The Blazers raced out to an early lead with some hot outside shooting, but Utah was better inside and managed to weather Portland's start, fighting to cut the deficit to 3 by halftime. The second quarter was indicative of what was to come for much of the next half, with Utah's interior play superior to Portland's jumper-dependent offense. A late surge was almost enough to give Portland the win, but the reliance on jumpers again reared its ugly head on a night when Portland just wasn't aggressive enough.

Players

Portland was led by Wesley Matthews, who had one of the best shooting nights in recent team history, scoring 33 points while going 10-12 from the field and 5-6 from three-point range. LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum also had good nights, chipping in 27 and 16 points, respectively, but that trio was about it for Portland, with no other Blazer reaching double figures in scoring.

Jonny Flynn, Luke Babbittt, and Nolan Smith didn't receive much playing time. Flynn's ability to beat his man off the dribble and kick out to an open shooter was very good, though the Jazz chose in the second half to lay off and force him to finish himself,, a task which he found difficult. Babbitt's prowess from deep is remarkable, and it may be since the early days of Rudy Fernandez's time in Portland since the franchise has had a shooter so deadly from distance. It's worth keeping an eye on his defense rotations, as he was caught late a few times.

Recap

The first quarter started with a bang, as the Blazers quickly rushed out to a ten-point lead, the main contributors being Matthews and Aldridge. Matthews, playing against his old team, started out 4-5 from the field and 2-2 from three. Aldridge started by hitting some longer two-point jumpers, which opened up the interior. Some excellent post play and a fast-break dunk followed, with the Utah frontcourt simply unable to cope the barrage of moves from the All-Star.

The young brigade of Babbitt, Flynn, and Smith entered the game with a minute left in the first quarter, with Flynn immediately hitting a long three-pointer to restore the ten-point advantage. Excellent ball movement led to an open three-point attempt for Babbitt, which he finished with aplomb. The hot-shooting continued into the second quarter with Babbitt and Batum both hitting, the team combining to start 8-10 from deep. JJ Hickson nearly set the Rose Garden on fire with a tip dunk attempt from near the free-throw line, narrowly missing out on a dunk of the season candidate.

The starters checked back in with a little less than half of the second quarter remaining, promptly conceding a 7-0 run to Utah, who looked to combat Aldridge by utilizing a lineup with Paul Millsap at small forward. On offense, the Jazz began exploiting Ray Felton on the pick and roll, leading to Devin Harris being isolated against Joel Przybilla, a tough ask for any big. Though Harris left the game with a few minutes left in the quarter, the Blazer lead continued to evaporate as the offense deteriorated into jump shooting. An off-balance 18-footer from Felton ended the half, the 14-point Blazer lead having shrunk to 3.

The second half started similarly, with the anemic Portland offense struggling to generate movement. Utah's unstoppable duo of Jamaal Tinsley and Gordon Hayward began to work, a quick 8-0 run the result. From the late second quarter to mid-third quarter, Utah was on a 20-1 run. Late in the quarter, Aldridge began to assert himself in the post, but the Blazers were only able to cut the Utah lead to 5 heading into the final period.

A three-pointer from Matthews and continued good play from Aldridge were a promising start to the fourth quarter, but Portland's defense failed to improve and Utah continued to pound the ball inside. A block from Aldridge at the 5 minute mark seemed to finally ignite the defense. A 10-0 run followed, punctuated by a Matthews three-pointer, restoring a 3 point Blazer advantage. The shooting again cooled off, though, and with the Jazz up 1 in the final minute, a poor inbounds pass was stolen and led to an easy Paul Millsap dunk. A missed Nicolas Batum three-pointer and the game was all but done, with the Jazz hitting two late free throws to salt it away.

What's Next

Check out the box score, and stay tuned for Ben's media row report later. The next game is Wednesday night, at home against the Nets. -- Zach

Portland raced out to a quick start and led for the rest of the half with Wesley Matthews, playing against his former team, fueling the early run. Lackluster play set in toward the end of the half, with the Blazers seemingly competing to see who could settle for the worst midrange jump shot. Unsurprisingly, this yielded little and the Blazer lead was cut to 3.

Follow the rest of the action here as the Blazers try to hold onto the lead and secure their second win in as many nights.

Well, there have been worst first halves this year. The Clippers, led by Randy Foye's 12 points, take a three point advantage into the intermission. Enjoy the second half (and hope for a JJ Hickson dunk on Blake Griffin) here.

For the second straight night, Portland pulls off a crucial victory, beating the Lakers in a testy affair. After leading by 24 late in the third quarter, the Blazers ceded a quick 12-0 run and caused a bit of anxiety in the Rose Garden crowd. The starters returned early in the final period and were able to keep LA at arm's length, with a Nicolas Batum three-pointer at the 1:47 mark finally icing it.

