NBA: Portland Trail Blazers Weblog

$100 giveaway for tickets!

2009-04-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

So Coast to Coast Tickets has a Facebook page now, and they're trying to raise awareness for it, so they're giving away a $100 gift card in a random drawing of their Facebook fans on May 4th. Easily enough for two tickets to the Trailblazers!

Looking right now, there's only 81 fans total, making that a 1 in 81 shot if the drawing happened today (sure there'll be more when the drawing happens, but still those are pretty good odds)!

Their Facebook page is here:

Coast to Coast Tickets on Facebook

and they're posting bonus entry codes on their Twitter too here:

Coast to Coast Tickets on Twitter

2008-11-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

Finally, some good bailout news! Read this article about the awesome Brandon Roy and the way he brought it home on Monday!

2008-10-30T11:39:00.001-07:00

Blaze a trail to your voting booth next Tuesday, November 4th!

2008-10-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

Preseason starts tonight in Sacramento! Last time we met up, we triumphed with a final score of 110-81.

Politics Today

2008-10-16T08:42:00.001-07:00

I realize this is unrelated to anything basketball, but I do occasionally think about things other than how to buy NBA tickets. Sometimes I have truly deep thoughts like, wouldn't it suck to be running for president in this age of HDTV? I mean, YouTube is bad enough because one mistake caught on video gets spread around like wildfire.

But the closeups and high def views of the candidates...it's too much. I've seen the hair on Palin's lips and tiny moles on Obama's face. I just don't really need to see them on the inside, literally. Let's go back to radio.

Fireworks Fix

2008-07-07T18:27:00.001-07:00

I love 4th of July, but I missed out on fireworks this year. I was sick in bed. But I discovered that there are loads of them on YouTube. Maybe it's not as exciting, but it was the best I could get. Here are some for you, in case you missed out too:

Where is this strange desire coming from?

2008-02-14T08:56:00.000-08:00

After watching this video, I have this strange and inexplicable desire to buy a Ford Fusion. Either that or a pair of go-go boots...

Was Oden the right choice?

2007-07-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

No one was surprised when the Portland Trail Blazers chose Greg Oden for their first round draft pick, but after a physical revealed no less than 3 injuries that may affect his game, his poor performance in practices and his being pulled after only 2 games to have his tonsils removed, they may start kicking themselves for losing Zach Randolph. The team hasn't even reached the playoffs since the 2002-03 season, and last season they finished a lackluster 3rd place in the Northwest Division. I bet they're wondering if they should have picked Durant....

Roy named Rookie of the Year

2007-05-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

You only get one chance to be rookie of the year, and Brandon Roy got his wish fulfilled this year. He averaged 16.8 points, 4 assists, and 35.4 minutes per game. Way to go Brandon, we're proud of you!

2007-01-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

Portland Trail Blazers lost 109-93 to the Denver Nuggets. Although it was only his 2nd game with the Nuggets, Steve Blake proves himself to be a player to watch.

Nothing can stop us!!!

2006-12-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

There are few things better than returning home after an extended road trip, but one of them has to be returning home with a 3 game winning streak. It wasn't always pretty; Portland squandered a 21 point lead to the Grizzlies and a 16 point lead to the 76ers, but the Trail Blazers found a way to win in both games.

The Portland Trail Blazers are already as good a road team this season as they were in all of 2005-06.

Zach Randolph scored 21 points to lead the Trail Blazers to an 85-79 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, their sixth road win of the season, matching their total away from the Rose Garden last season.

Randolph grabbed 11 rebounds for Portland, which ended a six-game road trip - its longest of the season - with three straight wins.

Our next game is today against the Clippers... with the Clippers having Sam Cassell and Corey Maggette possibly out of commission this game, this should be a breeze for Portland

Lost in the 4th

2006-12-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Michael Redd scored 33 points on 11-of-20 shooting and also pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 102-94 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
After resting during the 2nd quarter of the game, Redd came back to score 19 points in the 4th quarter. The Trail Blazers apparently felt that they had the win in the bag and eased up on the Bucks during the 4^th quarter.
Aren’t these guys supposed to be pros? Don’t they know that you haven’t won until the last buzzer sounds?

