BLAZERS IN REVIEW
Report Card
Grade: C
Recap: The report card grade really should be “W” for weird, or maybe “SP,” for split personalities, as the Blazers once again played a week of basketball that prevents us from drawing any real conclusions about this team.
It began ominously, when LaMarcus Aldridge sprained his ankle in the opening minutes against the lowly Wizards on Tuesday, and continued that way when Washington trounced the Blazers in what may have been their worst defensive effort of the year.
But one night later, still without Aldridge, Portland flies down to California and beats the Warriors in Oakland for just the second time in 14 tries. It seemed as though the Blazers would ride that momentum at home against the Clippers the following night when they led by as many as 18 points in the third quarter. But after scoring just 11 points in the fourth (four of which came in the final 20 seconds), Portland endured one of its most painful losses in the year — and its fourth straight loss at home. Additionally, considering he was held scoreless in the loss, the anti-Raymond Felton buzz was as high as ever.
So what happened two nights later when the Hawks came to town? Aldridge returned, the Blazers won by 20 and Felton had his best game in nearly a month.