Dec 8th 2008 9:48AM by Brett Edwards (author feed)
Filed under: Raptors, Trail Blazers, NBA VideosThe Raptors played their best game in over a week against the Blazers, after losing their last three by an average of 26 points per game. They had taken a two-point lead with under 10 seconds to play, but Steve Blake made sure this one would end with his team in the win column.

Blake may have pushed off a bit there, but I don’t know, to me it looked like he just extended his arm and that Jose Calderon was playing him for the drive instead of the three-pointer. Either way, it wasn’t called, so it ends up being a gritty win for Portland and a pretty tough loss for the Raps.

Dec 6th 2008 3:35PM by Tom Ziller (author feed)
Filed under: Celtics, Trail BlazersGreg Oden’s first pro game in Boston passed by more like a liner note than a headline: the real story of Friday’s big game focused on the would-be heirs to the NBA throne as Portland takes its turn as vogue future dynasty of the moment. The Blazers didn’t give us a real student-master epic as we’d hoped, and Oden was part of the problem, really.

The kid all of Boston drooled over through most of the 2006-07 season heard more whistles than a crossing guard’s conjoined twin. After minimal impact (five points, six rebounds, one block), Oden fouled out in the fourth with only 18 minutes of action. Given that he was, for a time, (December 2006 to May 2007) Boston’s only salvation, you’d think Celtics fans would have been happy he didn’t blast off, but otherwise appreciative of his existence. Wrong, as Reds Army notes:
[W]hen Oden was introduced… he was booed. Then we he sat after fouling out… he got razzed with the “OOOO- DEN… OOOOO - DEN” chants.

But… why? I know he’s on the other team so it’s not like we’re gonna cheer the guy. But I am thoroughly confused by the booing.
Oden offered a familiar look most of the night: disappointed and dejected. It seems whenever Oden has had a rough night, he looks like he just lost his goldfish to a stroke or ate a bad burger … so it’s hard to blame the Banknorth crowd for setting Oden sour.

But if we like our stars with some expressed personality, Oden fits the bill. Too bad it’s melancholy and infinite sadness instead of glee and swag.

Dec 6th 2008 10:05AM by Tom Ziller (author feed)
Filed under: Celtics, Trail Blazers, NBA Last NightThe final result isn’t indicative of how hotly contested Portland-Boston had been in the first half. The Blazers came out matching Boston shot for shot, and led by a possession most of the half. With three minutes left in the second quarter, Boston went into beast mode and turned it into a blowout (which would become somewhat close, but never really in danger).

One of the biggest threads from the first half to me was the verbal sparring between Brandon Roy and Paul Pierce. Pierce has always talked a good deal, and a) joining up with Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell, and b) winning a title … those have only made Pierce’s mouth motor stronger. Roy, though, isn’t considered much of a talker. Portland as a whole has taken on a bit of a “soft” reputation, earned or not.

But Roy did not let the war of the words become one-sided Friday.
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Dec 6th 2008 9:03AM by Tom Ziller (author feed)
Filed under: Celtics, Trail Blazers, NBA Last NightThe headline might seem rough, but Glen “Big Baby” Davis was literally of no help Friday night as the Celtics sonned the upstart Blazers in Boston. The C’s went on a devastating 21-0 run beginning three minutes from the half and stretching well into the third quarter. Portland’s mounted only minor resistance at the end of the third, and Doc Rivers replaced his stars with his subs, including Davis.

Things didn’t go well from there, as a collection of bench Blazers sliced the lead to 11 within a matter of minutes. For his part, Davis went almost four minutes with no points or rebounds and a few highly visible defensive flubs, and his effort seemed poor. As you’d guess, Kevin Garnett was not pleased. KG brutalized Davis during a timeout, saying what we can only imagine to be harsh criticisms. Davis responded well.
After the conflict, Davis sat on the bench with a towel over his head, television close-ups portraying him as near tears.
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Dec 4th 2008 5:51PM by Matt Watson (author feed)
Filed under: Cavaliers, Lakers, Spurs, Trail Blazers Tim Duncan is stoic, his style is timeless … and yet he’s slowly changing.
Better chemistry through bathing.
An open letter to Greg Oden’s neck beard. (Yes, you read that correctly.)
Wayman Tisdale lost a leg but not his smile.
The next MJ is so good he occupies two bodies!
Who’s making the most loot in the NBA?