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http://portlandtribune.com/sports/st...89792290977000
LaMarcus Aldridge sank 8 of 11 shots en route to a game-high 20 points, but the most encouraging signs for the Trail Blazers in their 98-86 preseason-opening win over Sacramento Tuesday night came from a new player and an improved one.
Free-agent acquisition Andre Miller made his Portland debut with a splash and Greg Oden – showing the results of an offseason full of hard work – was dominant in the paint, to the delight of a Rose Garden crowd of 17,682.
Miller came off the bench to collect 16 points and five assists in 26 minutes while Oden contributed 18 points, nine rebounds and one highlight-video blocked shot in the victory over the Kings.
Portland made 17 of 32 shots in the second half to break open a tight game, but Coach Nate McMillan saw plenty of room for improvement. Sacramento shot only .370 from the field but won the battle of the boards 44-34 – including 16-6 off the offensive glass – and the Blazers committed 16 turnovers.
“It’s a great (video) for us to teach from,” McMillan said. “We needed that game to look at ourselves and see where we’re at. We have a lot of work ahead of us.
“We got to the free throw line 46 times, but other than that, we’ve got some work to do. (The Kings) beat us to the ball (while) offensive rebounding, and we didn’t react as quickly as we needed to. We forced them to miss, but 16 offensive boards – and that’s been an emphasis during this training camp.”
Portland led 43-42 after a seesaw first half but shot only .361 from the field. The game stayed close until the Blazers got some separation late in the third quarter. Sacramento – which owned the worst record in the NBA last season at 17-65 – was still within 90-83 with 2:50 remaining, but the Blazers were never in danger of losing.
“The first game is always kind of tough,” said Aldridge, who did most of his scoring from the outside and had five rebounds in 27 minutes. “You’re trying to get your rhythm back, and you’re playing with some guys you haven’t played with. We looked decent tonight. As the preseason goes on, we’ll get better.”
All-star guard Brandon Roy was off his game, making only 3 of 11 shots. He finished with six points, two rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes.
“We have some improvement to do,” Roy said. “There are some things we have to clean up. But we were throwing a lot of lineups, a lot of different looks, out there. I know we have to rebound much better. They took us on the boards.”
Miller did a little bit of everything, putting together a few showy moves on drives to the basket, hitting 5 of 6 shots from the field and 6 of 7 from the foul line.
“He did a good job quarterbacking and directing,” McMillan said. “He just played basketball and made some reads. He’s the one guy who is communicating, talking on the defensive end of the floor. We have to get everybody else doing that.”
“Andre was good,” Aldridge said. “I never questioned whether or not he would help us. He’s big for us at backup point guard.”
It remains to be seen whether Miller or Steve Blake – who had an off night in a starting role on Tuesday – will win the starting job at the point. If Miller’s a reserve, he’ll be one of the best in the league. But the 11-year veteran, 33, admits he needs more conditioning through the preseason.
“I’m just trying to save my energy, take it one breath at a time, trying to get in shape,” Miller said. “I’m just happy to get this first preseason game out of the way.”
Miller said he’ll blend in with McMillan’s system and his new teammates just fine.
“As far as uptempo or halfcourt offense, I can adjust to either style,” the 6-2, 200-pound point guard said. “It’s good we have some guys at the post who can get the ball and score. That makes my job easier.”
The Kings had no answer for the 7-foot Oden, who showed both power and quickness while abusing Sacramento’s Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson and Sean May. Oden was 4 for 7 from the field – even hitting a face-up jump shot from short range – and 10 for 12 from the line. The second-year center missed his first attempt, then made 10 in a row before missing his final try.
“Greg did a great job playing at his pace – taking shots when he had them, and reading double-teams,” Roy said.
“He got deep post position, scored, did some good things,” McMillan said of Oden. “We were able to get him the ball and allow him to make some decisions. He had a pretty good night.”
McMillan wasn’t ready to call the preseason opener a rousing success.
“I wanted us to come out with a little bit more energy – scrapping, having some fun,” he said. “We kind of slugged it out. Our guys haven’t had a day off since training camp started, and it kind of looked that way. But they found a way to pull it out and win it.”
NOTES: The teams square off again Wednesday night at Sacramento. McMillan said he will shake up his starting lineup, though he wouldn’t get specific. Roy, Aldridge, Joel Przybilla, Nicolas Batum and Steve Blake were the starters Tuesday night. Oden, Miller and Martell Webster were in the first unit to start the second half. ... Batum played only nine minutes and Rudy Fernandez 17 off the bench, in deference to their stints with the French and Spanish national teams in the European Championships this summer, McMillan said. “I wanted to give Nic and Rudy some time off and not play them a lot of minutes,” he said. ... Ime Udoka scored five points while playing the entire fourth quarter. McMillan said veterans Juwan Howard and Jarron Collins, who did not play Tuesday, will see some action on Wednesday. ... Oden excited the crowd when he leaped high to block a third-quarter floater by Thompson. ... Portland won the game at the foul line, making 34 of 46 to 20 of 25 for the Kings. ... The Blazers outscored Sacramento 15-2 in fast-break points.
Ex-Blazer guard Sergio Rodriguez was only 1 for 6 from the field but contributed seven points in 15 minutes off the bench for Sacramento. “My first time back at the Rose Garden ... I wasn’t nervous, but it was a weird feeling,” Rodriguez said. “It was still good. I’m happy how our team played against a really good team like the Blazers.” ... first-year coach Paul Westphal compared Sacramento’s situation to Portland’s in 2005-06, when the Blazers owned a league-worst 21-61 mark. “We’re trying to do what the Blazers did,” Westphal said. “They were near the bottom and they built it back up. It can be done. We’re trying to do it the right way. Tonight was an encouraging first step.”
eat 2 s thong!!
What is this? Are you so proud that your team played well in a PRESEASON OPENER? You must think this, because nobody cares about the blazers enough to post two identical threads.
Jesus, what ever happened to Tlong's official Trail Blazer thread where he can post all of this insignificant bull ?
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