4:56: Yes folks, I am here for a live-blog. Why the heck not. Just catching the end of ESPN NBA Shootaround and I’m pleased with what was said about the Blazers. Yes Avery and Mark, Brandon Roy is the man for Portland. And yes Bill there is a lack of consistency, mental toughness and low-post scoring. I guess that’s a sign that they actually think we’re good and not just the Odenettes.
(And my NBA conspiracy theorist inside definitely thinks Stern told ESPN to start showcasing Roy a little bit.)
Remember those bonus goodies Coup said he’d have for us? They will be coming in shortly so hold onto your pants. Here’s a preview though: Rebecca Haarlow is a regulation hottie. Apparently TV does not do her justice at all. Spread the word and tell a friend.
5:02: Paul Pierce….getting a calf-massage? I don’t know whether to be intimidated or jealous. Second thought in my head….That’s someone’s father going to town on Paul’s leg. Yes, somewhere in America someone is watching their father rub the bleep out of Pierce’s leg. Unfortunate soul.
Let’s get this show on the road.
5:05: JVG, Breen and Jackson have the call. So happy Jon Barry is nowhere near this game. I’m sorry.
5:08: KG with a jumper ASAP…Welcome to Boston. Oden responds with a physical jumphook over Perkins. It didn’t look pretty but it dropped.
5:09: Brandon Roy blows by Ray Allen, drives baseline and dunks it. Literally it was that effortless. No help which is either a credit to Roy’s quickness or Boston being a step slow.
Another Boston turnover leads to LaMarcus scoring on Ray Allen in transition. Boston looks a little sluggish and sloppy on both ends early we’ll see if they clean it up.
5:11: Boston seems to be trying to go at Oden with Perkins getting 2 post touches early. Interesting. Not so interesting? Rajon Rondo stealing a lazy pass from LMA to Blake and getting a layup.
Oden beasts Perkins in the post… but blows another dunk. *groan*. It’s like he almost tries to dunk too hard or something.
5:13: Jumpers by LMA and Blake put the Blazers up 10-7 early. Boston has 4 turnovers and an offensive foul.
5:15: Oden with a POWERDUNK and a technical foul. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Coup: “Matter of time until Greg got called for that.”
5:22: Batum with a three from the corner. In comes Travis Outlaw for him and he has hair. Someone get this man a BIC stat because his hairline is way. way, way back there.
5:27: Brandon Roy looks like he pulled his left hamstring. I’m not breathing well right now. Can we get an update ASAP?
5:31: Mark Jackson almost makes me miss Jon Barry by calling Nate McMillan, Nate Robinson. UGH. How do you botch that?
5:32: Shavlik Randolph looking sharp. He really should be writing a blog about his experience right now.
Boston up 24-21, closed the last 4:31 on a 12-4 run. Transition defense has to improve…actually all defense has to improve. Portland’s playing well but has nothing to show for it. Boston has turned the ball over 5 times. Portland is shooting 9-for-18 (50%) on the road is usually great, but not when your opponents are shooting 58.8% (10-for-17). Keep Rondo in front, keep Perkins off the glass (3 offensive rebounds) and someone guard Ray Allen (10 points) and things should be fine.
5:36: Nate echoes finding Nate in transition and keeping Rondo in front. Joel, Outlaw, Channing and Los Conquistadors start the second quarter. Sergio with a nice layup.
5:37: Channing Frye just had a god-awful sequence as a basketball player. Seriously. Sergio split the defense and found him at the top of the key. Frye jumped in the air and dropped the ball. Seriously. You know if you’ve ever played 1 on 1 with a girlfriend and you charge at them fast and they just drop the ball. He did that. Then he fouled Leon Powe and gave him and And 1. And then he just missed a shot Rick Fox style, shooting from the left and missing wide right. Unbelievable.
5:39: The second unit is struggling. Channing’s playing like a two year old and Rudy’s jumpers aren’t falling. Someone in this lineup has to get some attack in them.
5:40: Outlaw and his disappearing hairline hit a jumper over Scalabrine and gets fouled. 28-26 Boston with 9 left in the 2nd quarter.
5:41: Channing gets a nice feed from Rudy in transition but gets blocked by Big Baby Davis. Really Channing, really? Please get him out of the game Nate…please. Thank goodness for Big Joel taking a charge on Pierce on the other end. 28-26 Boston with 8:50 left in the first half.
5:42: Can I get a Brandon Roy update? I mean sheesh, can I get a ‘He’s ok’. Where are you Doris Burke? We have a connection. I stood up for you Doris when you did the playoffs, now get me a word on B-Roy. Don’t make me call Nancy Lieberman.
5:45: And on demand, Doris Burke with an update out of the commercial break. We have a connection people. Roy is good to go. Great news. Bad news…Frye is still in the game. UGGG boots.
5:46: Big Joel with a putback dunk to tie the game. Man….there are no words for how valuable Big Joel is to this team and Greg Oden’s development. None. Also, Brandon Roy is back in the game. Yes.
5:48: Gabe Pruitt sighting? Blazers go straight to a zone and Eddie House licks his lips, cocks his gun and nails a three to put the C’s up 32-28. Roy silences the crowd with a drive and kick to Big Joel who finishes.
5:49: This may be the worst zone in the league right now. Leon Powe gets an uncontested dunk. We need to get out of this.
5:51: Brandon Roy is going to work right ever since he got put back in the game. The assist to Joel, the jumper over Pierce and he dashed through about 3 Celtics to get to the line. He’s keeping Portland right in this game. 35-32 Boston with 5:33 left in the half.
5:53: Text message I just recieved: “Paul Pierce is a butt pirate.” I have nothing to do add to that, just thought you should know.
5:55: Remember how I said Sergio stopped making me cringe a couple games back. Well his decision to dribble around and take a pull-up three while Roy is slicing and dicing just brought all that back. I swear Sergio is gonna give me vertigo.
5:56: And just like that Steve Blake is back in. I feel better. Roy with a steal and Rudy with a breakaway dunk to put the Blazers up 36-35.
Sidenote….is it just me or is it quiet as hell in that arena right now.
5:58: Jeff Van Gundy with a rant and a half. Ray Allen should have to swish his free throws to count, the extra point in football should be eliminated and field goals should only be allowed from 50+ out. I made absolutely none of that up either.
38-36 Boston with 2:52 left in the first half.
6:04: Boston is on a 9-0 run over about 5 minutes. It’s a quiet run. The Blazers are getting good shots. What they aren’t doing? Getting back on defense. Too many easy transition buckets for Boston, can’t give them those at home. That’s why even though Portland hasn’t played bad they are down 46-36.
Remember I said the Blazers were going to need a great 48 minutes to play with Boston. Well Portland played a really good 20 minutes and 6 seconds. The last 3 minutes and 54 seconds were rough. 14-0 run by Boston. Struggles offensively. No transition defense. Getting beasted on the boards 23-15. Boston’s shot 16 free throws and is shooting 50% from the floor. Again the first 20 minutes and 6 seconds were great and the Blazers aren’t playing horrible, but against a great opponent like Boston you can’t have those kinds of lapses. Against the Orlando’s,
Miami’s and Washington’s of the world you can survive those. Against Boston it’s a game-winning run.