Gerald Wallace battles Hedu Turkoglu during Portland's loss. I think all Blazer fans should be glad that Wallace ended up in Portland and Hedo didn't. Photo courtesy of the AP.

Here’s the thing, you don’t win a lot of basketball games when you spot a team eight points, stake them to a 14-point first quarter lead, give up 11 threes in the first half, and basically preemptively shoot a second-half run in the foot by playing your worst quarter of basketball in the third 12-minute frame of a blowout. Through 10 games Portland has proven two things.

Thing number 1: This is a talented group of basketball players that when they put their mind to it and try as hard as they can and get a little bit of luck they can play with any team in the league.

Thing number 2: They are not immune to the good old fashion beat-down.

For the sake of the first part of this recap, I’m going to pretend that the fourth quarter didn’t happen. I’m not going to ignore the game’s final period. In fact, because the last quarter differed so much from the three that came before it, I feel like the fourth quarter deserves a recap of its own.

So, let’s begin at the beginning. Portland did what they have done before on the second night of a back-to-back. They came out flat. I asked pregame what two days off would do to the Magic, well apparently it would make them sharp, very sharp. Orlando’s first four scores went like this: Ryan Anderson lay-up, Jameer Nelson lay-up, Jameer Nelson fast-break driving finger-roll lay-up, Jason Richardson dunk.

Portland’s first four possessions went like this: MISS Gerald Wallace lay-up, MISS Marcus Camby 15-footer, MISS Wesley Matthews 14-footer, MISS Raymond Felton 25-foot three-pointer. And just like that the Magic led 8-0. But it wouldn’t all be lay-ups and dunks. Oh no, this Orlando team was built to gun, and gun they would. Five out of the Magic’s final eight scoring possessions in the first quarter were threes. After 12 minutes, Orlando had hit 14 field goals, six of them were treys. Giving up 36 points in a quarter is never something to aspire to.

It would get worse before it got better though. Orlando pushed their lead to 20 in the middle of the second period, and again the damage came from beyond the arc. Not to put too much emphasis on what I said in my pre-gamer, but Wednesday was a showcase on how a Dwight Howard led team can be effective without Dwight doing much of anything. As big and as mobile as Howard is, it’s imperative to at least try to defend him. When the focus of Portland’s defense turned to Howard, Howard managed to get the ball out to the wings. Once on the wings, the ball was moved quickly around the perimeter as guys made cuts through the lane–using Howard to get free of their man–until it ended up in the hands of an open shooter. When that happened, said shooter let it fly, and Wednesday 59% of the time it went in.

God forbid Portland would send the double team to Dwight. In that situation the ball wouldn’t even have to rotate around the arc. Dwight could just pick out which ever guy was left undefended, and deliver that guy a gift wrapped, wide open, three-point shot. There were two guys on the floor in an Orlando jersey on Wednesday that weren’t three-point shooters, Dwight Howard and Glen Davis. Coincidentally, they were also the only two Magic who played and didn’t knock one down from deep.

It seems silly to have a team that is built around one guy that stands in the key and four guys that don’t get within 25 to 30 feet of the basket. But when that one guy is Dwight Howard, and the four on the perimeter believe they have never taken a bad shot in their lives, it’s Stan Van Gundy who gets to have the last laugh.

Through three quarters, Orlando had outscored Portland 85-68, had hit 14-of-22 from three and 34-of-55 from the field (64% and 62% respectively), and held the Blazers to 43% from the field and from deep. Wednesday’s game was over. You know how I know? Luke Babbitt played 4:25 in the third, that’s how I know.

But obviously this game wasn’t over, which brings me to part two of this two-part recap. The fourth quarter. Let me preface this by saying, if you are a Blazer fan–and I mean a real Blazer fan–you have probably reached the point in your life where you know you should never leave the Rose Garden early. Not because leaving early means you’re a bad fan, I understand wanting to beat the traffic I also have a day job, but because if you leave early you will miss something amazing.

