<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=192888919167017&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Friday, March 29, 2024
March 29, 2024

Linkedin Pinterest

Blazers week in review 03-09

By Erik Gundersen, Columbian Trail Blazers Writer
Published: March 9, 2015, 12:00am

Blazer Beef

Sure, the Trail Blazers’ defense got manhandled by the lowly Timberwolves — but in their first game without Wesley Matthews, it was hard to blame them.

The Blazers knew that losing Matthews for the season would be an irreplaceable loss and it clearly showed on Saturday without him.

The Blazers have a lot of kinks to work out on both ends of the court with Arron Afflalo in the starting lineup.

They racked up good wins before Saturday’s loss and given the circumstances, it was not all that surprising even though it was a loss to the West’s worst team.

Blazer Bravo

Nicolas Batum’s fourth quarter and overtime in Wednesday’s thrilling win at the Clippers was one of the best stretches any Blazer has had all season.

For Batum, who has struggled mightily all season long, it was a big moment for him personally.

After the game, the Blazers even laid out a towel path for Batum to his locker.

He had 20 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two blocks. His passing was excellent down the stretch, setting up LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard for key alley-oops.

The Blazers defense on Thursday against the Mavericks also deserved kudos. The Mavericks shot only 16 3-pointers, thanks to the Blazers’ effort to run them off the line.

Also, as Robin Lopez noted, the Blazers kept their focus on the game and put the Mavericks away even though they could have drifted away to having seen Matthews get carried off.

By The Numbers

173 — Wesley Matthews’ 173 3-pointers are still good for fourth place in the NBA.

4 — The Blazers were nearly 4 points per 100 possessions better offensively when Matthews played, according to NBA.com.

56.2 — Matthews’ effective field goal percentage this season was a career-high, mostly because of great improvements in his midrange and post-game.

The Week Ahead

Wednesday vs. Houston Rockets (7:30 p.m., KGW, ESPN): James Harden is having an MVP season and Portland will have to figure out new ways to defend him without Matthews.

Friday vs. Detroit Pistons (7 p.m., CSN): The Pistons’ have all but completely faded out of the Eastern Conference playoff race as the Brandon Jennings injury dimmed their hopes after a midseason renaissance.

Sunday at Toronto (4 p.m., CSN): The Raptors are in a tight race for one of the top-3 Eastern Conference playoff seeds with Chicago and Cleveland.

Loading...
Columbian Trail Blazers Writer