Blazers Trying to Find a Way

2006-12-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

The Portland Trail Blazers try to get things back on track last night while they host the Atlanta Hawks at the Rose Garden. This will be a battle of two teams trying to get something going. Portland has lost 9 of their last 11 games while the Hawks have lost 7 of their last 9. The Trail Blazers are going to need this win because they are having to go to Detroit on Tuesday to play the Pistons.

Portland Trailblazers’ Super Rookie

2006-10-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

The word is out that Brandon Roy is not just in line for Rookie of the Year. He’s at the front of the line. Nice prediction, but don’t let it distract you, Brandon.

I hope we get to see some powerful minutes from you as we take on the Kings tonight.

Another Nice Gesture By Portland

2006-10-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Before the real NBA season has even gotten rolling, there are Portland players blazing a trail of goodwill around town. Last Thursday night, for example, rookie Brandon Roy put in an appearance and addressed the crowd at halftime at a high school football game between Grant and Roosevelt.

Then today was the Wells Fargo Fan Fest, where you could get in for free, watch a scrimmage game and collect autographs. Portland is such a nice city--I'm glad we seem to have an NBA team to match.

BTW, somebody is doing a fine job on the Trailblazers' website. Check out their team page: http://www.nba.com/blazers/team/

Trailblazers Rededicate Themselves To Their Fans

2006-10-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

The Trailblazers 25 Point Pledge is just that. Their pledge to the fans. Committed to providing you with enhanced programs, service and a special inclusion in the franchise that conveys how greatly we value your support. We have a vision for the future of this franchise and you are a vital piece of that future. Just a little Fan Appreciation from your Trailblazers!

new recruits

2006-10-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

23-year-old Aaron Miles, a Portland native, was invited to the Blazers’ training camp, which opens Wednesday. He spent his college years at Kansas, where he is the school’s all-time leader in assists. Miles appeared in 19 games last season with Golden State.

The Blazers have also invited former Portland State phenom Ime Udoka, who played last season with the Knicks in addition to playing for Nigeria in this year’s FIBA World Championships.

Losing respect for the NBA’s unbiased system of play regulation.

2006-06-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Mavericks did not win in the NBA Finals. I am not upset because they really aren’t my team but I don’t think they got a fair shake from the NBA officials. It was tough to watch such a talented team fall victim to such an inexplicable paradox. I can’t say if the officials were making errors but it sure looked that way to me and many others.

Either way the Miami Heat played well and deserved the Championship just as much as the Dallas Mavericks. I just would have liked to see a battle between the two teams and not the Mavs versus the NBA officials. It is always a shame when they let foul calling rise to the top of the priority list and become the deciding factor in a game between well matched opponents. That’s not real basketball. And it is certainly not Finals basketball. The Heat were allowed to bloody other players and physically dominate the court with little accountability. The Mavericks were not afforded the same breathing room or respect.

Dallas Mavericks fans in unlikely places.

2006-05-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

I have been cheering for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Playoffs. I just can’t resist watching all their games. I love to watch Dirk Nowitzki who has been an integral part of all the Mavericks wins in the two rounds. The Mavs got plenty of rest after shutting out the Memphis Grizzlies and it has shown in their athleticism and energy thus far in the second round against the San Antonio Spurs. Josh Howard, Devin Harris and DJ Mbenga are a joy to watch as well. They are all managing to score and come off the bench to contribute for as long as they can before having to sit back down. It shows true team spirit that none of them try to showboat or ball hog like some players who will remain nameless.

A fitting end to an abysmal season.

2006-04-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

The Portland Trailblazers lost by ten points to the playoff bound Phoenix Suns 106-96 to end the season 21 and 61. This season was not very satisfying and I am curious to see what changes are made to help this team get back on top for the 2006-2007 season.

Man I am hurtin’ for some excitement

2006-04-02T21:13:00.000-07:00

Somehow the Portland Trailblazers have not been able to break out of their slump. It is painful to watch and I am ready to just call it quits for the season. Fortunately baseball is firing up and my Seattle Mariners are looking pretty good right now compared to the sore stomach I get from watching the Trailblazers lately.

Let’s make some changes.

2006-03-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

The Portland Trailblazers had a chance to win against the Dallas Mavericks this week but just had no answer for Dirk Nowitzki who dominated the boards with 33 points. Zach Randolph made a good showing with 29 points but it was not enough as the Mavericks surged ahead for the win. I think Zach Randolph is the best player on this team. I say we keep him and fire everyone else.

