Blazers/Celtics

[Gregory Odegaard <grodeg@kalama.com>]

Well after reading the ESPN report and the fact that I did not go to this years game like a reporter, as I did last year, I am including the ESPN report below.  Last year I took pages of notes and listened intently to the radio play by play, and frankly this is not the way to watch my only Celtics game this year.  You others (the great Bill included) must tape the game and do a report off of this copy.  Regardless it was a good game for the most part, one which I somewhat disagree with the below noted assessment as being "easy".  From where I sat this game was a few easy lay-ups and the C's fair share of shots away from being a maybe easy Celtics win.  Hardly I imagine, but they played pretty hard, considering the amazingly bad start, virtually the entire set, and certainly put the same scare into the Blazers that quite a few sub 500 teams have been able to do of late (just last week Whizzers and Warriors).

Players of note:
Walker:
Looked tired early on, but looked darn near unstoppable at stretches of the 2nd half.  His scoring and Forts rebounding kept the C's in this one for a good while.  I went with a newer Celtics fan/friend and he was blown away by his first live look at AW.  He made some amazing shots and again, for a short while at least couldn't miss.  He certainly could work harder on defense, and curiously was out of the game for longer stretches than what I was happy with for a game of this note, seeing that Kenny and PP both played normal longer minutes. Regardless of the plan, he is a keeper.

Fortson:
I lost count of his 3rd quarter rebounds, but he was all over the ball during a long stretch.  If only he could convert a few more of those offensive boards.  There is no doubt he frustrated Wallace and company at times, and he earned bonus minutes because of it.  I like him, and when the best five are on the floor (Pot, AW, Fort, PP, KA), it forces AW to play SF, which I feel he can survive at.

Kenny:
A pretty tough homecoming, with a number of poor shots and an often lost appearance to the Blazers attack.  2 sweet blocks early on, but just seemed to be out of it. DEFENSE 

Pot:
Really lost tonight.  RP pulled late in the 3rd after a less than minute stint, and I not sure he returned.  He did hit 2 beautiful falling away jumpers early on that impressed, but Wallace/Sabos took him to school often.  I like him overall, all things considered, but hard to see him being the Center on a championship team.

Pierce:
I guess he took the night off with the above 2.  Some really poor shots and at least one airball that was really hard to watch.  He and Kenny had a stretch where they looked like they were playing a game of who could turn it over more.  He tried to make up with it with a couple clean steals.  Last year he was very impressive in Portland, this year not.  

Griffith:
It was hard listening to Blazer faithful, go on about the CBA guy starting on this team.  He had a few moments, but looked CBA at times.  Got to give him an A for effort though, and definitely chose his shots better than others.

Williams:
Gave a lot of energy, and him along with Fort did all they could to keep the Celts in this.  Got a couple good breaks on the calls. (Can't complain that we got the short end of this stick, as the calls certainly were in the C's favor most of tonight, maybe the refs wanted to see a closer game as well).  A tough long-term call with his contract, but we could do worse.

Battie/Barros:
Filling in where needed.  Battie looks like a big guy with a contract, and that's about all.  Not very impressive.  Barros wants to be sparkplug, but was completely overmatched at times.  Anyone catch that 3 on 1 break, with Dana taking one for the team?  Got a real chuckle from the crowd. Speaking of sparkplugs, why no time for Waltuh?  He looks very bored, but at least can keep Nervous company.  

The Blazers are completely for real, and look like at times like they are just hanging around for the 2nd season.  Pippen I am sure is beating the drum loudest.  Smith and Schrempf (who looked completely lost tonight, btw) wants there rings badly and considering they will keep the Fakers and Shaq from getting theirs I am pulling for the them as can be imagined.  

IF only RP would just SHUT THE HELL UP.  From where I was sitting he is like fingernails on a chalkboard, and at least 1000 other ticketholders got the same sideshow I did.  He needs to try decaf or maybe another town.  Had to throw it in.

Anyone want more specific details, please let me know,

Greg

ESPN Recap
"Portland wins 14th straight at home 

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The Portland Trail Blazers finally got the easy win they were looking for. The Boston Celtics got the kind of beating they're used to.

Arvydas Sabonis scored 19 points and Rasheed Wallace added 16 as the Trail Blazers won their ninth straight by stopping the cold-shooting Celtics 105-92 Monday night.

"Man, it was nice to be up a bit late in the game," said guard Bonzi Wells, who scored eight points off the bench and was part of the Blazers' second unit that held onto the lead built by the starters. "We've got to learn to get in there and sustain the lead, and we did that tonight."

Steve Smith added 15 points for Portland, which never trailed and improved its NBA-best record to 42-11. It was the Blazers' 14th straight win at the Rose Garden, and first dominating victory since before the All-Star break.

Antoine Walker had 24 points and Paul Pierce and Eric Williams each had 14 for the Celtics, who shot just 37 percent from the field and dropped to 5-22 on the road.

Boston, which started its road swing with a 101-99 win over Utah last Tuesday, lost at Golden State by 22 points Friday and shot just 38 percent in a 94-91 loss to Seattle on Saturday.

"The shots weren't falling," Kenny Anderson said. "The effort was there, they just weren't falling."

The Blazers led by at least 11 points for most of the fourth quarter and built a 19-point lead when Greg Anthony found Wallace for an alley-oop with 5:20 left in the game. Portland then pulled its starters, and , but O'Neal put the Blazers back ahead by hitting four free throws. He then picked off Tony Battie's pass to Anderson and took it in for a dunk to make it 49-43 to end the first half."