I know there is somebody somewhere in Blazer-land that bailed on Game Four of the Portland/Dallas Playoff series early in the fourth quarter. At some point, probably following years of intense psychotherapy, that person will likely even come forward and talk about the time in their life they decided to get a head start on their Saturday afternoon errands and walked out on the most amazing thing in the history of professional sports.

So the preface to this fourth quarter synopsis was a bit exaggerated, Wednesday wasn’t that afternoon in late April, but it was another exhilarating, and ultimately frustrating, Rose Garden special, the fourth quarter comeback. With 10:58 remaining on the evening, Orlando lead by 20, with 2:38 they led by three. Jamal Crawford kept Portland close through three quarters (if by close you mean still on the score-board) but in the fourth everybody got involved offensively. The Blazers’ balanced offense and a combination of Orlando missing shots for the first time and Portland stepping up their defensive effort turned Wednesday’s fourth quarter into a kind of microcosm of how this Blazer team wins games.

For the fourth quarter run, Portland’s lineup was Nicolas Batum, Gerald Wallace, LaMarcus Aldridge, Jamal Crawford, and Wesley Matthews. That’s five guys that have to be defended on offense, and can play good and sustained defense. By taking advantage of miss-matches, using the pick-and-roll to a T with LaMarcus and Jamal, and finally, finally knocking down some shots, the Blazers were able to make this a game. If Portland had played the whole game the way they played the fourth quarter, they would still be undefeated at home.

As it is, Orlando plays spoiler again and ruins the Blazers’ perfect home record. I know that some fans are going to break out in a cold sweat when they think about this upcoming road trip. I’m right there with you, but only because I remember Portland’s win-less road swing early last season. But this is a different team. There are a couple of easy wins on this trip (Toronto and Detroit, less so New Orleans and Houston), and teams do get a good chance to bond on the road, something that this team needs.

Yes Wednesday was disappointing. We all knew that Portland had a run in them, but this one felt a little different. They made it early, they had a really good chance to get level, NOBODY LEFT, and a few empty possessions at the end of the fourth kept it from happening. But take heart in the fact that this team didn’t roll over. And also remember, Orlando had to have an incredible shooting night to beat the Blazers by three. Those are positives.

Portland’s first road game on this long trip is Friday in San Antonio.

Couple of quick things:

• You want to look at a nice box score? Check out Orlando’s. Nine guys played, eight guys scored (everybody but former Blazer Von Wafer who played only three minutes and got called for charging on his one drive to the hoop), seven guys reached double figures, four guys took nine shots, three guys took 11, basically every player aside from Chris Duhon and the aforementioned Wafer had the same shooting percentage (Duhon hit his only shot attempt and it was, of course, a three). Probably the most balanced box score I have ever seen. One number does stand out though: Dwight Howard 3-of-12 from the free throw line. Ouch. Portland should have really fouled him every time he even looked at the rim.
• Jamal Crawford got the monkey off his back a little bit, leading all scorers with 24. Jamal added to his best in NBA history four-point play total in the second quarter, which made it all the more frustrating when with the Blazers down four in the fourth quarter he couldn’t get a second four-point play (according to the Wikipedia entry on the four-point play, Jamal holds the record for four-pointers in the fourth quarter). All kidding aside. Jamal had a very nice game, he did play a few more minutes Wednesday than Tuesday, so that probably helped. He also knocked down a couple of shots in the first half. That definitely helped.
• On my way out of the Rose Garden tonight, Sean Meagher, Oregonlive’s Blazer blogger and consummate professional, chased me down in the parking garage. Naturally I assumed he was planning to stab me and take all my money, but instead he just had a question. “Who’s that guy,” Mr. Meagher asked. “He used to play for Cleveland with LeBron…Larry?” “Larry Hughes?” I said. “Yeah, Larry Hughes. Did you know he was on this team?” I did. And did you know that in 2004-05 Larry Hughes led the league in steals while averaging 22 points a game? Larry’s line on Wednesday: DNP. Too bad for Sean, he would have really loved to see some Larry Hughes.
• Patty Mills was in the Rose Garden for the game. He got Wesley to flash the three goggles, although I bet after the way the Blazers played with him in the stands for the first time this season he probably won’t be invited back. As far as Patty joining this team, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Somebody would have to be cut, and I just don’t think it’s in the cards. Sorry.

