Reply With Quote
Thank Christ for Batum. I needed that last night.
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/in..._game_wit.html
SAN ANTONIO — With the game hanging in the balance and the Trail Blazers struggling against a makeshift San Antonio Spurs lineup, Nicolas Batum turned to coach Nate McMillan and issued a passionate plea.
“He was killing us,” Batum said. “I went to (McMillan). I said, ‘I gotta guard this guy. That’s my job. I gotta guard this guy. (Put me) on him and he won’t score the basketball.’”
He is George Hill. And Batum backed up to his pledge, helping rescue the Blazers from what could have been the biggest eyesore of the season during a closer-than-it-sounds 100-92 victory Monday night at the AT&T Center.
Andre Miller carried the Blazers for much of the night, finishing with 26 points. Wesley Matthews hit some clutch free throws down the stretch. And Gerald Wallace hit a crucial three-pointer with roughly two minutes left that finished a 13-0 Blazers run and delivered a six-point lead they would never relinquish.
But Batum may just have been the difference.
Hill was torching the Blazers with a variety of slashing drives and pull-up jumpers, and after watching the lightning-quick point guard blow by Rudy Fernandez and create an easy scoring chance for the Spurs early in the fourth quarter, Batum had seen enough.
So he turned to McMillan during a stoppage in play and begged for the defensive assignment.
“I don’t know what happened ... my mind was,” Batum said, pausing, furrowing his brow and pointing each finger at opposite temples to reveal extreme focus. “I was mad. I don’t know why. I was like, ‘This guy, he won’t score. The last bucket he scored, that’s going to be the last bucket.’”
Hill finished with a game-high 27 points. But he would score just one point in the fourth quarter before the closing seconds, when the Blazers had built an insurmountable lead and he had two meaningless layups. The Spurs had their chances, missing nine consecutive three pointers in the fourth and making just 10 of 20 free throws in the game, but they couldn’t generate any offense as Batum hounded Hill.
Batum picked up Hill full-court. Batum fought through and worked around pick and rolls. He denied the ball and prevented Hill from breezing to the rim for easy baskets. Right about the time McMillan agreed to put Batum on Hill, the Blazers reeled off that difference-making 13-0 run.
The Blazers shouldn't have needed such heroics playing a short-handed Spurs team that sat injured players Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Antonio McDyess. But no one in the Blazers' locker room was making apologies afterward.
The Blazers (43-31) defeated the Spurs (57-17) for the ninth time in 11 games, including three of four this season.
Batum was the overt hero when the Blazers defeated the Spurs 98-96 Friday night at the Rose Garden, scoring four points in the final 0.9 seconds — including the game-winning alley-oop layup at the buzzer. He was the deceptive hero Monday night.
“Nic can really give those point guards problems,” Brandon Roy said. “He did a good job of just being aggressive. Hill was kind of controlling the game. Anytime you can kind of slow him down, it gives us an opportunity to get back and kind of gather ourselves defensively.”
Thank Christ for Batum. I needed that last night.
BLAZERS = 1st round exit
^Perhaps, but, they left you where they found ya last nite.
It's a line from "Casino."
tee, hee.
he shut down a guy after scoring 27pts? lol gtfo it be more impressive if it was from the start
LMAO at needing a 'passionate plea' to beat someone playing a bunch of scrubs that hadn't played more than a few minutes per game all year.
LMAO @sheep er having to post all these threads now because when the playoffs come, he'll be in hiding like he always is whenever the Trailgaysers lose (and they always do).
Good defense. Forced the Spurs into shooting 3s - wait, aren't we supposed to be good at that?
Ouch.The Spurs had their chances, missing nine consecutive three pointers in the fourth...
Lotsa good ones in that flick. My favorite: "This guy could up a cup of coffee."
Or, Pesci chargin' outta his car during the meet with DeNiro in the deserts:::
- "You're going' over my head, behind my back?"
i give the blazers credit they beat the out of us that first game. i dont mean by alot but damn that one hurt lol last night was some b.s calls man im sorry i dont like to call out the refs but they were lame as last night.
i still feel really good about our situation the big three didnt play and yalls starters were going full force at our deepest scrubs and we almost got the W!
so that tells you alot about our depth, when our big three come after you during the playoffs i want you here telling us fans how the series went...
I hope beyond hope that we get to meet Portland in the playoffs. We definitely have a score to settle with those punks.
You're going to have a bad night tomorrow. Better get faced.
Batum is a fine young player and the Blazers need some leadership as DA has done a gone with wind act vs. the Spurs when Spurs put some size on him. Blazers can get all the momentum they want and I hope they do scare Dallas or LA in the first round as well might happen but if they faced the Spurs, Spurs would pay them back with a near sweep when healthy and with no BBs.
You're gonna have a worse night--night after tomorrow night.
tee, hee.
The Blazers (43-31) defeated the Spurs (57-17) for the ninth time in 11 games, including three of four this season.
That means something totally different to Cul.
Congrats.
cully, checkin assholes.
This just only makes me long for the Spurs to have a player of Batum's size, length and skill. A semi-lockdown defender that the Spurs could sic on opposing players, who have a hot hand. Unfortunately, the Spurs have no such animal.
The Blazers could've played the Spurs cheerleaders, have won, and these idiots (including the insecure no-getting-laid Laker fans) would still talk .
Surprised? Not even close
Last 10 great years of the marvelous Portland Trail Blazers :
2000-01 Lost in 1st round
2001-02 Lost in 1st round
2002-03 Lost in 1st round
2003-04 no playoffs
2004-05 no playoffs
2005-06 no playoffs
2006-07 no playoffs
2007-08 no playoffs
2008-09 Lost in 1st round
2009-10 Lost in 1st round
2010-11 ... ???
You can be proud of your team !
At least they are consistent at sucking.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
