tlongII
01-04-2012, 10:09 AM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2012/01/blazers_insider_portland_does_away_with_the_ghosts .html
http://media.oregonlive.com/blazers_impact/photo/splala04jpg-98fa8316aa49d42d.jpg
Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge blocks a shot by Thunder guard Russell Westbrook on Tuesday in Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY -- By the time the Trail Blazers arrived here around 3 a.m. on Monday, they had heard the ghost stories of their new crash spot, the Skirvin Hilton.
The hotel, in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City, has long been rumored to be haunted. Legend has it that shortly after he built the hotel in 1910, the owner, Bill Skirvin, had an affair with a maid named Effie, during which he impregnated her. In an attempt to hide the scandal, Skirvin locked her in a room on the 10th floor, which at the time was the top floor. Even after she gave birth, she was kept in the room, causing her to eventually jump out the window, baby in arms.
The hotel is now 14 stories high, but guests and workers on the 10th floor have reported sounds of a baby wailing, and some have said a ghost of a nude Effie roams the 10th floor.
The legend grew in January 2010, when Eddy Curry and Jarred Jeffries of the New York Knicks vehemently claimed the place was haunted. Curry was the only player staying on the 10th floor, and he was so frightened he went to the room of teammate Nate Robinson and slept on the floor. Blazers guard Jamal Crawford, a former Knicks player, and friend of Robinson, attests the story of Curry's fright is real.
And when Blazers assistant Bernie Bickerstaff worked with the Chicago Bulls, he says the haunted hotel was the talk of the team, so much so that a certain Bulls player needed to be coaxed and calmed to stay the night there.
For the first time in their six seasons of coming to Oklahoma City, the Blazers stayed at the Skirvin.
"I've heard the stories," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "And I was reminded on the way in. I heard the players saying, 'Oh, this is the hotel ... gee whiz.' But I didn't see anything. But I was on the 11th floor. I heard all the action was on the 10th. And I don't think any of our guys were on the 10th."
By the time Tuesday night rolled around, the hotel had become a laughing matter in the Blazers' locker room.
"I don't believe in any of that," Raymond Felton loudly exclaimed. "And as a grown man, I certainly ain't sleeping on nobody's floor."
Turns out, the Blazers are not only not afraid of ghosts, they are not afraid of the Thunder, either.
Right along with the thoughts of the Skirvin ghosts, the Blazers exorcised many of their Thunder demons on this trip.
Remember how Russell Westbrook torched the Blazers last season, making Andre Miller look 50 while averaging 27 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists in four games? Well, now the Blazers have Felton, whose speed -- both offensively and defensively -- neutralizes Westbrook just enough to take away a huge advantage. Westbrook still got his Tuesday night -- 22 points, six rebounds and eight assists -- but nine of the points were late and much of his night was spent trying to beat Felton, not the Blazers.
Felton, by contrast, looked like a point guard out to help his team, not his statistics, and he hurt the Thunder at key moments, using his quickness to go coast-to-coast twice during a third-quarter surge, and another time drawing two defenders to feed LaMarcus Aldridge for a dunk. All told, Felton finished with 12 points, seven assists, four rebounds and the big stat -- one turnover in 36 minutes.
"That's the type of guy he is, that's his mindset, that's how he plays," Felton said when I remarked about Westbrook's win-the-battle, but lose-the-war mentality. "He's always in a one-on-one battle with all the point guards. I'm not really into that. I'm into winning. If you win, everybody gets the praises. We are not wearing 'Felton' on the front of our jerseys; it says Blazers. I care about the Blazers winning."
Also, that ghost of 2007? You know, taking Greg Oden instead of now MVP-candidate Kevin Durant? That's been partially exorcised, too. No, it doesn't appear Oden will play this year, probably bringing to an end a monumental No. 1-pick nightmare for Portland, but at least the Blazers appear to finally be equipped with the right personnel and depth to control the phenom.
Gerald Wallace not only frustrates the lithe Durant with his brawn and bravado on defense, he also punishes him on offense, repeatedly backing him down to point-blank range. When Wallace needs a breather, the Blazers throw Nicolas Batum at Durant, giving him length and savvy to deal with. In three games since Wallace has been with Portland, Durant has shot 5 for 18, 9 for 24, and on Tuesday, 8 for 26. During that time, Wallace has dropped a 40-spot on Oklahoma City.
In the meantime, the Blazers on Tuesday went a long way to dispelling some other myths. Like "Aldridge is soft." He scored 30 against what is regarded as a rugged Thunder interior defense of Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka. He also countered some of Perkins' bully tactics by verbally standing up to him.
And for a night at least, the Blazers shook their reputation as a loose group of ball-handlers, committing a commendable nine turnovers, including just one by point guards Felton and Crawford. Most important, they served notice that they won't be a team that wilts on the road like previous Blazers teams. They were tough, gritty and solid.
It was much like their fears as they entered the Skirvin on Monday morning, just a little unsure of what to believe.
"Of course you thought about it; when I went to sleep I was," McMillan said of the ghost stories. "But I don't believe in it. I didn't know if I would see one that night or not. But I didn't."
