Jimcs50
12-31-2004, 09:22 AM
Blazers no match for Spurs
The Trail Blazers are off to their worst home start in seven seasons as they lose 114-80 to the Spurs
Friday, December 31, 2004
JASON QUICK
The division between the Western Conference's upper class and the Trail Blazers was made painfully clear again Thursday night when a very good San Antonio Spurs team thumped the Blazers 114-80 at the Rose Garden.
It was the second consecutive home loss for the Blazers (13-14), who are off to their worst home start (7-5) in seven seasons. Thursday's 34-point loss added to a list of bad home defeats that includes a 22-point loss to Phoenix and an 19-point loss to Memphis.
"This was the worst game since I have been here," coach Maurice Cheeks said. "It was a kicking from start to finish."
The Spurs (24-6) were unmerciful in a methodical dismantling, which -- as usual -- was predicated more on substance than style. The Spurs had more assists (34) than the Blazers had baskets (30), and they outrebounded the Blazers 49-39.
"It was like the varsity versus the J.V.," Blazers guard Nick Van Exel said. "You saw a team that is going for a championship against a team that is trying to get in the playoffs. And it was a huge gap." :smokin
Tim Duncan had 19 points and nine rebounds, and another year has passed without the Blazers having an answer for speedy guard Tony Parker, who this time hurt the Blazers with 18 points and four assists. Former Oregon State star Brent Barry, who started in place of injured Manu Ginobili, added 15 points and six rebounds.
"We had a good night, and they had a bad night," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Perhaps the Blazers should have known it was an off night when center Joel Przybilla stumbled through his pregame greeting to the fans, wishing them a "Happy Christmas . . . er Merry New Year" before finally waving his hand and giving up, his face red, as his teammates laughed.
It was the last time a Blazers player smiled all night.
The Blazers were scoreless on their first seven possessions, helping San Antonio race to a 17-2 lead. The Blazers were sloppy (Zach Randolph had a traveling violation and had a pass go between his hands), off target (Theo Ratliff missed two free throws and an easy 3-footer off a fast break) and generally out of synch (Damon Stoudamire and Ruben Patterson botched a dribble-handoff that resulted in a Spurs fast-break dunk).
Meanwhile, the Spurs were a calm and collected unit that used patience and precision to dissect the Blazers' defense. As the Spurs went about their business, Cheeks frantically substituted players in an attempt to counteract the Spurs' combination of size and speed. Cheeks tried Sebastian Telfair for 1:06 and Richie Frahm for 21 seconds . . . all while shuttling Patterson, Przybilla and Stoudamire in and out of the lineup.
Nothing worked, however, and the Spurs led 57-36 at halftime. In the second half, the Blazers got only as close as 14.
"We didn't have anything from (player) one to 12," Cheeks said. "From the beginning we didn't put up the effort and it disturbs me. It looks as if we just didn't have anything."
The Blazers' night was typified by six airballs, an inbound violation by Darius Miles (who stepped over the line while passing to Van Exel) and a first-half rebound opportunity when three Blazers released downcourt, allowing the ball to be scooped up by Parker at the free throw line. Parker converted the rebound into a layup, setting off the first of many boos that were heard throughout the night.
If there were any positives to the night, they were that Miles (17 points, six rebounds) continues to emerge as the most exciting and efficient Blazers player and that Shareef Abdur-Rahim returned after missing six games with an elbow injury. Abdur-Rahim played 31 minutes off the bench and finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
But the Blazers lost Ratliff to a shoulder injury in the first quarter, and a defense that is supposed to be the anchor of this team was shredded for the second consecutive game. In the past two home games, the Blazers have allowed an average of 112.5 points as Philadelphia shot 44.6 percent and the Spurs shot 54.0 percent.
Ratliff appeared to hurt his left shoulder while falling at midcourt late in the first quarter. He left the game with 3:36 remaining and did not return. He is scheduled to have a magnetic resonance imaging test on the shoulder today.
The Blazers closed December with a 5-8 record for the month, the third time in four seasons under Cheeks that the Blazers have had a losing December.
"I'm just trying to stay positive and stay upbeat, and I hope everybody else does," Van Exel said. "The easiest thing for us to do is to give up, but I don't think we will."