Trailblazers Fans Celebrates Seattle Football

2006-02-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

Wednesday’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs took the Portland Trailblazers down to 16-28. I find it comforting to focus on nearby Seattle’s good fortune. The Seattle Seahawks will be performing in the Super Bowl in two days and excitement is high. Go Seahawks!

A Debate

2005-06-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

A new debate has aroused my thoughts, a debate that will probably continue for ages to come. The question being; who is better Shaquille O’Neal or Wilt Chamberlin? Now before anyone decides to answer this question, one should take time to think about it. To think about all the factors that comes into play.

For one I am not a big fan of Shaq but the man is very good at what he does and will some day join Wilt in the Basketball Hall of Fame. But consider it was two different eras and two different styles. It is almost like comparing Joe Montana to Brett Favre, both great players but two different eras. So what do you all think?

Beating the Odds

2005-05-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

I guess this year was the year to beat the odds. First the Miluakee Bucks beat out the Atlanta Hawks for the number one draft pick in the draft lottery. That is despite the Hawks having a 25% chance of getting the number pick, which happened to be the best chance for any team.

Then there is your Trail Blazers who beat the odds themselves by receiving the number 3 pick overall and the 35th pick as well. So stay tuned, you loyal T’blazer fans, to see who the Trail Blazers pick when draft day comes around on the 28th of June.

Several Questions

2005-05-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

Just wondering how many you Trailblazer fans out there are really Trailblazer fans? How many of your fans jumped off the band wagon because of the Trailblazer had a bad season, and for those of you loyal enough to follow this team all season, when did you become T’blazer fans? How did you become T’blazer fans? And why did you become a T’blazer fan?

Extended

2005-05-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

Good news in Portland, the team has decided to use there option to give General Manager John Nash an extension on his contract. John Nash will continue to be the sixth GM in T'Blazers franchise history. Nash's job oversees the all the day-to-day basketball operations and most importantly he is responsible for all player personnel decisions, so that means trades, draft picks, and free agents.

"We are very pleased to announce that John Nash will continue to be the General Manager of the Trail Blazers organization. In his role, John is the chief architect of our club. We recognize that this is a very important off-season for our franchise and John gives us the continuity that will help us achieve the vision for our basketball team." - team President Steve Patterson

O yeah!

2005-05-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

The 2005-2006 BlazerDancer tryouts are here!

Tryouts will be held June 11 and June 12 and the finals will be June 18. Dancer audition prelims will take place at Camas High School, in the gymnasium. The finals will also take place at Camas High School, in the auditorium.

A BlazerDancer audition clinic will also be available for those who would like to attend and costs $15. The clinic will take place on June 4, also at Camas High School, in the dance room.

Come on ladies we need the best dancers and prettiest girls out there representing the city of Portland.

Sebastian Telfair’s Movie Debut

2005-05-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

from the official site of the Portland Trail Blazers

On Thursday, April 21, Sebastian Telfair made his film debut in the movie, Through the Fire. The movie was directed by Jonathon Hock and premiered at Robert DeNiro's Tribeca Film Festival in New York. "It was such a wonderful experience. And to have my name mentioned with Robert DeNiro and this film festival is overwhelming!" said Telfair.

Through the Fire focuses on Telfair's senior year of high school and the pressures he endured in deciding to go to college or try to play professional basketball. On the Tribeca Film Festival website, Through the Fire is summarized as:

At the start of his senior year at Lincoln High School, basketball phenomenon (and cousin to Knicks star Stephon Marbury) Sebastian Telfair calls a press conference to announce his decision to attend college at the end of the year. He does this as his friend, fellow teen phenom LeBron James, is making history with a $90 million dollar sneaker deal. But after two young men are gunned down outside Telfair's apartment in a public housing project, Sebastian can't suppress his urge to provide a better life for his family as soon as he can, and he decides to forgo college and go straight to the pros.

Five years earlier, his older brother, Jamel, a Providence College basketball star who also hoped of being drafted saw that dream deferred when no NBA team picked him. The aftermath left their mother Erica heartbroken and forced a devastated Jamel to play overseas in obscurity. Now it is up to Sebastian to set things right for their mother, for Jamel, and for his eight other brothers and sisters. And everyone – from the media to the NBA scouts to his basketball coach – all try claim a piece of him for themselves.