Box Score

Standings

Howard The Dunk

email me: mike.acker1@gmail.com

Twitter: @mikeacker | @ripcityproject

Wednesday needed a little less Magic offense, and a lot more Larry Hughes.

Dwight Howard had a big night his last time in Portland, but it wasn't enough to get the win. Photo courtesy of ESPN.

Blazers: 7-2 (2nd Northwest Division)

Magic: 6-3 (3rd Southeast Division)

Game Details: Rose Garden Arena, Portland, OR. 7:00 PM. TV: KGW Radio: KXTG (750 AM)

Projected Portland Starting Lineup: PG Raymond Felton (#5, 6’1”, North Carolina), SG Wesley Matthews (#2, 6’5″, Marquette), SF Gerald Wallace (#3, 6’7″, Alabama), PF LaMarcus Aldridge (#12, 6’11″, Texas), C Marcus Camby (#23, 6’11″, UMass)

Projected Orlando Starting Lineup: PG Jameer Nelson (#14, 6′, Saint Joseph’s), SG Jason Richardson (#23, 6’6”, Michigan State), SF Hedo Turkoglu (#15, 6’10”, Efes Pilsen, Turkey), PF Ryan Anderson (#33, 6’10”, California), C Dwight Howard (#12, 6’11”, South West Atlanta Christian Academy)

Another day, another game, and this time another test. The second night of back-to-backs have been something of a Portland specialty in the recent past, and tonight’s game will be a good primer for the two upcoming on this next extended road swing, so that makes this game a test. Orlando is a middle of the pack Playoff team with a decent record coming in, but has yet to record a signature victory against one of the NBA’s best, so it’s a test in that regard as well.

But here’s what really makes this game a test: the Magic have Dwight Howard, and he is a tough guy to game plan for. Go back to last season when Orlando played in Portland. The Blazers held Howard to a measly 39 points and 15 rebounds, and barely escaped with a 14-point win. How do you game plan for that? Did coach Nate McMillan tell his goes to let the big fella do whatever he wanted but to not let any other player hit a shot? That’s kind of what happened (Dwight’s teammates combined for 44 points on that night), but was it on purpose? Maybe. Maybe not.

Portland has to figure out a way to limit Dwight, if he goes for 40 and 20 tonight the Blazers will probably lose, but they can’t wear themselves out trying to stop Dwight, because basically nobody can do that. If they spend all their defensive energy in the paint, guys like J.J. Redick, Ryan Anderson, and Jason Richardson can light them up from beyond the arc. If they lose track of Hedo Turkoglu, that guy can do some damage too.

Attacking Dwight on offense might be the right course of action. If they can get him in foul trouble, and put him on the bench, then they won’t have to worry about him. That’s what Portland did against Oklahoma City, and it worked, but OKC doesn’t run their offense through their big guys. Making LaMarcus Aldridge work against Dwight on offense and on defense is going to shorten his night for sure.

Portland seems to have fallen on a winning game plan, attacking early with Gerald Wallace, getting Wesley Matthews to knock down some deep shots, establishing LaMarcus. There’s no reason they should switch up now. Just like the last few nights, the Blazers will win this game on the defensive end, the offense will probably take care of itself. If it doesn’t, they can always start fouling Dwight early, and make him earn his 40 from the charity stripe. Howard is a career 59.6% free throw shooter. Through nine games this season, that rate has dropped to 45%. Nate’s talked about extending the rotation. Why not let Luke Babbitt get a chance to foul Dwight Howard six times?

