone else covering him./ Finally, Martell did, and forced him into a crappy fade away that missed. Made him work harder than Roy and Outlaw did.

Was extremely annoyed sitting at the Garden tonight. Blake looks like he has regressed out there as a PG. He hit some good shots, sure, but as a whole, and as a PG, just was not good. It's bad when Jack is the better of the two PGs. Outlaw had one good quarter again, which is generally enough for everyone to think he is great. He scored a lot of points, but if my "SF" is covered by a C, I am extremely pissed he is settling for 21 footers. Go in or not, that is not a good shot when you are covered by a C. That ranks up there with Raef fading away while being covered by JJ Barea. Looked towards the end of the game we could have really used some rebounding and interior defense. I dunno where we would get tha...oh, wait, NOW Przybilla enters the game. After we're down by like 6. Thanks Nate. Good substitution pattern there. Shows you were watching. Just on a tape delay. Brilliant. I am sure there are other problems, but to avoid breaking my keys on the keyboard, I'll leave it at that for right now.

[borgradr]

I'm with cucad8, Blake was crap tonight, and seems to be pretty bad at least once every three games. I'm kind of fed up with the lack of point guard play in general on this team. If Pritchard doesn't make a move before Thursday, I'd like to see Roy and Webster starting at the 1 and 2, they're by far our best perimeter defenders. Roy is the only good point we have right now and needs to be played as such.

[Bibby4Three]

Well the Kings had an answer for every run Portland made. That is why they won the game tonight. Also what won the game for us was Ron Artest completely shutting down Brandon Roy, he was invisible tonight.

Good game.

B4T

[sabi]

We all know Brandon can score on Artest and can shake him off with his cross over. It just didn't happen tonight.

[SoHo]

I get the feeling that running this small lineup with Jack instead of Webster isn't the shot in the arm the team needed. Perhaps it was a nice attempt, but as some people have said it's hard to put Roy on a bigger SF like Artest. I think that is especially true if we are going to rely on Roy so much on the offensive side of the ball.

Ugh, I want Jones back, or something that can pick this team up out of the ditch they've run into. If we can't beat Seattle Thursday then I'll be worried, but as far as this game I've always though the Kings were a bit underrated.

This team really needs something to light a fire beneath them. Maybe it's a trade, maybe it's a team meeting, I don't know, but we need to come out and take it to the other team from start to finish.

[541Blaza]

The Blazers really need to make a deal. I didn't get to see the game but I wasn't suprised when I saw the loss.

[PhilipNelsonFan]

There were some absolutely atrocious calls and no-calls in the first half that virtually all went Portland's way. It was bizarre. Not to mention that Jack and Outlaw were hot and Roy was off his game (yeah, I know, the flu).

Of course, leave it to the mercurial Mr. Jack to lose the game for Portland after making good decisions on offense all game.

[BlackMamba]

wow... it seems that last quarter was crazy.

[Wizenheimer]

There were some absolutely atrocious calls and no-calls in the first half that virtually all went Portland's way. It was bizarre. Not to mention that Jack and Outlaw were hot and Roy was off his game (yeah, I know, the flu).

Of course, leave it to the mercurial Mr. Jack to lose the game for Portland after making good decisions on offense all game.

how so?

[Wizenheimer]

Again, my main issue was Roy being put
on Artest. I think if Outlaw were on him
Artest would of had to work harder to
get those easy scores down low. All
Artest had to do is back down the
smaller Roy. Artest has little lift &
Outlaws long arms would of made
it tougher for him to score aswell
as Outlaw had the speed to keep
up with Artest, but Roy could do
that. I think Artest probably still
could of backed down Outlaw but
it would of took more work and his
shot would of been more disrupted.

Its true Roy still is not getting calls
but you cant blame the refs. NBA
refs have always been inconsistent,
its just part of the NBA game.. .You
cant change that, but you CAN change
lineups and how you play players.. .

Anyway, goodnight everyone!!

if you want to say that was the problem...roy on artest...fine.

I don't really agree though. I'll point out that LMA spent a lot of time guarding artest earlier in the game, and wasn't effective at it. I think LMA is probably a better defender then outlaw and is certainly longer.

Portland didn't need to try a different defender, they needed to double team artest and take their chances. of course the one time they did with LMA helping brandon, miller dove to the basket for an uncontested dunk. Still, I'd say portland needs to scrap their zone defense and start focusing on man-to-man defense that entails far less switching and utilizes double teams when portland has a mismatch disadvantage. Portland's defensive problems are the switches and the rotations that leave portland vulnerable on mismatches and botched rebounding assignments.

I used to think portland needed shooters (they do) but more then that, portland needs some more speed on the perimeter and especially, at least one physical perimeter defender. In reality, I think Maggette or Bass would be better for portland then Granger. Granger is just a better version of what they have too much of: finesse on skinny frames.

[Mr Odd]

Not trying to put words in anyones mouth
but it seems people are fine with Roy on
Artest late in the 4th?? Please, for to the
people who feel that way explain to me
why you feel that so I can understand.. .

Thanks!!

[cucad8]

I would be curious after watching last night why anyone would find that acceptable. Still think he should have went to Martell on Artest quicker.

[Mr Odd]

I would be curious after watching last night why anyone would find that acceptable. Still think he should have went to Martell on Artest quicker.

Yea - Torwards the very end Webster was on him
in two plays and both times Artest backed Webster
down only to toss the ball back out because Web
gave him a little more trouble then Roy did. But
when Artest passed the ball out the Kings knocked
down a 3 ball and a long 2 pointer, DOH!! lol.. .Still
it showed that someone else on Artest did better.. .
I would much rather have the Kings take long shots
then give Artest easy buckets down low.. .It was
funny, I was yelling at the TV to put someone else
on Artest.. .I ususally dont yell at the TV, lol.. .