tlongII
01-02-2013, 12:25 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2013/01/mentally-tough_blazers_use_big_shot_from_damian_li.html
NEW YORK — The Trail Blazers are too young, too soft on defense, too shaky on the road, too thin on the bench and too fragile in general to fuel this early-season hope and contend for a playoff spot.
At least that’s what conventional wisdom will tell you.
But on the NBA’s grandest stage, against a team buoyed by the return of a pair of All-Stars, the Blazers offered the most emphatic example yet that they have no intention of adhering to conventional wisdom, defeating the New York Knicks 105-100 before 19,033 at Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Day.
“We’re just getting used to winning,” Wesley Matthews said after the Blazers’ most impressive road win of the season. “That’s the biggest thing. We’re playing with a sense of swagger, a sense of purpose, a sense of belief. We’ve been in this position before, we know we can win and that’s how we’re playing. We’re doing what we expect to be doing.”
Before tipoff, an energized crowd was buzzing about the return of forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire from separate injuries. By the end of the night, Madison Square Garden was talking instead about another signature moment from Damian Lillard, a stellar rebounding night from LaMarcus Aldridge and another do-it-all outing from Nicolas Batum.
Lillard, who has had his share of breathtaking moments — the dominant performance against the San Antonio Spurs on TNT, the game-winning three against the New Orleans Hornets — strengthened his rookie-of-the-year resume against the Knicks. He finished with 21 points, six assists and five rebounds and punched the Knicks in the gut down the stretch with a step-back three-pointer with 35.2 seconds left that gave the Blazers a 103-97 lead.
The Knicks had just reeled off a 10-2 run to trim the Blazers’ seemingly insurmountable lead down to three points before Lillard’s shot from the top of the key. And the clutch jumper, in a storied venue like Madison Square Garden, provided the latest punctuation mark on what is becoming a runaway rookie-of-the-year candidacy for the point guard from Weber State.
“I expect him to do things like that,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said of the shot.
Blazers fans are also growing to expect stat-stuffing games from Batum and he had another one against the Knicks, recording 26 points, six assists and four rebounds, while making six three-pointers. Batum had 13 points in the third quarter, draining three timely threes that thwarted New York’s momentum as it methodically chipped away at the Blazers’ lead.
Batum and the Blazers had no answer for Anthony, who was hot all night and finished with 45 points on 14 of 24 shooting. But they did have an answer for the Knicks’ late-game rally. Before the game, Stotts stressed that he wanted to see more “mental and physical toughness” from his team and the Blazers flashed both in spades Tuesday night.
The Knicks cut the lead to four with roughly 90 seconds left and to three twice in the final 57.1 seconds. But in a poised and surprisingly calm finish, the Blazers answered each New York rally. It didn’t matter that the Knicks were gifted 14 free throw attempts in the fourth, that the they won a crucial jump-ball in the closing seconds or that Anthony was on a one-man rampage. The Blazers never wilted amid the twists and turns down the stretch.
And for a team that had won just four road games all season before Tuesday night, it provided a hint of that toughness Stotts had been looking for.
“Some things weren’t going our way at the end,” Stotts said, “and you get a team like the Knicks at home and the crowd is behind them and I thought we showed the mental toughness that we need to get the win.”
An underrated aspect of Tuesday’s win was the prolific rebounding of Aldridge — particularly his last of the game. After J.R. Smith brought the Knicks to within 98-94 with a rebound layup with 1:26 left, the Blazers set up a shot for Lillard. He missed an eight-foot jumper, but Aldridge snatched the rebound away from the Knicks and followed with a short shot off the glass. It gave him 19 points and 14 rebounds and the Blazers a two-possession lead.
“That rebound was big,” Lillard said. “We needed that. We might not win the game if he didn’t get that rebound and score.”
Thirty games into the season, the Blazers (16-14) are quietly becoming consistent and compelling. They’ve won eight of their last 10 games and Tuesday’s road victory — against the Knicks (20-10), who have the second-best team in the Eastern Conference — was both impressive and unexpected. These rebuilding Blazers are maturing faster and playing better than anyone expected.
“Mental toughness comes from being in the fire,” Jared Jeffries said. “And until we’re in the fire enough and go through enough ups and downs, you’re not always going to be mentally tough. Once we get to that point, when guys have been through enough ups and downs, we’ll be good.”
Aldridge isn’t ready to suddenly declare his team mentally tough. But he liked what he saw in the first game of a challenging four-game trip.
“We’re getting there,” he said. “We had some growth tonight. Until we can get to the point where we get teams down 15 and then we push it to 20 or 30, that’s when you really become a mentally tough team. But we’re growing and that’s big.”
Notes: Wesley Matthews returned after a four-game absence with a left hip flexor strain and finished with eight points and three rebounds in 30 minutes. His two free throws with 13.1 seconds left ice the victory. ... Seven of Aldridge’s rebounds were on offense, a season-high. ... Anthony and Smith combined to score 73 of the Knicks’ 100 points. ... The Blazers improved to 5-10 on the road.
