tlongII
11-19-2013, 05:15 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2013/11/trail_blazers_say_their_record_is_real_after_win_o .html
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/width620/img/blazers_impact/photo/13798348-mmmain.jpg
NEW YORK — Huddled in the corner of the visiting locker room at the Barclays Center, away from the television cameras and microphones and hoopla of another Trail Blazers victory, Earl Watson confidently summed up what everyone on his team believes but has been reluctant to say aloud.
“This record is real,” the Blazers’ resident sage said, before adding. “This all came together quicker than anyone ever thought. Which is amazing.”
At this point, it might not be hyperbole to call the Blazers’ early-season run amazing. They coolly and confidently dispatched of yet another victim Monday night, defeating the $103 million Brooklyn Nets 108-98 before a sellout crowd of 17,732.
It was their seventh consecutive victory — the longest for the Blazers since they won 13 in a row in December 2007 — and improved their record to a surprising 9-2, their best since opening the 1999-00 season 10-1.
The Blazers’ mantra throughout their early-season hot streak has been to live in the moment and stay hungry. They’ve accurately and openly talked about how young the season is and how far away the playoffs are.
But with each decisive victory, with each test passed, there is a belief bubbling behind the scenes that greater things are on the horizon. The naysayers will point out that the Blazers have built their impressive record against teams with losing records — they’re 7-0 against sub-.500 teams — and have mustered a measly 2-2 mark against teams with winning records. The injury-ravaged Nets (3-7), who played without two starters and their Sixth Man, were merely the latest losing team to fall.
But that criticism has fallen on deaf ears.
“I haven’t heard that, but I’m sure people are talking about it,” Wesley Matthews said. “I’m sure there are people waiting for us to go on a five, six-game losing skid, go back to how we were. “(They’re waiting) for us to start taking too many shots, (they say) we shoot too many threes, we’re not aggressive, all that other stuff. Blah, blah, blah. That’s cool. At the same time, we need to keep practicing, keep going at it. Our locker room is still tight. We keep playing every game to win.”
The latest win was unlike any other this season for the Blazers. The reeling Nets were sizzling from the opening tip, accumulating 40 first-quarter points while connecting on 14 of their first 17 field goals. But it was a short-lived run. The Blazers adjusted to the early onslaught by tweaking and tightening up their perimeter pick-and-roll defense, as their guards became more determined to harass the Nets’ ball-handlers. And Brooklyn fell apart.
After that hot first quarter, the Nets shot an abysmal 24 percent (17-66) the rest of the game. During one particularly frigid run in the third and fourth quarters, they made just 6 of 35 shots. Meanwhile, the Blazers’ offense continued to be a work of art, featuring precise, pretty ball movement, unselfish play and fluid flow. Before the game, someone told coach Terry Stotts that his offense looked a lot like that of the vaunted San Antonio Spurs' and he blushed. But the way the offense has been playing — raining three-pointers, attacking opponents in waves and with a variety of weapons — it wasn't that ludicrous a statement
Against the Nets, LaMarcus Aldridge continued his All-Star form, recording 27 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, Damian Lillard finished with 19 points and a season-high nine assists and Mo Williams was a maestro off the bench, contributing 12 points, six assists, three steals and two blocks. But the linchpin to everything was the play of Matthews, who is playing the best basketball of his career.
Matthews made his first five three-pointers and recorded 24 points and six rebounds. Twelve of his points and four of his threes came in the first quarter, as he kept the Blazers within striking distance as the Nets were humming along, and he finished 9 for 13 from the field, including 5 of 8 from three-point range. Through 11 games, Matthews is shooting a ridiculous 55 percent from the field (62 for 112) and 53 percent from three-point range (30 for 57).
The hot streak has come thanks to a mix of good health, motivation and, according to Aldridge, anger. As Matthews answered questions from reporters after the game, Aldridge repeatedly called Matthews “Ballot,” as in All-Star ballot, which Matthews has not been included on. The slight infuriated Matthews, who always is in search of extra motivation.
“He’s playing angry,’ Aldridge said. “I like it. He’s mad about the ballot.”
When a reporter told Aldridge that Matthews is always angry, the Blazers’ two-time All-Star smiled.
“He is,” Aldridge replied. “But he’s next-level angry right now.”
And the Blazers have been next-level good. But they’re also keeping things in perspective. Yes, coach Terry Stotts has never had a longer winning streak as a head coach. Sure, they’ve compiled a 5-1 record on the road. OK, they continue to pile up wins in different ways — including during the just-completed back-to-back sweep on the road.
But they want more. As everyone on the team continues to spout clichés about living in the moment and taking things one game at a time, Lillard has adopted a new manta.
After the Blazers defeated the Toronto Raptors in overtime on Sunday night, Lillard shouted, “Let’s get greedy,” to his teammates in the postgame locker room. And a funny thing happened Monday night. Everyone started saying it. Before tipoff. During huddles in the game. On the sideline in timeouts. Then, after they beat the NBA’s most high-priced lineup, it continued in the locker room.
“By the end of the game, we were all saying, 'Let’s get greedy,’” Lillard said. “We’re ready to go get another (win). We’re not patting ourselves on the back about tonight. We’re focused on the next thing.”
