tlongII
10-30-2014, 02:54 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2014/10/blazers_season_opener_at_halftime_lamarcus_aldridg .html#incart_big-photo
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/width620/img/blazers_impact/photo/16215021-mmmain.jpg
Trail Blazers captain LaMarcus Aldridge let his teammates have it on the court, and then later in the halftime locker room in an effort to wake them up in Wednesday's season opener. It worked, as the Blazers pulled away from Oklahoma City in the second half.
When the Trail Blazers came into the halftime locker room of Wednesday's season opener, they were greeted with an unusual sight:
An upset and animated LaMarcus Aldridge.
The Blazers were trailing 54-49 to Oklahoma City despite having a more fortified roster, and worst yet, the discrepancy was in part because of hustle. The half was punctuated by a fast-break slam by Russell Westbrook with 0.2 seconds left, which seemingly came in a blink after Wesley Matthews had finished a Blazers fast break just 2.6 seconds earlier.
So when the normally reserved Blazers captain reached the locker room, he shook some cobwebs between the ears of his teammates.
"I went off a little bit, which is unlike me,'' Aldridge said. "I felt like we weren't playing up to the level we all want to. I felt like we all had to take the challenge defensively, even myself. I was just saying 'If we want to be the team we are talking about being, it has to start tonight.'''
The Blazers tightened their defense and eventually wore down the Thunder, who were playing without starters Kevin Durant and Reggie Jackson and key reserves Jeremy Lamb and Anthony Morrow. Thanks to a stellar second half, which included a 31-12 fourth quarter advantage, the Blazers beat Oklahoma City 106-89.
Nicolas Batum said it was no secret that something had to change. Oklahoma City in the first half made 50 percent of its shots, had an 18-14 free-throw advantage, a 23-20 rebound advantage and seemed a step quicker than Portland.
Batum said the Thunder "outworked us" and "won every 50-50 ball."
"It was simple,'' Batum said. "We had to wake up.''
And the alarm clock turned out to be in the most unlikely corners of the locker room: Aldridge.
"I thought every guy went out and played better,'' said Aldridge, who led the Blazers with 27 points.
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/width620/img/blazers_impact/photo/16215021-mmmain.jpg
Trail Blazers captain LaMarcus Aldridge let his teammates have it on the court, and then later in the halftime locker room in an effort to wake them up in Wednesday's season opener. It worked, as the Blazers pulled away from Oklahoma City in the second half.
When the Trail Blazers came into the halftime locker room of Wednesday's season opener, they were greeted with an unusual sight:
An upset and animated LaMarcus Aldridge.
The Blazers were trailing 54-49 to Oklahoma City despite having a more fortified roster, and worst yet, the discrepancy was in part because of hustle. The half was punctuated by a fast-break slam by Russell Westbrook with 0.2 seconds left, which seemingly came in a blink after Wesley Matthews had finished a Blazers fast break just 2.6 seconds earlier.
So when the normally reserved Blazers captain reached the locker room, he shook some cobwebs between the ears of his teammates.
"I went off a little bit, which is unlike me,'' Aldridge said. "I felt like we weren't playing up to the level we all want to. I felt like we all had to take the challenge defensively, even myself. I was just saying 'If we want to be the team we are talking about being, it has to start tonight.'''
The Blazers tightened their defense and eventually wore down the Thunder, who were playing without starters Kevin Durant and Reggie Jackson and key reserves Jeremy Lamb and Anthony Morrow. Thanks to a stellar second half, which included a 31-12 fourth quarter advantage, the Blazers beat Oklahoma City 106-89.
Nicolas Batum said it was no secret that something had to change. Oklahoma City in the first half made 50 percent of its shots, had an 18-14 free-throw advantage, a 23-20 rebound advantage and seemed a step quicker than Portland.
Batum said the Thunder "outworked us" and "won every 50-50 ball."
"It was simple,'' Batum said. "We had to wake up.''
And the alarm clock turned out to be in the most unlikely corners of the locker room: Aldridge.
"I thought every guy went out and played better,'' said Aldridge, who led the Blazers with 27 points.