With Sebastian’s story as focal point, Through The Fire provides a provocative and intimate look at the American phenomenon that ushers poor children past the traditional means of upward mobility for the win-it-all/lose-it-all gamble of professional sports, a culture that can often push these young men to greatness, or drive them to ruin.

Changing Losing Ways

2005-04-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure in Portland right now that fans are happy for once, but that probably won’t last long since the playoffs are far out of the picture for the Portland Trail Blazers who don’t have any excuses.

The Trail Blazer’s traveled over to New Orleans to take on the Hornets and beat them in the final score of 90-81.

"Losing beats you down," Abdur-Rahim said. "It feels good to win. It's good for everybody."

I believe Abdur-Rahim was talking about the Blazers loosing 10 in the row on the road and 15 out of 20, leaving only five wins for the past couple of weeks. In there outing Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 25 points and 10 rebounds and Damon Stoudamire had 19 points, Ruben Patterson added 16 buckets of his own and Travis Outlaw scored 13.

A Dismal Season

2005-04-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

The season has not gone at all in Portland’s favor at all. The Trail Blazers lost 103-97 to the Nuggets Saturday night making 19 out of the last 22 games that Portland lost. That also means the interim coach Kevin Pritchard has just won two games since he became the head coach.

Damon Stoudamire led his team with 27 points, Shareef Abdur-Rahim added 20 points of his own, and Sebastian Telfair had 16 points and added a season high 10 assists for him self.

Maybe it the Blazers didn’t turn the ball over as much they would some games… or is that just me?

Lakers 86, Trail Blazers 83

2005-02-24T17:41:00.000-08:00

Anne M. Peterson / Associated Press

A modest three-game winning streak as the season edges closer to the playoffs isn't enough to excite the Los Angeles Lakers, and certainly not Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers put together three wins for the first time this season with an 86-83 victory over the struggling Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

"Even though we won, we still feel like we can play much better," said Bryant, who had 31 points. "I don't think anybody's going to be jumping for joy."

Teammate Lamar Odom also suggested more is needed to be accomplished before any congratulations were passed around.

"Hopefully, we can get four or five straight," he said.

Portland made it close. Shareef Abdur-Rahim's game-tying 3-point attempt bounced off the rim at the final buzzer.

Damon Stoudamire scored 21 of his 25 points in a second half rally for the Blazers, who have won just one of their last six games.

"Close games like that always disappoint me. In this situation you can't even feel good about the fight, because we're so desperate for wins," Abdur-Rahim said.

Portland coach Maurice Cheeks was much more dire.

"It is a dagger," Cheeks said. "It is not the end, but it is a dagger."

After trailing by as many as 13 points, the Blazers briefly took a seven-point lead in the third quarter. The rival Lakers quickly regained control, and the Blazers grew clearly frustrated when they fell behind 76-69 in the fourth. Stoudamire kicked the scorer's table when Portland called timeout.

Then Stoudamire singlehandedly took over, scoring the next eight points to narrow the gap to 78-76. But Portland wouldn't get that close again until Stoudamire made a 3-pointer with 21.1 seconds left in the game, closing it to 84-83.

Bryant hit a pair of free throws before Abdur-Rahim's unsuccessful attempt to tie it as time ran out.

"It's a significant win for us, period," Lakers coach Frank Hamblen said. "We're in a race for a playoff spot."

The Lakers, in eighth place in the Western Conference, were coming off a 104-95 victory over Boston the night before. Bryant and Odom each scored 21 points.

Forward Zach Randolph, who missed Portland's last two games before the break with lingering soreness in his right knee, started for the first time since mid-January when he first had trouble.

Randolph, the league's Most Improved Player last season who seemed frustrated at times with his reserve role, had 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Lakers went on a 15-2 run to take a 29-18 lead early in the second quarter and led by as many as 13 points in the first half. But the Blazers closed to 43-39 at the break with an 11-2 rally.

Nick Van Exel's 20-foot jumper tied it at 45, and the Blazers went on to take a 58-51 lead on Stoudamire's 3-pointer. It was short-lived, however, and the Lakers scored eight unanswered points to go up 59-58.