The five Portland starters all scored in double figures, combining to score 86 of the team's 93 points. LaMarcus Aldridge led the way with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Gerald Wallace and Andre Miller were both excellent, with the former notching 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists, and the latter 12 points and 13 assists.

The game took a physical turn late, as Ron Artest and Wallace sparred at both ends. After Artest delivered an elbow to the back of Wallace's head, the Rose Garden crowd began to chant "Ger-ald Wall-ace" in one of the more memorable moments of the season.

Here's the box score. With the win, Portland avoided an LA sweep for a 23rd consecutive season.

Discuss the win here. It feels good to beat LA, doesn't it?

Playoff implications abound tonight, as the 55-23 Los Angeles Lakers are in town to face the 46-33 Portland Trail Blazers (Media notes). The Blazers need a win to stay even with the Hornets for the sixth seed and avoid being swept by the Lakers for the first time in 22 years.

Injury report: Marcus Camby will not play tonight due to a strained neck. 

Tip-off: 7:10pm
Watch: KGW (Portland), NBA League Pass (Subscription)
Listen: 95.5 FM The Game (Portland), NBA Audio League Pass (Free)

The usual rules apply:

1. No swearing
2. No pictures
3. No discussion of Internet streams not provided by the NBA

Beat LA!

The Blazers put forth a solid effort in Utah, beating the Jazz in fairly comfortable fashion. With the win, Portland is a half-game up on New Orleans for the sixth seed, though the two teams are even in the loss column and New Orleans owns the tiebreaker.

Gerald Wallace led the way with 29 points, and Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews and Brandon Roy chipped in 21, 18, and 11, respectively. The balanced scoring enabled the team to survive poor nights from Andre Miller and LaMarcus Aldridge, who shot a combined 7-28 from the field.

Here's your box score.

Discuss the win and the final three games here. Can Portland hold on to the sixth seed?

It's hard to believe, but the 79th game of the season is upon us. Tonight, as the 45-33 Portland Trail Blazers visit Salt Lake City to take on the 37-41 Utah Jazz. (Media notes). Utah's not quite as formidable a foe these days, as Jerry Sloan's mid-season resignation and the trade of star point guard Deron Williams have both weakened the squad considerably.

Injury report: Marcus Camby did not travel with the team due to a strained neck. His status for tomorrow night's game is uncertain.

Tip-off: 7:40pm
Watch: TNT (National)
Listen: 95.5 FM The Game (Portland), NBA Audio League Pass (Free)

The usual rules apply:

1. No swearing
2. No pictures
3. No discussion of Internet streams not provided by the NBA

Go Blazers!

That sound you hear is all of Blazer nation finally exhaling. Facing a Spurs team that was missing Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Antonio McDyess, the Blazers were a prohibitive favorite. An uninspired first half was followed by an abysmal third quarter, with the away squad outscored 21-9. Portland headed into the fourth quarter facing a deficit.

After a Gary Neal three stretched the San Antonio advantage to 8 at the 9:18 mark, the Spurs didn't score another field goal until the 1:44 mark. A Nicolas Batum triple pulled Portland within 2, and, a few possessions later, Gerald Wallace stretched the lead to 6 with a three-pointer of his own.

Here's the box score. Believe it or not, Portland has now won eight of its last nine games against San Antonio.

Discuss the much-needed win here. Remember the usual rules, and stay tuned for Dave's recap later.

After a rather unremarkable first half, Portland leads San Antonio by 7. George Hill leads the undermanned Spurs with 17 points, capped by a beautiful crossover and drive just before the intermission.

Discuss the second half here, and remember the usual GDT rules.

Ugly, disappointing, frustrating; you can pick your own adjective for this one. The Blazers got off to a good start, but struggled from the second quarter until late in the fourth. They did mount a late comeback, but the twenty point deficit proved to be too much to overcome.

Here's the box score, if you dare look.

Remember to stick around for Dave's recap and Ben's media row report.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The Blazers had a great start to the game, but couldn't score in the second period and trail by twelve at the half.

Remember the usual rules.

Go Blazers!

After their dramatic and improbable win on Friday, the 33-25 Portland Trail Blazers head into their second consecutive ESPN game, this time facing the 35-23 Atlanta Hawks (Media notes). To add to the excitement, new acquisition Gerald Wallace will make his Blazer debut. Crash is expected to come off the bench and play at both forward positions.

Injury report: Tonight marks the return of Marcus Camby from a torn meniscus; Joe Freeman reported earlier that Camby would start and be limited to twenty minutes. Despite playing 25 minutes on Friday, Brandon Roy is still under a 15 minute limit.

