PORTLAND — The video scoreboard zoomed in on a fan-created sign that read “Red and Black Friday,” a reference to the Blazers’ colors on the day after Thanksgiving.
Clever. But by game’s end, it was more like Black and Blue Friday.
Facing New Orleans for the second time this season, Portland lost backup center Sean Marks to a sprained ankle and backup guard Rudy Fernandez to a pelvic bone contusion.
The deepest bruise, however, came by way of the final score: Hornets 97, Blazers 78.
Portland (8-7) lost by one fewer point Friday than it did when it met New Orleans two weeks ago on the road, but this one was a more definitive thrashing.
After scoring 33 points in the first quarter, the Blazers were held to a paltry 45 for the rest of the game; posting 15 points in the second quarter, 17 in the third and 13 in the fourth.
Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby each commented after the game that Hornets coach Monty Williams, an assistant with the Blazers for five years, played a key role in stifling their offense.
But Portland coach Nate McMillan didn’t think the problem was all that complicated.
“We’re not knocking down any shots. It’s as simple as that,” McMillan said. “When you get open looks like that, you’ve got to knock those shots down. Part of execution is finishing the play off with a bucket.”
The Blazers hit 30 of their 76 attempts from the field and went 6 of 18 from beyond the arc. New Orleans (12-3) was 34 for 66 from the floor and 8 of 14 from 3-point distance.
There was one productive Blazer, though.
Playing in his first game since limping off the court vs. the Hornets two Saturdays ago, Roy scored a game-high 27 points on 10 of 20 shooting.
The 26-year-old didn’t look like a player who had sat out the past three games due to a knee injury, but did say after the game that “the legs got kind of heavy there at times.”
His opinion of the offense? Does it need to change or is it simply a matter of making shots?
“I think a little bit of both,” Roy said. “Of course we’ve got to make shots. We haven’t shot the ball well all season. And maybe we can make some adjustments. Some of our plays, just mix it up a little bit.”
Five Hornets scored in double digits, Willie Green leading the way with 19 points. Chris Paul added 16 points and 13 assists while going 4 for 6 from the field and 8 for 8 from the free-throw line.
But the most salient statistic was New Orleans’ 48 rebounds, especially when juxtaposed to Portland’s 27.
A night to be proud of? Not exactly.
Ask Blazers point guard Andre Miller, and he’ll tell you that that’s becoming a theme.
“We’re not playing good basketball. We haven’t really had a good month,” said Miller, who played just two minutes in the final quarter. “It’s not that simple (just hitting shots). We gotta make a portion, but our defense has to create offense.”
The Blazers begin a four-game road trip that starts with New Jersey on Sunday. Whether Marks or Fernandez play is to be determined.