Los Angeles extended the lead to 68-61, capped by Tierre Brown's 3-pointer and layup.

The Blazers activated Abdur-Rahim from the injured list before the game. He missed 22 games with an injured right elbow that required surgery Jan. 12.

The move comes amid trade speculation involving Abdur-Rahim. He had 16 points against the Lakers. his second career start in his place. ... Portland center Theo Ratliff dressed but pulled himself out of the starting lineup because of shoulder pain. ... The Blazers cleared the way for Abdur-Rahim's return by placing guard Derek Anderson on the injured list with back spasms. ... Portland rookie Sebastian Telfair limped off the court midway through the second quarter with a mild left ankle sprain, according to the team.

Ugh!

2005-02-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

The Trail Blazer just seem to keep and to my surprise, but not the why that I want them too. It hurts to see a team contribute to another teams’ 9th win of the season, especially when that other team is the Hornets.

The Blazer dropped last night contest 80-91 to the New Orleans Hornets. The icing on the cake, or to rub the salt on an open wound, either is a way to look at it; but the Blazers where kind enough to give the Hornets a previous win on December 27 losing that contest 106-112.

That means two out of the nine wins that the Hornets have are from our Blazers. I don’t know what else to say.... ugh!

Blazing over the Clippers.

2005-01-31T16:25:00.000-08:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

Portland Trail Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks was hurt and frustrated after his confrontation with Darius Miles.

His team wanted to win the game for him.

The Blazers did, shrugging off the drama behind Miles' suspension to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 90-86 on Friday night.

Miles was suspended by the team for two games Friday after an argument with Cheeks earlier the day before. Team officials would not comment on the nature of the confrontation, except to say that there was one.

According to The Oregonian newspaper, Miles repeatedly called Cheeks a racial epithet and shouted that he didn't care if the Blazers lost 20 games in a row.

Many of the Blazers said they felt they needed to rally around Cheeks, who was outwardly shaken up by the incident.

``Coach is a great guy and he hates when it comes to something like this with the players, because he's all for the players,'' said Theo Ratliff.

Damon Stoudamire had 18 of his 22 points in the second half for the Blazers, who trailed much of the game, and were down by 12 in the third quarter.

``They had to dig down and find something inside them to win that game,'' said Cheeks, who also admitted, ``I wanted that one more than normal.''

Elton Brand had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who have lost six straight and nine of 10 on the road. The Clippers haven't won in Portland since 1999.

``Disappointing loss for us,'' Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. ``I thought we did a lot of good things, but we missed a ton of open shots.''

The Blazers, who had lost 13 of their last 16, got great defensive performances from big men Joel Przybilla and Ratliff. Przybilla had 10 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks, and Ratliff had seven blocks.

The Blazers made just eight of their first 29 shots, and trailed 48-40 at halftime.

The game turned when Stoudamire, 2-of-9 shooting in the first half, got hot in the third quarter, finding his jumper and scoring nine points.

The Blazers fought back to 66-63 and then Stoudamire hit a 21-footer early in the fourth and Portland took a 70-69 lead.

Two Ruben Patterson layups made it 85-77, before Stoudamire hit four free throws in the final 13 seconds to put the game away.

Miles, who signed a six-year, $48 million contract with the Blazers in the offseason, will also sit out Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center.

In a statement released by the Blazers, Miles said: ``I would like to apologize to all of our Trail Blazer fans for not being a part of the team these next two games. Things were said in frustration and I am sorry for that.''

He did not apologize to Cheeks in the statement. General manager John Nash would not comment on that, but said, ``Darius will be welcomed back to the team at the conclusion of the suspension.''

Bobby Simmons scored 16 points for the Clippers despite 3-of-14 shooting in the second half. Rookie Quinton Ross had 10.

Lets hope Cheeks isn't too shaken up about the matter between him and Miles. We will need to have our team in good spirits if we are going to beat the Lakers tommorow night. Lets hope Miles and Cheeks can settle their differences in time for the Nuggets game, so we can put our focus back on winning. GO TRAIL BLAZERS!

Big win over San Antonio!

2005-01-26T16:28:00.000-08:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

The Portland Trail Blazers stopped a frustrating losing streak with a surprising win.

