tlongII
12-10-2013, 11:14 AM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2013/12/lamarcus_aldridge_trail_blazers_continue_to_ride_r .html#incart_m-rpt-2
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/pgmain/img/oregonian/photo/2013/12/damian-lillard-lamarcus-aldridge-63df30b5a427ba95.jpg
Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard (0) and teammate LaMarcus Aldridge, rear, walks off the court at the end of their game against the Utah Jazz following an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 9, 2013, in Salt Lake City. The Trail Blazers won 105-94.
SALT LAKE CITY – As the Trail Blazers were finishing off their 105-94 victory over Utah at EnergySolutions Arena on Monday, there was a ruckus behind their bench. A heavily-bearded fan, wearing Blazers gear, was being restrained by a security guard as he tried to get closer to Portland’s bench.
The chaotic scene included a few other Portland fans chanting, “Let’s go Blazers,” and “M-V-P,” which was directed at power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.
A day that started with Aldridge winning the Western Conference Player of the Week award for the second time this season, and fifth time in his career, ended with him receiving NBA’s ultimate chant, on the road. It’s a higher level of respect than the two-time All-Star has ever felt before.
“It’s a blessing, and it’s definitely something I feel like I worked for,” Aldridge said. “I’ve never heard MVP chants on the road. That was definitely new.”
The Blazers (18-4) hardly played a gem of the game, with their offense looking sluggish at times. But they were able to extend the best road start in franchise history. At 9-2, only the 1990-91 team can match this year’s squad after 11 road games.
The outcome was hardly a surprise, coming against the young, injury-depleted Jazz (4-19), who have the league’s worst record. The teams were playing for the second time in four days, and after the Blazers obliterated Utah by 32 points at the Moda Center on Friday, they were not expecting another cakewalk.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be the same as the other game,” Blazers center Robin Lopez said. “Blowouts happen in the NBA, and especially when you face a team so soon, you’re going to get their best effort.”
They did as the Blazers never led by more than 15, and the Jazz closed their deficit to 97-92 when Gordon Hayward made two free throws with 1:28 left. But after a not-so-stellar possession in which the Blazers couldn’t seem to find a decent shot, Nicolas Batum launched a moonshot of a three-pointer that just beat the shot clock and swished with 1:03 left, putting the Blazers back up by eight and sending fans scurrying for the exits.
Batum scored just seven points, but he did just about everything else, finishing with 11 assists and eight rebounds, and helping hold Hayward – the Jazz’s leading scorer who finished with 17 points – to 6-for-14 field goal shooting.
“He can impact a game in a lot of different ways,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “I thought his defense early in the game and in the third quarter in particular on Hayward, he was really chasing him around, making his catches difficult. He did a tremendous job on that. His ability to find the roll man, make the extra pass – he plays a very complete game.”
Batum's three put Portland over 100 points for the ninth consecutive game, the Blazers' longest such streak since getting 13 in row to end the 1993-94 season.
Lopez added 15 points and 11 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. Lopez continues to do all the so-called “garbage” duties the team wants from him, but he also is emerging as a viable offensive weapon, scoring in double digits for the 11th time this season and fifth time in his last seven games.
“I’m on the floor with four extremely talented scorers,” Lopez said. “There’s some defenses out there that are trying to, I guess, funnel the ball toward me. I realize that. I just have to take advantage of that, get my opportunities when I can.”
Aldridge, meanwhile, continued his stellar season, finishing with 24 points, six rebounds and four assists while shooting 10 for 18 from the field. Aldridge seemed to have a big advantage, with Utah playing without injured starting power forward Derrick Favors.
In Favors’ place, the Jazz started Jeremy Evans, an athletic 6-foot-9 forward who is listed at 197 pounds, 53 less than Aldridge. But Aldridge didn’t light Evans up early, missing six of his first eight field goal attempts.
“I was rushing it because he’s not a natural power forward,” Aldridge said. “I was getting into the paint so easy that I was rushing it, so in the second half, I just slowed down and I was good.”
The win was Portland’s first at Utah since April 7, 2011, continuing the Blazers’ run of knocking out wins at buildings they’ve struggled at, following wins at Denver, Boston and Golden State.
“We’re kind of growing out of that ‘haven’t won here in a while’ phase because we’ve done it so much this year,” Aldridge said. “It’s about just basketball from the toss.”
And that fan who was restrained by security? He had an Aldridge jersey he wanted to get signed, and somehow through the ruckus, the jersey found its way to Aldridge, someone threw down a Sharpie, and the signed jersey was tossed back to the fan.
