Fernandez and Batum are on fire for streaking Blazers

• By Nick Poust
• March 15th, 2010

When Portland Trail Blazers guard Rudy Fernandez corralled a pass from Brandon Roy against the Toronto Raptors, set his feet behind the three-point line, and began his shooting motion, a fan in the third row raised him arm in triumph.

That's how much confidence he had in Fernandez, and he would soon be right: El Mago drained one of his three three-pointers from the left wing, helping Portland defeat Toronto. This three, as the fan's premonition exemplified, has been a recurring theme for Fernandez.

He started the season slowly and found himself in controversy by expressing his feelings on a possible return to Spain, but he has been unconscious from deep ever since news broke of his reported unhappiness, giving the Blazers a consistent deadly long-range threat. He finished the month of...

Roy early, Aldridge late drives Blazers to easy win over Kings

• By Nick Poust
• March 13th, 2010

With the Portland Trail Blazers diagramming a play with six seconds remaining in the second quarter, announcer Mike Rice played head coach Nate McMillan and not only felt guard Jerryd Bayless would go "end to end tuck it under his arm and go," he thought it would be the one play to go through McMillan's head.

His prediction was wrong, but the end result was the same.

Andre Miller, another guard who excels in transition, was the backbone of the final possession.

He sprinted downcourt, pulled up 15-feet away and drained a jumper over a pair of Sacramento Kings, forcing a chuckle out of Rice.

It was that kind of half for Portland.

And it would be that kind of game. Miller tallied 13 points in the half, emphatically helped...

Roy’s supporting cast fuels Blazers comeback win over Warriors

• By Nick Poust
• March 12th, 2010

When the Portland Trail Blazers fell behind by 16 points late in the third period against the lowly Golden State Warriors, I prematurely conjured up a title for tonight's recap that read Brandon Roy and nothing else: Warriors too much for Blazers.

It was the truth at the time.

Roy had 38 of their 80 points, and the rest of the team was shooting just 32 percent.

He couldn't do it alone.

And, if Portland was going to comeback, it appeared he would have to. LaMarcus Aldridge was missing in action, having missed all seven of his field goal attempts.

Some minor contributions had been made, but overall Roy was it.

Then, with my hands poised over the keys ready to write a article blasting Portland, the rest of the team...

Aldridge and Webster lead Blazers to thrilling comeback win over Spurs

• By Nick Poust
• February 5th, 2010

The Portland Trail Blazers, struggling to find ways to score against the San Antonio Spurs, tallied just two points over the first three and a half minutes of the fourth quarter to fall behind by nine.

Then, beginning with a driving layup and free throw by rookie Dante Cunningham, the tide turned and the Blazers found a groove. The two teams traded scores twice, culminating with a dazzling hook shot by Juwan Howard to pull Portland to within six, 83-77, near the period's halfway mark.

Shots that were falling for the Spurs in the first three quarters clanged as the Blazers continued to take momentum away from their veteran opponent.

Aldridge lost the ball attempting to set up shop down low, but it was fortuitously tipped out to Andre Miller, who...

All-around effort gives hot-shooting Blazers a big win over Suns

• By Nick Poust
• February 11th, 2010

Running in transition, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Steve Blake sprinted downcourt, noticed high-flying Dante Cunningham was trailing the play, and fed the rookie.

Cunningham can fly high, but hadn't done so yet in a game until now.

He dribbled through the middle, took off six feet from the basket, maneuvered through Amar'e Stoudemire and other helpless Phoenix Suns, and slammed.

It was a Youtube-worthy moment, aggressiveness and effortlessness that summed up Portland's unconscious shooting night. It was a tale of two nights for the Blazers.

Nothing went right last night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Shots weren't falling.

Their halfcourt offense was unbearable.

And the opponent's defense was stifling.

Tonight, facing a Suns team that doesn't like to play defense and loves to play at a break-neck pace, the Blazers...

All-around effort boosts Blazers past Pacers

• By Nick Poust
• March 4th, 2010

If the Portland Trail Blazers want to punch their ticket to the playoffs, they have to beat the teams they are supposed to beat.

The Indiana Pacers, 20 games under .500, qualify as one of those teams.

And Portland did what they are demanded to do, putting the pedal to the metal to disposed of their opponent rather easily.

Rarely-used rookie point guard Patrick Mills was able to play the final five and a half minutes of the fourth quarter because of the stellar all-around play that gave Portland a very comfortable lead even they couldn't find a way to lose. The Blazers fell behind by eight in the first quarter, but quickly turned that deficit into a lead they would not relinquish.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the way in the first...

Diener happy to be a Blazer; Bayless’ interview with Smith; Move disrespects Mills

• By Nick Poust
• March 7th, 2010

Will Conroy, who was lighting up the Developmental League, was due for a call-up.

The Portland Trail Blazers, targeting a guard to fill their final roster spot, could have chosen him or the many other enticing stars of the NBDL.

But instead, they chose Travis Diener, who was waived by the Indiana Pacers earlier this week. Diener has played in six games this season, totaling 25 minutes.