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/width620/img/blazers_impact/photo/13798348-mmmain.jpg
NEW YORK — Huddled in the corner of the visiting locker room at the Barclays Center, away from the television cameras and microphones and hoopla of another Trail Blazers victory, Earl Watson confidently summed up what everyone on his team believes but has been reluctant to say aloud.
“This record is real,” the Blazers’ resident sage said, before adding. “This all came together quicker than anyone ever thought. Which is amazing.”
At this point, it might not be hyperbole to call the Blazers’ early-season run amazing. They coolly and confidently dispatched of yet another victim Monday night, defeating the $103 million Brooklyn Nets 108-98 before a sellout crowd of 17,732.
It was their seventh consecutive victory — the longest for the Blazers since they won 13 in a row in December 2007 — and improved their record to a surprising 9-2, their best since opening the 1999-00 season 10-1.
The Blazers’ mantra throughout their early-season hot streak has been to live in the moment and stay hungry. They’ve accurately and openly talked about how young the season is and how far away the playoffs are.
But with each decisive victory, with each test passed, there is a belief bubbling behind the scenes that greater things are on the horizon. The naysayers will point out that the Blazers have built their impressive record against teams with losing records — they’re 7-0 against sub-.500 teams — and have mustered a measly 2-2 mark against teams with winning records. The injury-ravaged Nets (3-7), who played without two starters and their Sixth Man, were merely the latest losing team to fall.
But that criticism has fallen on deaf ears.
“I haven’t heard that, but I’m sure people are talking about it,” Wesley Matthews said. “I’m sure there are people waiting for us to go on a five, six-game losing skid, go back to how we were. “(They’re waiting) for us to start taking too many shots, (they say) we shoot too many threes, we’re not aggressive, all that other stuff. Blah, blah, blah. That’s cool. At the same time, we need to keep practicing, keep going at it. Our locker room is still tight. We keep playing every game to win.”
The latest win was unlike any other this season for the Blazers. The reeling Nets were sizzling from the opening tip, accumulating 40 first-quarter points while connecting on 14 of their first 17 field goals. But it was a short-lived run. The Blazers adjusted to the early onslaught by tweaking and tightening up their perimeter pick-and-roll defense, as their guards became more determined to harass the Nets’ ball-handlers. And Brooklyn fell apart.
After that hot first quarter, the Nets shot an abysmal 24 percent (17-66) the rest of the game. During one particularly frigid run in the third and fourth quarters, they made just 6 of 35 shots. Meanwhile, the Blazers’ offense continued to be a work of art, featuring precise, pretty ball movement, unselfish play and fluid flow. Before the game, someone told coach Terry Stotts that his offense looked a lot like that of the vaunted San Antonio Spurs' and he blushed. But the way the offense has been playing — raining three-pointers, attacking opponents in waves and with a variety of weapons — it wasn't that ludicrous a statement
Against the Nets, LaMarcus Aldridge continued his All-Star form, recording 27 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, Damian Lillard finished with 19 points and a season-high nine assists and Mo Williams was a maestro off the bench, contributing 12 points, six assists, three steals and two blocks. But the linchpin to everything was the play of Matthews, who is playing the best basketball of his career.
Matthews made his first five three-pointers and recorded 24 points and six rebounds. Twelve of his points and four of his threes came in the first quarter, as he kept the Blazers within striking distance as the Nets were humming along, and he finished 9 for 13 from the field, including 5 of 8 from three-point range. Through 11 games, Matthews is shooting a ridiculous 55 percent from the field (62 for 112) and 53 percent from three-point range (30 for 57).
The hot streak has come thanks to a mix of good health, motivation and, according to Aldridge, anger. As Matthews answered questions from reporters after the game, Aldridge repeatedly called Matthews “Ballot,” as in All-Star ballot, which Matthews has not been included on. The slight infuriated Matthews, who always is in search of extra motivation.
“He’s playing angry,’ Aldridge said. “I like it. He’s mad about the ballot.”
When a reporter told Aldridge that Matthews is always angry, the Blazers’ two-time All-Star smiled.
“He is,” Aldridge replied. “But he’s next-level angry right now.”
And the Blazers have been next-level good. But they’re also keeping things in perspective. Yes, coach Terry Stotts has never had a longer winning streak as a head coach. Sure, they’ve compiled a 5-1 record on the road. OK, they continue to pile up wins in different ways — including during the just-completed back-to-back sweep on the road.
But they want more. As everyone on the team continues to spout clichés about living in the moment and taking things one game at a time, Lillard has adopted a new manta.
After the Blazers defeated the Toronto Raptors in overtime on Sunday night, Lillard shouted, “Let’s get greedy,” to his teammates in the postgame locker room. And a funny thing happened Monday night. Everyone started saying it. Before tipoff. During huddles in the game. On the sideline in timeouts. Then, after they beat the NBA’s most high-priced lineup, it continued in the locker room.
“By the end of the game, we were all saying, 'Let’s get greedy,’” Lillard said. “We’re ready to go get another (win). We’re not patting ourselves on the back about tonight. We’re focused on the next thing.”