Damon Stoudamire had 23 points and nine assists, and Joel Przybilla added 17 points and 16 rebounds to lead Portland over the NBA-leading San Antonio Spurs 107-99 Monday night.

Beset by injuries, the Trail Blazers snapped a six-game skid and won for only the third time in 17 games. They shot 56 percent and kept the Spurs at bay when San Antonio tried to rally in the second half.

``It was a gutsy game,'' Portland coach Maurice Cheeks said.

Tim Duncan had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who were coming off a 103-73 win over Sacramento on Sunday night.

Tony Parker added 20 points and seven assists.

``(The Blazers) came in here and played and played and played, got a lead and confidence and kept making shots,'' Duncan said. ``That was the situation we put ourselves in and we couldn't get out of the hole.''

Ruben Patterson, who finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Darius Miles, who had 21 points off the bench, made key plays for the Blazers in the fourth quarter.

Stoudamire hit a falling-away 3-pointer with 21 seconds left to give Portland a six-point lead.

``Sometimes you have to step up to the challenge when you are playing the best,'' Stoudamire said. ``San Antonio is a great team; they beat a good Sacramento team by 30 last night. We were just hoping to catch them on a back-to-back.''

Devin Brown had 20 points off the bench for the Spurs (34-10), who had won four straight.

The Blazers won despite playing without leading scorer and rebounder Zach Randolph (bruised knee) and forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim (elbow surgery). In addition, guard Derek Anderson, who lost his starting job earlier this month, sat out with a tooth problem and forward James Thomas didn't play because of a bruised rib cage.

Portland's losing streak was its longest since 2001-02, Cheeks' first season as coach.

``We've been struggling, but the one constant is that we have been playing hard,'' Przybilla said. ``It paid off with a big win tonight.''

Manu Ginobili made a 3-pointer with 2:54 left to pull the Spurs to 95-91, but Miles, who scored 14 in the fourth quarter, hit a jumper and then caught an alley-oop from Stoudamire for a dunk.

The Spurs didn't go away. Parker's driving layup cut the lead to four again, but Stoudamire's 3 sealed it.

Portland maintained a lead throughout much of the third quarter despite the ejection of guard Nick Van Exel at 7:32.

Ginobili made both technical foul shots and Portland lost the lead. But the Blazers, who had 26 assists and only 11 turnovers, went on a 5-0 run.

The Blazers led by seven early in the fourth, but San Antonio went on a 7-2 run that Parker capped with two free throws to get the Spurs to 84-82.

The Spurs, who beat Portland by 34 points on Dec. 30, came out confused and flat early. Duncan hit only three of his first nine shots.

Portland made 13 of its first 16 shots and scored 20 points in the paint in the first quarter to take a 30-20 lead.

The Spurs quickly got back in the game, going on a 14-2 run to open the second quarter and take the lead. Ginobili beat the halftime buzzer with a 3 to give San Antonio a 47-46 lead.

This game will help us get our foot stuck out of the hole. A win over a team of this calibur is just what we needed to get our confidence back. We had gone 1-10 in the last 11 games and we broke a six loss loosing streak. It may be a small thing as far as its impact, but I think it will help us get back on our feet. GO Trail Blazers!

Cavaliers 107, Trail Blazers 101

2005-01-20T10:40:00.000-08:00

from foxsports.com

Portland was finally home after a grueling six-game, 10-day road trip, during which the Blazers managed just one win. But even the comforts of home couldn't boost their depleted lineup.

Forward Zach Randolph missed his fourth game with a sore right knee. Already short Darius Miles (left knee contusion) and Shareef Abdur-Rahim (right elbow surgery), the Blazers started Ruben Patterson and Theo Ratliff at forward.

Ratliff, usually a center, made his first-ever start at forward Tuesday night in the Blazers' 113-107 overtime loss in Sacramento. Although fighting a stomach virus, he started Wednesday's game but left a short time later after getting two quick fouls and did not return.

The Blazers led 32-26 midway through the first half, but the Cavaliers took off on a 23-6 run to go up 51-38 on Sasha Pavlovic's layup. Cleveland led 55-49 at the half.

There was a brief skirmish early in the second half when Cleveland's Ira Newble appeared to shove Przybilla down and the two faced off. The officials quickly stepped in, and technical fouls were called against both players.

Otherwise, it was all James.