He had surgery on his left big toe in November and proclaimed himself "100 percent" healthy in January, but he hasn't played since that proclamation.

So, he sat on the bench as the fourth point guard behind T.J.

Ford, Earl Watson, and rookie A.J.

Price. Diener, a 28-year old 6'1" guard who played four years at Marquette University, hasn't had much of an NBA career,...

From bad to worse: Przybilla falls in shower, reinjures knee

• By Nick Poust
• March 7th, 2010

A season full of injuries just got a lot worse for the Portland Trail Blazers.

According to The Oregonian's Jason Quick, Portland Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla fell in the shower this Saturday and re-injured his surgically-repaired right knee.

Against the Dallas Mavericks earlier this season, he dislocated his kneecap and tore a tendon coming down for a rebound.

His timetable then was six to eight months before he could return.

Now, his 2010-2011 season is in doubt. Przybilla, 30, had been one of the Blazers most valuable players prior to sustaining the gruesome injury against the Mavericks on December 22nd.

A solid defender and rebounder, the 10-year veteran was averaging four points, eight rebounds, and nearly two blocks per game this season.

His statistics don't begin to describe the impact...

Miller’s dunk, Bayless’s spark not enough as Blazers fall to Nuggets

• By Nick Poust
• March 8th, 2010

With the Portland Trail Blazers trying to avenge a horribly played first half against their arch rival, the Denver Nuggets, Martell Webster snagged a loose ball after playing good defense on Chauncey Billups and fired downcourt.

Andre Miller was waiting wide-open like a receiver, and took the pass, strode to the basket, and did the unexpected.

He took off, cocked the ball behind his head, and threw down a right-handed slam with authority.

The Blazers bench rose from their seats, with Jerryd Bayless sporting a "Where did that come from?" dumbfounded look.

It was Miller's first dunk in three years.

Announcer Mike Rice, who has often said that Miller's vertical leap is two inches, could only laugh.

This stunning jam pulled the Blazers within eleven late in the third quarter,...

Camby’s offensive spark and dominate defense sends Blazers past Kings

• By Nick Poust
• March 10th, 2010

With momentum on the Sacramento Kings side early in the third quarter, Portland Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby stripped Tyreke Evans on his drive to the hoop, thwarting his chance to extend a 10-2 run.

Brandon Roy grabbed the loose ball, passed to Andre Miller, who launched a pass downcourt to LaMarcus Aldridge.

The power forward followed with a pass to Nicolas Batum, who flew in for a layup. Portland was reeling, but this picked them up.

If only for a short while.

Miller proceeded to extend the margin to seven with a up-and-under move around four Kings, and then lengthened it even more, picking Beno Udrih's pocket and streaking downcourt for a layup, to the chagrin of Dante Cunningham and Jeff Pendergraph, who were wanting to see another dunk out...

Ex-Blazers Blake and Outlaw making an impact on Clippers

• By Nick Poust
• March 10th, 2010

When Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw were introduced as Los Angeles Clippers during a press conference not 24 hours after being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers, depression, shock, and sadness filled the room. Outlaw said all the right things; so did Blake. But they were clearly disappointed about their departure. Rarely did they smile. And rarely did they break out of a dejected monotone. Enthusiasm appeared difficult to even force. Now, with new roles on their new team, the duo has reason to be happy. Starting in place of a injured Baron Davis for his first two games with Los Angeles, Blake picked up where he left off in Portland. During his final game as a Blazer, he dished 12 assists. In his first game as a Clipper he dished...

If happy and given his privacy, Andre Miller can take Blazers to the next level

• By Nick Poust
• March 10th, 2010

Steve Blake was serviceable last season, but the Portland Trail Blazers wanted more out of the point guard spot. Small forward and free agent Hedo Turkoglu was targeted, with the idea of playing him as a point guard in certain offensive sets, but after he spurned them in negotiations and signed with the Toronto Raptors, General Manager Kevin Pritchard shifted his attention to a more traditional option, Andre Miller, a 34-year old unrestricted free-agent who was coming off a stellar season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Many followers of the Blazers pegged Miller as too old, and would have rather seen the team go after a younger point guard, such as 23-year old Ramon Sessions. But Portland wasn't looking for another young player; they already had too many of those. They felt...

Games that defined the Blazers remarkable 2008-09 season

• By Nick Poust
• March 10th, 2010

The Portland Trail Blazers 2008-2009 season didn't get off to the best of starts, as center Greg Oden, who missed the previous season after undergoing micro-fracture knee surgery, went down not three minutes into their opener. The team, built around a extremely young core, didn't need this, nor the blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers that came with it. Things could only get better, and did they ever. On November 6th, the Blazers were looking to collect their second win of the season, and second against the Houston Rockets. They did in unbelievable fashion. Star guard Brandon Roy was hounded by Ron Artest, one of the best defenders in the league, throughout, reason for his abysmal stat line entering the final minute of overtime: 4-16 for 12 points. Then, after Travis...