tlongII
10-30-2014, 08:55 AM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2014/10/in_one_breathtaking_quarter_trail_blazers_overwhel .html#incart_2box
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/pgmain/img/oregonian/photo/2014/10/29/-d10260b4bb7c8859.jpg
The lights cut out. The large corner banners broadcasted gigantic images of the Trail Blazers players. And 40,000 red glow sticks bounced and beamed around the Moda Center Wednesday night.
It was the Blazers' season opener, just before tipoff, but it looked a lot like the last time we saw this team.
"When we did starting lineups and the lights cut out and everything, it kind of felt like ... the playoffs last year," All-Star point guard Damian Lillard said.
And, in the end, the result looked a lot like one of those magical moments last season. It took more than three quarters, but the Blazers awoke from their slumber with plenty of time to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 106-89 before a sellout crowd of 19,441.
After looking rusty for much of the game, the Blazers steamrolled the Thunder with a mix of sturdy defense, three-point bombs and highlight-reel plays, knocking out a shorthanded team with a flurry of body blows. After trailing by five at halftime and two after a nip-and-tuck third quarter, the Blazers closed by outscoring the Thunder 31-12 in the fourth, showcasing all the traits that potentially make this team a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.
Forget the first three quarters. Look at the dominant fourth and think about the rest of the season. That's what your Blazers can be.
A blur of swarming defense, fast-break alley-oops, threes, crisp passing and pristine ball movement. A team that is fun, potent and overwhelming. A team that can score in a hurry, inside and out, and transform a game with a burst, unleashing a host of weapons that attack in a variety of ways.
You've been hearing for weeks about how cohesive and deep and improved this Blazers team was. Well, in 12 jaw-dropping minutes, they unveiled everything they have to offer.
"That's who we are," shooting guard Wesley Matthews said. "And that's who we need to be. Stops. Transition. Stops. Drop to (LaMarcus Aldridge). Stops. Push, drive, kick, play off of each other. That's who we are. That's who we have to be."
And what does that look like? It's Robin Lopez driving past Serge Ibaka for a ridiculous driving two-handed dunk. It's Lillard breaking out of an odd three-quarter funk to swish threes and create for teammates. It's Aldridge doing, well, what Aldridge does, draining midrange jumpers and controlling the post. It's Matthews hitting threes and playing defense. It's Chris Kaman scoring and rebounding and defending in the second unit. And it's Nicolas Batum pushing through a month-long haze to deliver too many highlights to count.
The Blazers will tell you that it all started on defense. After watching Russell Westbrook flex his way to 38 points and six assists, the Blazer say they went back to their training camp roots to take control.
They allowed just five field goals, 12 points, two assists, zero threes and forced four turnovers in the game-changing fourth, transforming a two-point deficit into a route. It was part of a robust second half during which the Blazers allowed just 35 points by sticking to their principles: protecting the paint, limiting transition and helping one another on the weakside.
"I think just about any night, we can get it offensively from a lot of different players," Lopez said. "At the same time, if our effort is on the defensive end as well, I think that makes us pretty tough. The most impressive thing tonight, defensively is we had some let-downs, we had some mistakes, but we didn't let that stop us."
To be sure, the Thunder were undermanned and almost certainly tired, which no doubt aided the Blazers' onslaught. They played without six injured players, including Reggie Jackson and MVP Kevin Durant, who watched from the bench wearing a sport coat and walking boot. But this is still a franchise that has played in the Western Conference Finals three of the last four season. And Blazers fans learned long ago never to use injuries and ailments as an excuse.
Aldridge was the linchpin for everything from beginning to end, finishing with 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting. Matthews scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth, Lopez finished with a workmanlike 11 points and 10 rebounds and Lillard overcame a forgettable start to record 10 points, five assists and four rebounds. All the while, Kaman (12 points, six rebounds) was a force off the bench.
But the sparkplug behind everything was Nicolas Batum, who rebounded from a quiet first half to will the Blazers to a win. Batum was everywhere in the second half, snatching steals, facilitating the Blazers' offense and draining timely shots. After a four-point, two-assist first half, Batum exploded, finishing with 16 points, six assists, five rebounds, one steal and one block. His steal facilitated the highlight of the night and epitomized the Blazers' fourth-quarter dominance.
On defense, Batum lunged for a pass thrown toward Westbrook and tapped the ball the other way. As it rolled down court, Batum gave chase, barely saving it from going out of bounds along the sideline. As he gathered it, he bounced the ball behind his back and raced up court. Aldridge saw the whole play develop and streaked ahead. As he reached the foul line, Batum lobbed a perfect pass at the rim and Aldridge grabbed it with two hands and finished a beautiful fast-break alley-oop dunk.
The steal. The hustle. The highlight. It perfectly summarized the Blazers' dynamic and difference-making fourth quarter. It also took Aldridge back to another time, when he was younger and more spry.
"I saw he was going to steal it," Aldridge said. "I thought he was going to go out of bounds and just have to throw it in. So I was just trying to run to be that guy that he could throw it to. And then I saw that he stayed in bounds and I thought, 'Oh, God, he's finna' throw it up.' I haven't caught a lob in I don't know how long. I was just trying to get my one-two steps right. He threw it perfect and I just dunked it. I hadn't had that type of dunk in a while."
"I felt like I was 18 again."
And, for the Blazers, it was like old times. For the 14th consecutive season, they won their home opener, tying the Boston Celtics (1979-92) for the NBA record. In the process, for one breathtaking quarter, they showed what could be in store over the next 81 games.
