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Blazers: When to Watch (week of April 11)

By Matt Calkins
Published: April 11, 2011, 12:00am

WHEN TO WATCH THIS WEEK

GRIZZLIES AT BLAZERS

7 p.m. Tuesday at Rose Garden (CSN cable Channel 37)

Key match-up: Zach Randolph vs. LaMarcus Aldridge

The Blazers power forward of the past meets the Blazers power forward of the present, and both have been looking sharp. Aldridge has emerged as the better scorer and may be a solid couple of games away from securing a spot on one of the year-end All-NBA teams. However, Randolph’s rebounding rate makes him nearly as valuable to his club.

Right now, sixth-seeded Portland has a one game lead over the Grizzlies, but should Memphis win, it could send Portland all the way down to eighth while the Grizzlies and Hornets would each hold the tie breaker over the Blazers. Aldridge needs to outperform his former teammate and show the Rose Garden fans that they have the power forward of the future.

To win: Portland may be garnering the title of the team “nobody wants to face in the first round,” but Memphis isn’t far behind. The Grizzlies have, after all, won five of their past six and eight of their past 10 games. The impressive thing? They’re doing this all without Rudy Gay, who is second this year in minutes per game. It’s still hard to tell how all the playoff scenarios will shake out — and that goes for the top of the West as well as the bottom. But winning is still Portland’s best option, and it won’t come easy Tuesday.

Mike Conley has proven himself to be a worthy point guard, Marc Gasol a reliable center and OJ Mayo a consistent spark off the bench. We hear about “playoff-like atmospheres” all the time in NBA games, but given what’s at stake, this one may resemble a postseason game more so than any other contest this season for Portland.

BLAZERS AT WARRIORS

7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Oracle Arena (CSN cable Channel 37)

Key match-up: Monta Ellis vs. Wesley Matthews

Matthews has developed a bit of a reputation as a Kobe slower-downer (Kobe stoppers don’t exist), but Ellis got the best of the second-year guard when these teams last played, dropping 30 points on 11 of 19 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3-point distance.

Ellis is also the only player in the NBA this year to have logged more minutes than Aldridge this year, but he’s proven why all season — especially against Portland. Whether it’s Matthews, Wallace or Nicolas Batum guarding him, Portland will have to make some kind of adjustment to contain him. They’d have a hard time living with themselves if they were able to beat the Grizzlies, only to let the sixth seed get away because of a loss in Oakland.

To win: Realize the importance of the costume. It’s unlikely that this contest won’t have seeding implications, so that should at least amplify Portland’s focus. When the Blazers fell to Golden State at the Rose Garden earlier in the month, it was much in part due to the fact that they took the Warriors lightly after finishing up a brutal six-game stretch.

That taste being fresh in its mouth will certainly help Portland in its final regular game of the season, but as Nate McMillan always stresses, “you gotta knock down shots.”

The offense certainly wasn’t in sync last Tuesday, Blazer fans better hope it is Wednesday, or one bad game could end up costing them a trip to the second round of the postseason.

The Blazers can’t sleep on David Lee or Stephen Curry either, the power forward/point guard combo went for 29 and 28 points respectively in their last meeting, Lee making 13 of his 17 shots, and Curry hitting 3 of 5 3-pointers.

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