Tip-off: 7:40pm
Watch: CSNNW (Portland), ESPN (National)
Listen: 95.5 FM The Game (Portland), NBA Audio League Pass (Free)

The usual rules apply:

1. No swearing
2. No pictures
3. No discussion of Internet streams not provided by the NBA

Go Blazers!

NOTE: Please read Ben's earlier post on Joel's send-off. Joel's flight departs at 11:50, so there may still be time for those in the Portland area to get to the airport and give Joel a proper goodbye.

Well, wow. I had already written a postgame thread detailing the Blazers' second straight loss to a conference foe, but Brandon Roy and Rudy Fernandez hit late threes to send it to overtime. Once in the overtime, Portland again made clutch plays down the stretch, winning a game in which their only available big man was LaMarcus Aldridge.

Aldridge yet again led the way with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks; he also hit two late free throws to give Portland the lead, atoning for his two misses against LA on Wednesday. Andre Miller had a near triple double, tallying 18 points, 9 assists, and 9 boards. The real story of the game, however, was Roy, whose late game heroics sent the game to overtime. He finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, including a beautiful dish to Wesley Matthews to start the overtime.

Here's the box score.

Discuss the game here. How good is this team with Wallace and Camby?

Remember to stick around for Dave's recap and Ben's media row report.

EDIT: Link to Brandon's game-tying three. (hat tip: Casey Holdahl)

NOTE: Please read Ben's earlier post on Joel's send-off. The game will likely end at about 10:00, so there should be time for those in the Portland area to get to the airport and give Joel a proper goodbye.

Portland pulled off a major deadline deal last season in trading for Marcus Camby, a move that spurred the team on to a late season run; will the same happen this year? Tonight, the temporarily Gerald Wallace-less Portland Trail Blazers host the new-look Denver Nuggets (Media notes). As the Blazers traded away Joel Przybilla, Sean Marks, and Dante Cunningham in the Wallace deal, they're rather short-handed in the frontcourt, forcing Nicolas Batum into service as the backup center. Facing a Denver team that features Nene, tonight's contest may prove to be quite a challenge.

Injury report: Brandon Roy returned on Wednesday. He will play, but his minutes are again expected to be limited.

Tip-off: 7:40pm
Watch: ESPN (National)
Listen: 95.5 FM The Game (Portland), NBA Audio League Pass (Free)

The usual rules apply:

1. No swearing
2. No pictures
3. No discussion of Internet streams not provided by the NBA

Go Blazers!

All things considered, that was a good half. After an LA run to start the game, an authoritative slam by LaMarcus Aldridge got the home team going. Aldridge spearheaded Portland's first-half attack with 18 points and 6 rebounds on 8-10 shooting.

Can the Blazers keep it going and beat the Lakers for the 10th time in their last 11 Rose Garden meetings? Discuss the second half here, and remember the usual gameday thread rules.

For the second straight home game, the Blazers knocked off a member of the league's elite behind a fantastic performance by LaMarcus Aldridge. A tight game throughout, the final part of the fourth quarter featured tremendous individual efforts by Aldridge and Derrick Rose; Rose finished with 36 points and 6 assists, but Aldridge sealed the deal for Portland with 11 straight points and a key drawn charge. His final line was a career-high 42 points and 8 rebounds on 15-23 from the field.

Rudy Fernandez continued his good play with 18 points, and Andre Miller rebounded from a poor night in Cleveland with an efficient 27 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals.

Here's your box score.

Discuss yet another huge home win here. That Aldridge is pretty good, huh?

Make sure to stick around for Dave's recap and Ben's media row report.

Portland comes home tonight after a 1-2 road trip which featured two ugly losses and a narrow win over Cleveland. It's no easy homecoming, as the 27-24 Trail Blazers take on the 34-15 Chicago Bulls (Media notes). Will the home team be able to notch another impressive win without Marcus Camby, or will they be looking at their third loss in the last four games?

Injury report: Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby remain out, though Jason Quick is reporting that Roy is likely to return this week.  The Blazers have upgraded Dante Cunningham from "doubtful" to "probable" and Cunningham was shooting jumpers while wearing a mask (pic via @oppenodom) prior to the game. Joe Freeman reports that Cunningham said that he would play pre-game.

Tip-off: 7:10pm
Watch: CSNNW (Portland), NBA League Pass (Subscription)
Listen: 95.5 FM The Game (Portland), NBA Audio League Pass (Free)

The usual rules apply:

1. No swearing
2. No pictures
3. No discussion of Internet streams not provided by the NBA

Go Blazers!

Portland managed to make this game interesting, as the Cavs cut a ten-point Blazer lead down to two points with two minutes remaining. In the end, however, a tough Andre Miller fadeaway gave the Blazers enough breathing room to send the Cavs to their 24th consecutive loss, an NBA record.