Downward Spiral

2005-01-10T14:36:00.000-08:00

It is looking pretty grim as Trail Blazers are coming off their fourth straight loss; in midst of losing six of their last seven they have played. Besides their one win against the Golden State Warriors, in this 7 game stretch.

But that last when was on the new years mark. Another odd stat is that also besides that one January 1st win, all off the Blazers opponents have scored a 100+ points time for the Blazers to play some defense.

Stoudemire too Much

2005-01-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

Not much you can do on days where an individual from the opposing team scores 50 points by himself. Which allocate for about half of the points for the Suns in their win over the Portland Trailblazers 117-98.

It seemed like there wasn't anything the Blazers could do to stop him. That is not including the 7 foul shots he missed...

Blazer's fall in Chicago

2004-12-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

from the official site of the Portland Trail Blazers

A 26-point, 12-rebound effort from Zach Randolph wasn't enough to hold back the Bulls as the visiting Trail Blazers lost to Chicago 92-87 Monday. The Blazers overcame a 13-point second-quarter deficit to climb within one late, but the rally came up short in the closing minutes. Damon Stoudamire contributed 22 points and Darius Miles chipped in 13 points and 13 boards. Portland will look to bounce back Wednesday when it faces the Milwaukee Bucks.

Blazers - Bucks Preview

2004-12-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

by the Associated Press from Foxports.com

STANDINGS: Trail Blazers - 4th place, 6{ GB, Northwest Division. Bucks - 5th place, 7 GB, Central Division.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Trail Blazers - F Miles, F Randolph, C Theo Ratliff, G Anderson or Stoudamire, G Nick Van Exel. Bucks - F Desmond Mason, F Joe Smith, C Dan Gadzuric, G Redd, G Maurice Williams.

TEAM LEADERS: Trail Blazers - Randolph, 20.6 ppg and 10.8 rpg; Stoudamire, 5.7 apg. Bucks - Redd, 22.3 ppg; Van Horn, 8.2 rpg; Williams, 6.7 apg.

SEASON SERIES: Trail Blazers, 1-0.

LAST MEETING: Nov. 19; Trail Blazers, 110-98. At Portland, Ore., Randolph had 22 points and 18 rebounds to back Stoudamire's solid performance for the Blazers.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Trail Blazers - 5-9 on the road; Bucks - 5-6 at home.

INJURIES: Trail Blazers - G Richie Frahm (foot); F Viktor Khryapa (foot); C Vladimir Stepania (knee). Bucks - F Van Horn (ankle); G Erick Strickland (knee); C Daniel Santiago (eye); F Toni Kukoc (hip); G T.J. Ford (neck).

Blazer's get Spanked

2004-12-07T15:57:00.000-08:00

from ESPN.com

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Quentin Richardson used some long-range shooting to end the Phoenix Suns' short losing spell.

Richardson had his own 12-point run, on four 3-pointers, and scored 37 points to lift the Suns to a 121-99 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.

He made eight 3s overall to help Phoenix (14-3) forget about its 97-93 loss Friday to Minnesota that snapped a nine-game winning streak.

"I definitely felt like I couldn't miss," Richardson said. "The way those shots came down I didn't think I was going to miss."

Richardson matched his career high for made 3-pointers, set against Boston last February, and equaled his career best with 12 attempts, reached twice before.

Shawn Marion had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who led by as many as 25 points.

"For us to regroup and get a good win over a good team, it says a lot about us, especially on the road," Marion said. "Sometimes it takes a little bit more off of you on the road."

The Blazers, coming off a 99-89 loss in Seattle on Saturday night, were led by Zach Randolph with 24 points and 11 rebounds. It was his ninth double-double of the season.

After the game, coach Maurice Cheeks huddled with his players. Later he suggested some lineup changes might be in store for the Blazers, who host Boston on Thursday.

"I'm not saying I'm going to do it but I'll be thinking about it," he said.

Forward Ruben Patterson, who plays in a reserve role, agreed that changes are needed for the 8-8 Blazers.

"Whatever happens, happens," Patterson said. "But something has to happen because we're not winning."

The teams went back and forth for most of the first half, until Richardson hit four straight 3-pointers to make it 55-47 for the Suns.