"We know that we have that in us," Matthews said. "That's who we are."
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/pgmain/img/oregonian/photo/2014/10/29/-d10260b4bb7c8859.jpg
The lights cut out. The large corner banners broadcasted gigantic images of the Trail Blazers players. And 40,000 red glow sticks bounced and beamed around the Moda Center Wednesday night.
It was the Blazers' season opener, just before tipoff, but it looked a lot like the last time we saw this team.
"When we did starting lineups and the lights cut out and everything, it kind of felt like ... the playoffs last year," All-Star point guard Damian Lillard said.
And, in the end, the result looked a lot like one of those magical moments last season. It took more than three quarters, but the Blazers awoke from their slumber with plenty of time to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 106-89 before a sellout crowd of 19,441.
After looking rusty for much of the game, the Blazers steamrolled the Thunder with a mix of sturdy defense, three-point bombs and highlight-reel plays, knocking out a shorthanded team with a flurry of body blows. After trailing by five at halftime and two after a nip-and-tuck third quarter, the Blazers closed by outscoring the Thunder 31-12 in the fourth, showcasing all the traits that potentially make this team a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.
Forget the first three quarters. Look at the dominant fourth and think about the rest of the season. That's what your Blazers can be.
A blur of swarming defense, fast-break alley-oops, threes, crisp passing and pristine ball movement. A team that is fun, potent and overwhelming. A team that can score in a hurry, inside and out, and transform a game with a burst, unleashing a host of weapons that attack in a variety of ways.
You've been hearing for weeks about how cohesive and deep and improved this Blazers team was. Well, in 12 jaw-dropping minutes, they unveiled everything they have to offer.
"That's who we are," shooting guard Wesley Matthews said. "And that's who we need to be. Stops. Transition. Stops. Drop to (LaMarcus Aldridge). Stops. Push, drive, kick, play off of each other. That's who we are. That's who we have to be."
And what does that look like? It's Robin Lopez driving past Serge Ibaka for a ridiculous driving two-handed dunk. It's Lillard breaking out of an odd three-quarter funk to swish threes and create for teammates. It's Aldridge doing, well, what Aldridge does, draining midrange jumpers and controlling the post. It's Matthews hitting threes and playing defense. It's Chris Kaman scoring and rebounding and defending in the second unit. And it's Nicolas Batum pushing through a month-long haze to deliver too many highlights to count.
The Blazers will tell you that it all started on defense. After watching Russell Westbrook flex his way to 38 points and six assists, the Blazer say they went back to their training camp roots to take control.
They allowed just five field goals, 12 points, two assists, zero threes and forced four turnovers in the game-changing fourth, transforming a two-point deficit into a route. It was part of a robust second half during which the Blazers allowed just 35 points by sticking to their principles: protecting the paint, limiting transition and helping one another on the weakside.
"I think just about any night, we can get it offensively from a lot of different players," Lopez said. "At the same time, if our effort is on the defensive end as well, I think that makes us pretty tough. The most impressive thing tonight, defensively is we had some let-downs, we had some mistakes, but we didn't let that stop us."
To be sure, the Thunder were undermanned and almost certainly tired, which no doubt aided the Blazers' onslaught. They played without six injured players, including Reggie Jackson and MVP Kevin Durant, who watched from the bench wearing a sport coat and walking boot. But this is still a franchise that has played in the Western Conference Finals three of the last four season. And Blazers fans learned long ago never to use injuries and ailments as an excuse.
Aldridge was the linchpin for everything from beginning to end, finishing with 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting. Matthews scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth, Lopez finished with a workmanlike 11 points and 10 rebounds and Lillard overcame a forgettable start to record 10 points, five assists and four rebounds. All the while, Kaman (12 points, six rebounds) was a force off the bench.
But the sparkplug behind everything was Nicolas Batum, who rebounded from a quiet first half to will the Blazers to a win. Batum was everywhere in the second half, snatching steals, facilitating the Blazers' offense and draining timely shots. After a four-point, two-assist first half, Batum exploded, finishing with 16 points, six assists, five rebounds, one steal and one block. His steal facilitated the highlight of the night and epitomized the Blazers' fourth-quarter dominance.
On defense, Batum lunged for a pass thrown toward Westbrook and tapped the ball the other way. As it rolled down court, Batum gave chase, barely saving it from going out of bounds along the sideline. As he gathered it, he bounced the ball behind his back and raced up court. Aldridge saw the whole play develop and streaked ahead. As he reached the foul line, Batum lobbed a perfect pass at the rim and Aldridge grabbed it with two hands and finished a beautiful fast-break alley-oop dunk.
The steal. The hustle. The highlight. It perfectly summarized the Blazers' dynamic and difference-making fourth quarter. It also took Aldridge back to another time, when he was younger and more spry.
"I saw he was going to steal it," Aldridge said. "I thought he was going to go out of bounds and just have to throw it in. So I was just trying to run to be that guy that he could throw it to. And then I saw that he stayed in bounds and I thought, 'Oh, God, he's finna' throw it up.' I haven't caught a lob in I don't know how long. I was just trying to get my one-two steps right. He threw it perfect and I just dunked it. I hadn't had that type of dunk in a while."
"I felt like I was 18 again."
And, for the Blazers, it was like old times. For the 14th consecutive season, they won their home opener, tying the Boston Celtics (1979-92) for the NBA record. In the process, for one breathtaking quarter, they showed what could be in store over the next 81 games.
"We know that we have that in us," Matthews said. "That's who we are."