tlongII
01-04-2012, 10:08 AM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2012/01/portland_103_oklahoma_93_blazers_jump_to_the_top_o .html
http://media.oregonlive.com/oregonian/photo/2012/01/10409780-standard.jpg
Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) shoots in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka
OKLAHOMA CITY -- As Wesley Matthews calmly slipped on his socks and laced up his shoes in the visiting locker room at Chesapeake Energy Arena, he wasn't eager to dwell on the Trail Blazers' hot start, the signature road win they had just completed or what has been in this young NBA season.
Instead, Matthews was most eager to focus on what could be for this surging Blazers team.
"We haven't put together a full game yet," Matthews said. "That's the scary and exciting part. I don't think we know what we're capable of yet, but we know that there's something there."
What's there right now is something few predicted before the season: Thanks to a commanding 103-93 victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday night before 18,203, the Blazers will wake up this morning sitting in first place in the Western Conference standings.
And the best news from the Blazers' perspective? It's still early in a lockout-shortened season that will breeze by quickly, and the Blazers have not come close to revealing their best.
"This is Game 5, so nah," point guard Raymond Felton said when asked whether the Blazers have played near their best. "We definitely can get better, we're going to get better. The sky's the limit for us."
The Blazers (4-1) were good enough Tuesday to hand the Thunder (5-2) their second consecutive loss thanks to physical defense on Kevin Durant, a dose of what coach Nate McMillan called "attitude" and a big night from LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished with 30 points and eight rebounds.
Durant, who earlier in the day was named the Western Conference player of the week, was a shell of his All-Star self. He made 8 of 26 shots, including 1 of 7 three-pointers, and finished with 19 points and five rebounds. It's just the second time Durant has failed to score at least 27 points this season and it's his worst outing against the Blazers since Nov. 1, 2009.
Durant was averaging 28.6 points and 8.3 rebounds in his previous seven games against the Blazers.
When Nicolas Batum glanced at the box score in the Blazers' locker room after the game and peeked at Durant's final line, he flashed a sheepish smile. When someone congratulated him, Batum immediately pointed over to the corner, where Gerald Wallace was seated, and said: "That's all G."
In reality, it was a combination of the two small forwards. Wallace pushed and prodded Durant all game, making him fight to get open. And Batum chased Durant all night, making him shoot contested shots. Durant said afterward he got "good looks" but also credited the Blazers' defense, which held the Thunder to 40 points and 34.2 percent shooting in the second half.
"They did a great job of stopping him when we needed them to," Felton said. "Making him shoot contested, tough shots. Not letting him get in his comfort zone. They did a great job with that. I'm proud of both of them."
As the Blazers neutralized Durant, they got a little bit from everyone on their roster.
Batum was all over the place, hitting three timely three-pointers and recording two clutch blocks while finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds. Matthews scored six consecutive Blazers points at the start of the second quarter, keeping Portland within striking distance after the Thunder built an early lead, and finished with 16 points and four steals. Wallace added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
And then there's Felton. After committing 10 turnovers over the last two games -- contributing to the 46 the Blazers racked up as a team -- he played with composure and calm despite enduring relentless pressure from Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Felton hit a clutch three-pointer to give the Blazers an 88-81 lead and finished with 12 points, seven assists -- and just one turnover. The Blazers had just nine as a team.
All the while, Aldridge, who made 10 of 19 field goals and 10 of 12 free throws, was solid, attacking the interior early and mixing in some outside shots throughout. He also flashed some of that "attitude" McMillan was talking about, getting into a brief scuffle with Thunder center Kendrick Perkins with 1:06 left.
The two jawed with each other face-to-face after battling for a rebound near the baseline under the Blazers' basket, and had to be separated by Wallace and others. Both were issued technical fouls.
Afterward, Aldridge downplayed the incident, saying, "It was just two competitive guys in the heat of the moment."
Wallace had another take on the incident.
"That's somebody trying to be what he's not," Wallace said of Perkins. "Like I told LA, don't even worry about that. Let's just get the win and go home. It's not worth you getting suspended four or five games. It's going to frustrate them more if we get this win and go home."
The Blazers no doubt were helped by the fact that Oklahoma City was playing for the seventh time in 10 games. But there was no apologizing in the Blazers' postgame locker room for notching an impressive road victory against a Western Conference contender. After all, they say, more is to come.