The three point line was kind to Portland, as the team hit 12-19 from that distance. Nicolas Batum was 5-7 from deep, with 21 points, and Wesley Matthews was 5-6 on his way to 31 points. LaMarcus Aldridge contributed to the effort with 20 points and 10 rebounds; Andre Miller dished 13 assists but had a tough night from the field, though he managed to score his only three field goals of the game in the final four minutes.

Dante Cunningham took an elbow to his head in the second quarter and did not return.

Here's the box score.

Wipe the sweat off your brow and discuss the win here. Remember to stick around for Dave's recap later.

Tonight, there's a chance for history to be made, as the 26-24 Portland Trail Blazers head into Quicken Loans Arena to face the 8-42 Cleveland Cavaliers (Media notes). Cleveland has tied their own NBA record for most consecutive losses in a single season, as they've lost 23 straight contests.

Injury report: Marcus Camby and Brandon Roy remain out.

Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports that Dante Cunningham will move into the starting lineup in place of Joel Przybilla. Also, that Anthony Parker will replace Manny Harris in Cleveland's starting lineup.

Update: Cunningham left the game during the second quarter after sustaining an elbow to his head and will not return. More details here.

Tip-off:4:30pm
Watch: CSNNW (Portland), NBA League Pass (Subscription)
Listen: 95.5 FM The Game (Portland), NBA Audio League Pass (Free)

The usual rules apply:

1. No swearing
2. No pictures
3. No discussion of Internet streams not provided by the NBA

Go Blazers!

There isn't much to say after this game; Portland was outplayed by an Indiana team that came in at 19-27. They're now 0-2 on the road trip and will head to Cleveland for the third and final game tomorrow night. As embarrassing as tonight was, it wouldn't compare to losing at Cleveland and snapping the long Cavaliers losing streak.

Here's the box score. You might not want to look.

Discuss tonight's game here. Remember to stick around for Dave's recap later.

Tonight, the Blazers are in Indianapolis to take on the Pacers, the middle game in a three-game road swing (Media notes). Will they be able to win and head into Cleveland with a chance at a winning trip?

Injury report: Nothing new to report. Roy and Camby remain out.

Tip-off: 4:10pm
Watch: CSNNW (Portland), NBA League Pass (Subscription)
Listen: 95.5 FM The Game (Portland), NBA Audio League Pass (Free)

The usual rules apply:

1. No swearing
2. No pictures
3. No discussion of Internet streams not provided by the NBA

Go Blazers!

Well, that wasn't unexpected. The Blazers were able to stay in it for a half, but were outplayed after the intermission, slowly succumbing to the Denver attack. LaMarcus Aldridge followed up his 40-11 with 18 points and 9 rebounds on 7-13 shooting. Andre Miller had 11 points and 10 assists, but shot 3-14 from the floor and turned it over five times.

After beginning the game with a barrage of three-pointers, Wesley Matthews suffered an ankle sprain. He did return for the fourth quarter, but was visibly hobbled.

Here's your box score.

Discuss the game here, and stick around for Timmay's recap later.

After a home win against the Spurs last night, the 26-22 Portland Trail Blazers head into Denver to take on the 28-20 Nuggets (Media notes). Can LaMarcus Aldridge follow up his 40 point outburst with another great performance?

Injury report: Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby are still out for Portland.

Tip-off: 6:10pm
Watch: KGW (Portland), NBA League Pass (Subscription)
Listen: 95.5 FM The Game (Portland), NBA Audio League Pass (Free)

The usual rules apply:

1. No swearing
2. No pictures
3. No discussion of Internet streams not provided by the NBA

Go Blazers

Well, that was unexpected. Despite a rough Portland start, LaMarcus Aldridge's 16 first-quarter points kept the home team in it early; his fantastic play down the stretch keyed a big fourth-quarter run and a Blazer victory.

Aldridge finished with 40 points and 11 rebounds on 16-23 shooting, breaking his previous career high of 37. Wesley Matthews scored 21, including some vital buckets late.

Here's your box score.

Discuss the win here. Remember to stick around for Ben's Media Row Report and Dave's recap.

Well, there isn't much to say after a game like that. Portland kept it close for a while, but wasn't able to generate enough offense to challenge Boston in the fourth quarter. The Blazers finished the game shooting 37% from the field and 25% from three.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the way with 17 points and 16 rebounds, but had a tough night from the field, finishing 8-20. Here's your box score.

Nicolas Batum left the game near the end of the first half with a "sore left knee." UPDATE: Ben reports that Batum will undergo an MRI.

Discuss the game here, and remember to stick around for Dave's recap and Ben's media row report.

After a first half that didn't feature much defense for either side, the Blazers head into the third quarter with a three-point lead. Wesley Matthews and LaMarcus Aldridge have led the way with 15 points apiece.

Chat about the second half here; remember the usual GDT rules.

Go Blazers!