Here’s what I’ll be watching for:

• Will Portland have legs: The Blazer’s main guys racked up heavy minutes last night. They’re going to be a little gassed, that’s safe to say. The home crowd should give them a boost, but if it takes too long they could find themselves in trouble.
• How much energy will the Magic have: Orlando hasn’t played since Sunday. This is a season without many stretches of time off. Did the Magic use a day to practice and run sets? Or did they all take two maintenance days, get some shopping in at the Nike store and have a shave and a haircut? Which would be a better idea. A practice might make the team more crisp but less energetic; two days off and they might come out flat but have the wind to out work Portland.
• Will Nate extend the rotation, and if yes, how far: Nate McMillan first brought up extending the rotation last night in his post game remarks while addressing the play of Jamal Crawford. He has also mentioned using more guys due to the upcoming road trip. Add the fact that, like I said, Portland’s starters all breached the 30-minute mark last night, and there’s a chance we’ll see some changes in the rotation this evening. My guess is bench regulars Jamal Crawford and Nicolas Batum get in the game sooner and see more extended action, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Nolan Smith and maybe a minute or two of Elliot Williams.
• Can Portland stay perfect at home: The home crowd has been a huge boost. Following Wednesday’s game, the Blazers won’t be in the Rose City until Monday, January 23rd. That’s a long time. I’m sure these guys want to leave on a high note.

email me: mike.acker1@gmail.com

Twitter: @mikeacker | @ripcityproject

Team: Portland Trail Blazers
2008-09 Record: 54-28
Key Losses: Sergio Rodriguez, Channing Frye, Shavlik Randolph, Michael Ruffin, Raef LaFrentz.
Key Additions: Andre Miller, Juwan Howard, Jeff Pendergraph, Dante Cunningham, Ime Udoka/Jarron Collins/Patty Mills.

1. What were the team’s significant moves this offseason?

Coup: The Blazers used their heavily-watched summer money on Hedo Turkoglu, then Paul Millsap followed by a brief flirtation with David Lee before finally settling with Andre “I know all your plays” Miller. Through six preseason games, Miller has made it painfully obvious that he is the more dynamic and better playmaker than incumbent PG Steve Blake.

The worry at the time of Miller’s signing was his limited range, but he’s quelled much of those thoughts with his willingness to make risky passes that lead to easy buckets. Brandon Roy’s slow preseason has led to some questions about his ability to play off-the-ball with Miller — Roy has said he is more comfortable with Blake — and that is something to keep an eye on, but the “Who Should Start?” discussions have become tired. A certain No. 1 pick has been proving himself the deserving starting center and Miller should be on the court with Greg Oden as much as physically possible.

But the most significant move of the last year has likely been the non-move to make a major trade with expiring contracts/cap space/young talent. Sergio Rodriguez was traded to Sacramento for a second-round pick (Jeff Pendergraph) but the Blazers have had the chips to cash-in for a talented player and, other than adding Miller, have chosen to hold on to what they have. With European cap holds coming off the books soon and just under $9 million in expiring contracts between Blake and Travis Outlaw, there will be a plethora of options through the trade deadline, though GM Kevin Pritchard has not proven to be a fan of mid-season deals.

SJ: The Blazers signed Hedo Turkoglu. Wait, no Paul Milsap. Wait, wait signed David Lee. Jokes aside, there was much ado over Portland’s off-season. For Blazer fans it was full of rumors, ups and downs, head scratching, fury and relief. I’m sure I experienced every emotion this summer as the various sagas came and went. And it wasn’t just missing out on Turkoglu and Milsap it was the time periods in between. Agonizing. The Blazers off-season gave me all the drama I was missing while The Hills was off.

Many labeled the summer a disappointment but the Blazers still managed to address needs. Portland added Andre Miller (and his bad attitude, zing) and rookies Jeff Pendergraph and Dante Cunningham. They also waved bye bye to Channing Frye, Sergio Rodriguez, Shavlik Randolph and the man we turned into a piece of paper, Raef LaFrentz. Frye and Sergio’s departure means I won’t have anxiety attacks during games anymore. Miller filled the PG upgrade that was oh-so-coveted. Also the Blazers drafted two youngsters will attempt help fill the void at the backup 4 spot.

2. What are the team’s biggest strengths?

Coup: Adding a passer like Miller to the most efficient offense in the NBA should, in theory, only increase Portland’s effectiveness, but Nate McMillan has experimented with tempo and lineups in the preseason, leading to offensive inconsistency thus far. Much of the Blazers’ success with the ball last season was tied to them being the best offensive rebounding team in the league thanks to having centers with the No. 1 (Joel Przybilla) and No. 8 (Oden) rebound rates in the league.