His first, with an assist from Steve Nash, gave Phoenix a 46-45 lead. After another with Nash's help, Portland's Damon Stoudamire answered with a jumper, but then Richardson hit his third, with an assist from Amare Stoudemire. His last in the streak came with help from Marion.

His next try, with 2:36 left in the half, just missed, but he made another with 1:26 to give Phoenix a 60-47 lead.

He was 6-for-9 from 3-point range in the first half, topping his season high of five accomplished at Cleveland on Nov. 10.

"Once he gets on a roll like that, he's very tough to stop," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said.

Richardson was also 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, and the Suns made 20 of their 25 foul shots.

Stoudemire, who had 19 points, rubbed it in with an alley-oop dunk followed by another dunk that made it 89-66 for Phoenix in the third period.

Nash added 10 points and 11 assists for the Suns.

"I thought we would be a good team but I think it's important for us to realize that we're a long ways from being as good as we can be," Nash said.

Shereef Abdur-Rahim had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Blazers.

Trail Blazers Sign Geno Carlisle

2004-11-29T13:43:00.000-08:00

from NBA.com

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent guard Geno Carlisle. The 6-foot-3, 200- pound Carlisle will take the roster spot vacated when guard Richie Frahm was placed on the Injured List on November 10th. Carlisle, 28 years old, saw limited action in four preseason games with the Trail Blazers this year, averaging 1.5ppg.

Blazers Fight Off Raptors

2004-11-14T16:45:00.000-08:00

from NBA.com

A year ago at the Rose Garden, Lamond Murray missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the buzzer. This time, he made it - a fraction of a second too late.

Murray's 3-pointer was determined by replay to be too late as the Toronto Raptors wasted a comeback from a 20-point second-half deficit in a 105-102 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Toronto trailed, 103-100, after former Raptor Damon Stoudamire made two free throws with 12 seconds left. Murray had his first 3-pointer blocked by Zach Randolph but corraled the rebound, stepped behind the arc and fired as the horn sounded.

The shot splashed through, and players and coaches came off Toronto's bench claiming the shot should count. But a replay review showed the ball was still in Murray's hands when the buzzer went off.

In last season's meeting here on November 11, Murray back-rimmed a 3-pointer that would have sent the game into overtime, allowing Portland to escape with an 83-80 win.

Stoudamire, who scored a season-high 20 points, saved the Trail Blazers with six points in the last 1:43, including four free throws that preserved the victory.

With Toronto trailing, 90-75, Jalen Rose spearheaded a comeback by scoring 13 of his 21 points as part of a 25-8 burst. Two 3-pointers by Rafer Alston, who scored 27 points, gave the Raptors a 100-98 lead.

Chris Bosh scored eight points during the surge and finished 17 and eight rebounds.

The Raptors rallied without All-Star Vince Carter, who scored just four points on 2-of-9 shooting and sat for the entire fourth quarter.

Derek Anderson scored 16 points in the third quarter and Zach Randolph added 11 in the period as Portland scored 35 points and built an 83-65 lead. Randolph had 27 points and 16 rebounds and Anderson scored 19 points.

Authorities Seeking Evidence of Dog Fighting

2004-10-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

From Espn.com, by the Associated Press

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. -- Authorities again searched the home of Trail Blazers forward Qyntel Woods on Friday, seeking additional evidence of dog fighting.

Officials from the Oregon Humane Society, with assistance from the Clackamas County sheriff's office, carried out the search.

Woods' home was first searched on Monday, following allegations that Woods abandoned his pit bull _ reportedly because it would not fight for him.

"Investigators have probable cause to believe there is additional evidence of animal fighting within the residence that needs to be seized," the sheriff's office said Friday.

No criminal charges have been filed. Woods was suspended without pay by the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, pending a team investigation into the matter.

"The Trail Blazers organization continues our own investigation and we are cooperating fully with authorities in this serious matter," team president Steve Patterson said in a statement Friday. "Qyntel remains suspended from the team because of the allegations made against him involving his participation in dog fighting and the five other incidents involving Qyntel and the police since February 2003. If further steps are needed, we will not hesitate to take them."

Woods and his agent, Raymond Brothers, have denied wrongdoing.

Dog fighting is a felony in Oregon. Promoting or conducting dog fighting is punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and up to five years in jail.

Hello Portland

2004-09-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

Testing. Testing. 1 2 3. Check Check two two.