The Trail Blazers are off to their worst home start in seven seasons as they lose 114-80 to the Spurs
Friday, December 31, 2004
JASON QUICK
The division between the Western Conference's upper class and the Trail Blazers was made painfully clear again Thursday night when a very good San Antonio Spurs team thumped the Blazers 114-80 at the Rose Garden.
It was the second consecutive home loss for the Blazers (13-14), who are off to their worst home start (7-5) in seven seasons. Thursday's 34-point loss added to a list of bad home defeats that includes a 22-point loss to Phoenix and an 19-point loss to Memphis.
"This was the worst game since I have been here," coach Maurice Cheeks said. "It was a kicking from start to finish."
The Spurs (24-6) were unmerciful in a methodical dismantling, which -- as usual -- was predicated more on substance than style. The Spurs had more assists (34) than the Blazers had baskets (30), and they outrebounded the Blazers 49-39.
"It was like the varsity versus the J.V.," Blazers guard Nick Van Exel said. "You saw a team that is going for a championship against a team that is trying to get in the playoffs. And it was a huge gap." :smokin
Tim Duncan had 19 points and nine rebounds, and another year has passed without the Blazers having an answer for speedy guard Tony Parker, who this time hurt the Blazers with 18 points and four assists. Former Oregon State star Brent Barry, who started in place of injured Manu Ginobili, added 15 points and six rebounds.
"We had a good night, and they had a bad night," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Perhaps the Blazers should have known it was an off night when center Joel Przybilla stumbled through his pregame greeting to the fans, wishing them a "Happy Christmas . . . er Merry New Year" before finally waving his hand and giving up, his face red, as his teammates laughed.
It was the last time a Blazers player smiled all night.
The Blazers were scoreless on their first seven possessions, helping San Antonio race to a 17-2 lead. The Blazers were sloppy (Zach Randolph had a traveling violation and had a pass go between his hands), off target (Theo Ratliff missed two free throws and an easy 3-footer off a fast break) and generally out of synch (Damon Stoudamire and Ruben Patterson botched a dribble-handoff that resulted in a Spurs fast-break dunk).
Meanwhile, the Spurs were a calm and collected unit that used patience and precision to dissect the Blazers' defense. As the Spurs went about their business, Cheeks frantically substituted players in an attempt to counteract the Spurs' combination of size and speed. Cheeks tried Sebastian Telfair for 1:06 and Richie Frahm for 21 seconds . . . all while shuttling Patterson, Przybilla and Stoudamire in and out of the lineup.
Nothing worked, however, and the Spurs led 57-36 at halftime. In the second half, the Blazers got only as close as 14.
"We didn't have anything from (player) one to 12," Cheeks said. "From the beginning we didn't put up the effort and it disturbs me. It looks as if we just didn't have anything."
The Blazers' night was typified by six airballs, an inbound violation by Darius Miles (who stepped over the line while passing to Van Exel) and a first-half rebound opportunity when three Blazers released downcourt, allowing the ball to be scooped up by Parker at the free throw line. Parker converted the rebound into a layup, setting off the first of many boos that were heard throughout the night.
If there were any positives to the night, they were that Miles (17 points, six rebounds) continues to emerge as the most exciting and efficient Blazers player and that Shareef Abdur-Rahim returned after missing six games with an elbow injury. Abdur-Rahim played 31 minutes off the bench and finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
But the Blazers lost Ratliff to a shoulder injury in the first quarter, and a defense that is supposed to be the anchor of this team was shredded for the second consecutive game. In the past two home games, the Blazers have allowed an average of 112.5 points as Philadelphia shot 44.6 percent and the Spurs shot 54.0 percent.
Ratliff appeared to hurt his left shoulder while falling at midcourt late in the first quarter. He left the game with 3:36 remaining and did not return. He is scheduled to have a magnetic resonance imaging test on the shoulder today.
The Blazers closed December with a 5-8 record for the month, the third time in four seasons under Cheeks that the Blazers have had a losing December.
"I'm just trying to stay positive and stay upbeat, and I hope everybody else does," Van Exel said. "The easiest thing for us to do is to give up, but I don't think we will."