|
|
| Latest Blazers News |
| Trail Blazers 117, Nuggets 97 | Sat, Feb 4 10:52 PM |
Nicolas Batum woke up hoping his injured knee would allow him to
play.
  | FOXSports.com News for Trail Blazers |
| ROSTER REPORT | Sat, Feb 4 08:13 PM |
PLAYER NOTES:
--F LaMarcus Aldridge piled up 29 points (on 13-for-18 shooting) to go with nine rebounds and five assists in 41 minutes. It was his fifth straight game of 20 points or more.
--G Raymond Felton left the game in the third quarter after suffering an injury to his left ankle. X-rays were negative.
--C Marcus Camby had 20 rebounds in 30 minutes and didn't play in the fourth quarter. It was the third game this season of 20 or more rebounds for the 38-year-old veteran, who also three times swatted rebounds to teammates. "Patrick (Ewing) taught me that," Camby said. "If you can't get it, bat it out. Get your teammate the ball."
MEDICAL WATCH:
--C Greg Oden had surgery Friday on his right knee. He also continues to rehab after November 2010 microfracture surgery on his left knee.
ROTATION:
Starters:
--Point guard Raymond Felton
--Shooting guard Wesley Matthews
--Small forward Gerald Wallace
--Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge
--Center Marcus Camby
Bench:
--Forward Nicolas Batum
--Guard Jamal Crawford
--Center Kurt Thomas
| FOXSports.com News for Trail Blazers |
| NOTES, QUOTES | Sat, Feb 4 08:12 PM |
--Forward Nicolas Batum woke up Saturday morning unsure if he would be able to play that night in the Trail Blazers' game against Denver at the Rose Garden. Batum, who had missed the previous two games with a sore left knee, gave it a test during the team's shoot-around.
"I talked with coach (McMillan)," Batum said. "I was running pretty good, so I said, 'OK, let's try it.' I think it was a good choice."
--In part because the Nuggets were playing their third game in as many nights, McMillan ordered his troops to run at every opportunity.
"We wanted to run from the get-go," forward Gerald Wallace said. "Even though they're an up-tempo team, three games in three nights is tough on anybody -- I don't care what style you play.
"We knew they'd come out with energy and try to run and keep themselves in it, but we knew they'd wear down. It caught up with them in the second half."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's very simple. Batum. Batum and Aldridge ... the 3-ball, and our energy in rotating and finding the open man on the defensive situations." -- Denver coach George Karl, on the keys to Portland's victory Saturday night.
| FOXSports.com News for Trail Blazers |
| GETTING INSIDE | Sat, Feb 4 08:12 PM |
One of the Trail Blazers' problems this season -- especially away from home -- has been their outside shooting.
Going into Saturday's Rose Garden date with Denver, Portland was shooting .441 from the field and only .310 from 3-point range -- the latter figure 23rd among NBA teams.
That wasn't the case Saturday as the Blazers were stellar from both the field (.535) and 3-point territory (.455, on a season-high 15-for-33) in a 117-97 victory.
Nicolas Batum bombed in a franchise-record nine 3-pointers and scored a career-high 33 points and LaMarcus Aldridge worked the inside for 29 points as Portland set a season-high for scoring.
"When (Aldridge) is playing well, most teams try to start off with single-coverage," Portland coach Nate McMillan said. "That's been hard to do, and (opponents) start double-teaming.
"Tonight, Nic was the guy who knocked down some big shots. We're much better when the perimeter (shooters) are keeping the defense honest."
The Blazers will look to stay hot when they host the Thunder on Monday.
| FOXSports.com News for Trail Blazers |
|
|
|