“He’s a diehard fan, I’m guessing,” Aldridge said.
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/pgmain/img/oregonian/photo/2013/12/damian-lillard-lamarcus-aldridge-63df30b5a427ba95.jpg
Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard (0) and teammate LaMarcus Aldridge, rear, walks off the court at the end of their game against the Utah Jazz following an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 9, 2013, in Salt Lake City. The Trail Blazers won 105-94.
SALT LAKE CITY – As the Trail Blazers were finishing off their 105-94 victory over Utah at EnergySolutions Arena on Monday, there was a ruckus behind their bench. A heavily-bearded fan, wearing Blazers gear, was being restrained by a security guard as he tried to get closer to Portland’s bench.
The chaotic scene included a few other Portland fans chanting, “Let’s go Blazers,” and “M-V-P,” which was directed at power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.
A day that started with Aldridge winning the Western Conference Player of the Week award for the second time this season, and fifth time in his career, ended with him receiving NBA’s ultimate chant, on the road. It’s a higher level of respect than the two-time All-Star has ever felt before.
“It’s a blessing, and it’s definitely something I feel like I worked for,” Aldridge said. “I’ve never heard MVP chants on the road. That was definitely new.”
The Blazers (18-4) hardly played a gem of the game, with their offense looking sluggish at times. But they were able to extend the best road start in franchise history. At 9-2, only the 1990-91 team can match this year’s squad after 11 road games.
The outcome was hardly a surprise, coming against the young, injury-depleted Jazz (4-19), who have the league’s worst record. The teams were playing for the second time in four days, and after the Blazers obliterated Utah by 32 points at the Moda Center on Friday, they were not expecting another cakewalk.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be the same as the other game,” Blazers center Robin Lopez said. “Blowouts happen in the NBA, and especially when you face a team so soon, you’re going to get their best effort.”
They did as the Blazers never led by more than 15, and the Jazz closed their deficit to 97-92 when Gordon Hayward made two free throws with 1:28 left. But after a not-so-stellar possession in which the Blazers couldn’t seem to find a decent shot, Nicolas Batum launched a moonshot of a three-pointer that just beat the shot clock and swished with 1:03 left, putting the Blazers back up by eight and sending fans scurrying for the exits.
Batum scored just seven points, but he did just about everything else, finishing with 11 assists and eight rebounds, and helping hold Hayward – the Jazz’s leading scorer who finished with 17 points – to 6-for-14 field goal shooting.
“He can impact a game in a lot of different ways,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “I thought his defense early in the game and in the third quarter in particular on Hayward, he was really chasing him around, making his catches difficult. He did a tremendous job on that. His ability to find the roll man, make the extra pass – he plays a very complete game.”
Batum's three put Portland over 100 points for the ninth consecutive game, the Blazers' longest such streak since getting 13 in row to end the 1993-94 season.
Lopez added 15 points and 11 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. Lopez continues to do all the so-called “garbage” duties the team wants from him, but he also is emerging as a viable offensive weapon, scoring in double digits for the 11th time this season and fifth time in his last seven games.
“I’m on the floor with four extremely talented scorers,” Lopez said. “There’s some defenses out there that are trying to, I guess, funnel the ball toward me. I realize that. I just have to take advantage of that, get my opportunities when I can.”
Aldridge, meanwhile, continued his stellar season, finishing with 24 points, six rebounds and four assists while shooting 10 for 18 from the field. Aldridge seemed to have a big advantage, with Utah playing without injured starting power forward Derrick Favors.
In Favors’ place, the Jazz started Jeremy Evans, an athletic 6-foot-9 forward who is listed at 197 pounds, 53 less than Aldridge. But Aldridge didn’t light Evans up early, missing six of his first eight field goal attempts.
“I was rushing it because he’s not a natural power forward,” Aldridge said. “I was getting into the paint so easy that I was rushing it, so in the second half, I just slowed down and I was good.”
The win was Portland’s first at Utah since April 7, 2011, continuing the Blazers’ run of knocking out wins at buildings they’ve struggled at, following wins at Denver, Boston and Golden State.
“We’re kind of growing out of that ‘haven’t won here in a while’ phase because we’ve done it so much this year,” Aldridge said. “It’s about just basketball from the toss.”
And that fan who was restrained by security? He had an Aldridge jersey he wanted to get signed, and somehow through the ruckus, the jersey found its way to Aldridge, someone threw down a Sharpie, and the signed jersey was tossed back to the fan.
“He’s a diehard fan, I’m guessing,” Aldridge said.