All he saw was a victory.
http://media.oregonlive.com/blazers_impact/photo/splala04jpg-98fa8316aa49d42d.jpg
Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge blocks a shot by Thunder guard Russell Westbrook on Tuesday in Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY -- By the time the Trail Blazers arrived here around 3 a.m. on Monday, they had heard the ghost stories of their new crash spot, the Skirvin Hilton.
The hotel, in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City, has long been rumored to be haunted. Legend has it that shortly after he built the hotel in 1910, the owner, Bill Skirvin, had an affair with a maid named Effie, during which he impregnated her. In an attempt to hide the scandal, Skirvin locked her in a room on the 10th floor, which at the time was the top floor. Even after she gave birth, she was kept in the room, causing her to eventually jump out the window, baby in arms.
The hotel is now 14 stories high, but guests and workers on the 10th floor have reported sounds of a baby wailing, and some have said a ghost of a nude Effie roams the 10th floor.
The legend grew in January 2010, when Eddy Curry and Jarred Jeffries of the New York Knicks vehemently claimed the place was haunted. Curry was the only player staying on the 10th floor, and he was so frightened he went to the room of teammate Nate Robinson and slept on the floor. Blazers guard Jamal Crawford, a former Knicks player, and friend of Robinson, attests the story of Curry's fright is real.
And when Blazers assistant Bernie Bickerstaff worked with the Chicago Bulls, he says the haunted hotel was the talk of the team, so much so that a certain Bulls player needed to be coaxed and calmed to stay the night there.
For the first time in their six seasons of coming to Oklahoma City, the Blazers stayed at the Skirvin.
"I've heard the stories," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "And I was reminded on the way in. I heard the players saying, 'Oh, this is the hotel ... gee whiz.' But I didn't see anything. But I was on the 11th floor. I heard all the action was on the 10th. And I don't think any of our guys were on the 10th."
By the time Tuesday night rolled around, the hotel had become a laughing matter in the Blazers' locker room.
"I don't believe in any of that," Raymond Felton loudly exclaimed. "And as a grown man, I certainly ain't sleeping on nobody's floor."
Turns out, the Blazers are not only not afraid of ghosts, they are not afraid of the Thunder, either.
Right along with the thoughts of the Skirvin ghosts, the Blazers exorcised many of their Thunder demons on this trip.
Remember how Russell Westbrook torched the Blazers last season, making Andre Miller look 50 while averaging 27 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists in four games? Well, now the Blazers have Felton, whose speed -- both offensively and defensively -- neutralizes Westbrook just enough to take away a huge advantage. Westbrook still got his Tuesday night -- 22 points, six rebounds and eight assists -- but nine of the points were late and much of his night was spent trying to beat Felton, not the Blazers.
Felton, by contrast, looked like a point guard out to help his team, not his statistics, and he hurt the Thunder at key moments, using his quickness to go coast-to-coast twice during a third-quarter surge, and another time drawing two defenders to feed LaMarcus Aldridge for a dunk. All told, Felton finished with 12 points, seven assists, four rebounds and the big stat -- one turnover in 36 minutes.
"That's the type of guy he is, that's his mindset, that's how he plays," Felton said when I remarked about Westbrook's win-the-battle, but lose-the-war mentality. "He's always in a one-on-one battle with all the point guards. I'm not really into that. I'm into winning. If you win, everybody gets the praises. We are not wearing 'Felton' on the front of our jerseys; it says Blazers. I care about the Blazers winning."
Also, that ghost of 2007? You know, taking Greg Oden instead of now MVP-candidate Kevin Durant? That's been partially exorcised, too. No, it doesn't appear Oden will play this year, probably bringing to an end a monumental No. 1-pick nightmare for Portland, but at least the Blazers appear to finally be equipped with the right personnel and depth to control the phenom.
Gerald Wallace not only frustrates the lithe Durant with his brawn and bravado on defense, he also punishes him on offense, repeatedly backing him down to point-blank range. When Wallace needs a breather, the Blazers throw Nicolas Batum at Durant, giving him length and savvy to deal with. In three games since Wallace has been with Portland, Durant has shot 5 for 18, 9 for 24, and on Tuesday, 8 for 26. During that time, Wallace has dropped a 40-spot on Oklahoma City.
In the meantime, the Blazers on Tuesday went a long way to dispelling some other myths. Like "Aldridge is soft." He scored 30 against what is regarded as a rugged Thunder interior defense of Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka. He also countered some of Perkins' bully tactics by verbally standing up to him.
And for a night at least, the Blazers shook their reputation as a loose group of ball-handlers, committing a commendable nine turnovers, including just one by point guards Felton and Crawford. Most important, they served notice that they won't be a team that wilts on the road like previous Blazers teams. They were tough, gritty and solid.
It was much like their fears as they entered the Skirvin on Monday morning, just a little unsure of what to believe.
"Of course you thought about it; when I went to sleep I was," McMillan said of the ghost stories. "But I don't believe in it. I didn't know if I would see one that night or not. But I didn't."
All he saw was a victory.