"We haven't done nothing," Aldridge said. "This is a long, long season. A quick season. This start is definitely good for us, but we can't stop counting our eggs before they hatch or start feeling happy on the farm."
http://media.oregonlive.com/oregonian/photo/2012/01/10409780-standard.jpg
Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) shoots in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka
OKLAHOMA CITY -- As Wesley Matthews calmly slipped on his socks and laced up his shoes in the visiting locker room at Chesapeake Energy Arena, he wasn't eager to dwell on the Trail Blazers' hot start, the signature road win they had just completed or what has been in this young NBA season.
Instead, Matthews was most eager to focus on what could be for this surging Blazers team.
"We haven't put together a full game yet," Matthews said. "That's the scary and exciting part. I don't think we know what we're capable of yet, but we know that there's something there."
What's there right now is something few predicted before the season: Thanks to a commanding 103-93 victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday night before 18,203, the Blazers will wake up this morning sitting in first place in the Western Conference standings.
And the best news from the Blazers' perspective? It's still early in a lockout-shortened season that will breeze by quickly, and the Blazers have not come close to revealing their best.
"This is Game 5, so nah," point guard Raymond Felton said when asked whether the Blazers have played near their best. "We definitely can get better, we're going to get better. The sky's the limit for us."
The Blazers (4-1) were good enough Tuesday to hand the Thunder (5-2) their second consecutive loss thanks to physical defense on Kevin Durant, a dose of what coach Nate McMillan called "attitude" and a big night from LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished with 30 points and eight rebounds.
Durant, who earlier in the day was named the Western Conference player of the week, was a shell of his All-Star self. He made 8 of 26 shots, including 1 of 7 three-pointers, and finished with 19 points and five rebounds. It's just the second time Durant has failed to score at least 27 points this season and it's his worst outing against the Blazers since Nov. 1, 2009.
Durant was averaging 28.6 points and 8.3 rebounds in his previous seven games against the Blazers.
When Nicolas Batum glanced at the box score in the Blazers' locker room after the game and peeked at Durant's final line, he flashed a sheepish smile. When someone congratulated him, Batum immediately pointed over to the corner, where Gerald Wallace was seated, and said: "That's all G."
In reality, it was a combination of the two small forwards. Wallace pushed and prodded Durant all game, making him fight to get open. And Batum chased Durant all night, making him shoot contested shots. Durant said afterward he got "good looks" but also credited the Blazers' defense, which held the Thunder to 40 points and 34.2 percent shooting in the second half.
"They did a great job of stopping him when we needed them to," Felton said. "Making him shoot contested, tough shots. Not letting him get in his comfort zone. They did a great job with that. I'm proud of both of them."
As the Blazers neutralized Durant, they got a little bit from everyone on their roster.
Batum was all over the place, hitting three timely three-pointers and recording two clutch blocks while finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds. Matthews scored six consecutive Blazers points at the start of the second quarter, keeping Portland within striking distance after the Thunder built an early lead, and finished with 16 points and four steals. Wallace added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
And then there's Felton. After committing 10 turnovers over the last two games -- contributing to the 46 the Blazers racked up as a team -- he played with composure and calm despite enduring relentless pressure from Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Felton hit a clutch three-pointer to give the Blazers an 88-81 lead and finished with 12 points, seven assists -- and just one turnover. The Blazers had just nine as a team.
All the while, Aldridge, who made 10 of 19 field goals and 10 of 12 free throws, was solid, attacking the interior early and mixing in some outside shots throughout. He also flashed some of that "attitude" McMillan was talking about, getting into a brief scuffle with Thunder center Kendrick Perkins with 1:06 left.
The two jawed with each other face-to-face after battling for a rebound near the baseline under the Blazers' basket, and had to be separated by Wallace and others. Both were issued technical fouls.
Afterward, Aldridge downplayed the incident, saying, "It was just two competitive guys in the heat of the moment."
Wallace had another take on the incident.
"That's somebody trying to be what he's not," Wallace said of Perkins. "Like I told LA, don't even worry about that. Let's just get the win and go home. It's not worth you getting suspended four or five games. It's going to frustrate them more if we get this win and go home."
The Blazers no doubt were helped by the fact that Oklahoma City was playing for the seventh time in 10 games. But there was no apologizing in the Blazers' postgame locker room for notching an impressive road victory against a Western Conference contender. After all, they say, more is to come.
"We haven't done nothing," Aldridge said. "This is a long, long season. A quick season. This start is definitely good for us, but we can't stop counting our eggs before they hatch or start feeling happy on the farm."