It’s tempting to say size, youth or depth is Portland’s greatest strength, but it *should* be versatility. As the Blazers found out against Houston last year, matchups are key in the playoffs and by adding Miller and getting a healthy Martell Webster along with the natural progression of the younger players McMillan should have a specific lineup available for any situation.

SJ: At times I worry if I overrate this team sometimes, but it’s legitimately deep. When a talent like Jerryd Bayless is fighting like crazy to crack the rotation you know you’ve got a good thing going. You could make an argument for each member of the second unit that they could be starting somewhere else in this league.

3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?

SJ: Chemistry (for now), toughness and defense. These are the only three things that I’m iffy about with this team. The chemistry should obviously come as the season goes along but as of right now it seems as if things are still in an awkward phase. Miller and Roy are going to have to get used to each other. Roy and Aldridge may have their rhythms altered with all of the talent. Guys are going to have to buy in for this to work. The toughness factor is something that has bothered me since I allowed myself to remember the Rockets series.

Simply put if this Blazer team doesn’t defend all of the hype is for nothing. All the pre-season noise will be for nothing if the Blazers don’t step it up defensively. Not to reach into the cliché drawer but we all know that elite teams know how to get it done on both ends. Portland struggled defensively last year and it was that sometimes-leaky D that hurt the Blazers in the post-season.

Coup: McMillan wants his team to play defense but word is — games haven’t been on television, only radio — that the Blazers have been lacking in that department. Just as they are the lynchpins of Portland’s rebounding efforts, Oden and Przybilla are 1A and 1B to its defense. Nic Batum is the Great French Hope on that side of the ball, but though it’s tough to judge based on preseason reports, it appears as though Nate wants everyone playing on a defensive level they have yet to reach.

4. Goals for the season?

SJ: Last year it was just get to the playoffs. This year it’s to win the division and at least get out of the first round. I’d like to see the Blazers improve on the road. The Rose Garden is one of the better home court advantages in the NBA but the Blazers need to learn how to become road warriors. And if they learn how to do that I’ll be very confident in their ability to achieve the above goals.

Coup: Win. Win. Win. Last season the Blazers exceeded most projected win totals and met the common goal of making the playoffs. That was fantastic. Now it’s time to move on to the big boy goals.

Under McMillan, the Blazers have been consistent at making incremental improvements every season. As such, the season goals have been made on a step-by-step basis. “Find Character” > “Draft Well” > “Don’t Suck” > “Have a Winning Season” > “Make Playoffs”. From there we are supposed to move to “Win a Playoff Series” > “Make Conference Finals” and so forth. But before all the goals were geared towards simply being a good team. Portland is good now and everyone believes it. Now you’re fighting to be the last team standing. Sure, at the end of the season they can hang their hats on advancing in the postseason, but the real next steps are to prove they are contenders and then contend. And once you’re a contender, you’re contending for one thing.

But if we must set a goal for the young team that’s proven itself to be good, it’s simple: Be Great.

5. All Things Greg Oden.

Coup: If you haven’t heard, Oden is having a fantastic preseason. He’s in good shape, staying on the floor, displayed better offensive skills and playing more mobile defense. The consensus is that he looks like a completely different player. We’ll all see this in due time. Let’s talk about Oden the story.

For some reason — partly the fact that he’s a well-known No. 1 pick — there have been many in the national media that took no pause in jumping all over every one of Oden’s struggles. In fact some, along with many, many NBA fans, have seemed to enjoy his apparent failures. After one season following microfracture surgery, sweeping statements were made and advanced statistics were blatantly ignored. I’m not pointing fingers here, as it’s a very easy thing to do. All of us have pointed out a player in the past and said simply “He Sucks”. And we have all been wrong at some point. It’s the people that admit when they are wrong that you should really pay attention to.

So if Oden does start proving himself, pay attention to how the story is handled. He’ll be the “Big Credibility Check” for a lot of online space. And lets hope Kevin Durant has a great season as well, because better basketball is good for everyone.