NEW YORK — The Trail Blazers are too young, too soft on defense, too shaky on the road, too thin on the bench and too fragile in general to fuel this early-season hope and contend for a playoff spot.
At least that’s what conventional wisdom will tell you.
But on the NBA’s grandest stage, against a team buoyed by the return of a pair of All-Stars, the Blazers offered the most emphatic example yet that they have no intention of adhering to conventional wisdom, defeating the New York Knicks 105-100 before 19,033 at Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Day.
“We’re just getting used to winning,” Wesley Matthews said after the Blazers’ most impressive road win of the season. “That’s the biggest thing. We’re playing with a sense of swagger, a sense of purpose, a sense of belief. We’ve been in this position before, we know we can win and that’s how we’re playing. We’re doing what we expect to be doing.”
Before tipoff, an energized crowd was buzzing about the return of forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire from separate injuries. By the end of the night, Madison Square Garden was talking instead about another signature moment from Damian Lillard, a stellar rebounding night from LaMarcus Aldridge and another do-it-all outing from Nicolas Batum.
Lillard, who has had his share of breathtaking moments — the dominant performance against the San Antonio Spurs on TNT, the game-winning three against the New Orleans Hornets — strengthened his rookie-of-the-year resume against the Knicks. He finished with 21 points, six assists and five rebounds and punched the Knicks in the gut down the stretch with a step-back three-pointer with 35.2 seconds left that gave the Blazers a 103-97 lead.
The Knicks had just reeled off a 10-2 run to trim the Blazers’ seemingly insurmountable lead down to three points before Lillard’s shot from the top of the key. And the clutch jumper, in a storied venue like Madison Square Garden, provided the latest punctuation mark on what is becoming a runaway rookie-of-the-year candidacy for the point guard from Weber State.
“I expect him to do things like that,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said of the shot.
Blazers fans are also growing to expect stat-stuffing games from Batum and he had another one against the Knicks, recording 26 points, six assists and four rebounds, while making six three-pointers. Batum had 13 points in the third quarter, draining three timely threes that thwarted New York’s momentum as it methodically chipped away at the Blazers’ lead.
Batum and the Blazers had no answer for Anthony, who was hot all night and finished with 45 points on 14 of 24 shooting. But they did have an answer for the Knicks’ late-game rally. Before the game, Stotts stressed that he wanted to see more “mental and physical toughness” from his team and the Blazers flashed both in spades Tuesday night.
The Knicks cut the lead to four with roughly 90 seconds left and to three twice in the final 57.1 seconds. But in a poised and surprisingly calm finish, the Blazers answered each New York rally. It didn’t matter that the Knicks were gifted 14 free throw attempts in the fourth, that the they won a crucial jump-ball in the closing seconds or that Anthony was on a one-man rampage. The Blazers never wilted amid the twists and turns down the stretch.
And for a team that had won just four road games all season before Tuesday night, it provided a hint of that toughness Stotts had been looking for.
“Some things weren’t going our way at the end,” Stotts said, “and you get a team like the Knicks at home and the crowd is behind them and I thought we showed the mental toughness that we need to get the win.”
An underrated aspect of Tuesday’s win was the prolific rebounding of Aldridge — particularly his last of the game. After J.R. Smith brought the Knicks to within 98-94 with a rebound layup with 1:26 left, the Blazers set up a shot for Lillard. He missed an eight-foot jumper, but Aldridge snatched the rebound away from the Knicks and followed with a short shot off the glass. It gave him 19 points and 14 rebounds and the Blazers a two-possession lead.
“That rebound was big,” Lillard said. “We needed that. We might not win the game if he didn’t get that rebound and score.”
Thirty games into the season, the Blazers (16-14) are quietly becoming consistent and compelling. They’ve won eight of their last 10 games and Tuesday’s road victory — against the Knicks (20-10), who have the second-best team in the Eastern Conference — was both impressive and unexpected. These rebuilding Blazers are maturing faster and playing better than anyone expected.
“Mental toughness comes from being in the fire,” Jared Jeffries said. “And until we’re in the fire enough and go through enough ups and downs, you’re not always going to be mentally tough. Once we get to that point, when guys have been through enough ups and downs, we’ll be good.”
Aldridge isn’t ready to suddenly declare his team mentally tough. But he liked what he saw in the first game of a challenging four-game trip.
“We’re getting there,” he said. “We had some growth tonight. Until we can get to the point where we get teams down 15 and then we push it to 20 or 30, that’s when you really become a mentally tough team. But we’re growing and that’s big.”
Notes: Wesley Matthews returned after a four-game absence with a left hip flexor strain and finished with eight points and three rebounds in 30 minutes. His two free throws with 13.1 seconds left ice the victory. ... Seven of Aldridge’s rebounds were on offense, a season-high. ... Anthony and Smith combined to score 73 of the Knicks’ 100 points. ... The Blazers improved to 5-10 on the road.