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Portland Trailblazers
With time winding down in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers guard Jerryd Bayless made what announcer Mike Barrett called “a beautiful pass” to fellow guard Rudy Fernandez, who then one-upped his teammate in the passing department, drawing the defense before firing a bullet out to Martell Webster beyond the three-point line. Webster, set and ready to launch, calmly drained three-pointer to cap another marvelous quarter by the runnin’ and gunnin’ new look Blazers.
Portland had 11 assists in their previous game, the first game they used Andre Miller, Steve Blake, and Brandon Roy in the starting lineup. They went with the same three-guard lineup against Minnesota, along with power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and center Greg Oden, but their play was drastically different–what head coach Nate McMillan expected given the new-found philosophy. The Blazers had more assists in the first quarter than they did in four quarters against the San Antonio Spurs: 12 on 13 field goals.
Their scoring was incredibly balanced in that first quarter. Eight players contributed to the cause; Miller and Aldridge led with 7 points apiece. Their pace was a treat to watch, as they rarely ran a halfcourt offense. There was a lot of one-on-one offense in their previous game, which hurt their field goal percentage and overall offensive flow. In this game, against a similarly youthful but less talented Timberwolves team, the ball rarely touched the ground, as every Trailblazer looked for the open man.
To compliment their unselfishness, Portland was extremely aggressive. What made this aggressiveness possible was their impeccable spacing; everyone was where they were supposed to be, setting up passing and driving lanes on every possession. They made seven baskets within four feet in the opening period, overwhelming the Timberwolves undersized big men inside, and made six of seven free-throws, creating contact with drive after drive.
Their lack of hesitancy in taking outside shots was a great sign as well. They missed four of their six three-point attempts in the first, but five players combined to make 6 of 8 mid-range jumpers, a credit to their depth and wealth of talented shooters. Portland’s up-tempo style forced Minnesota to protect against the drive, which gave the bounty of Blazers guards a substantial amount of room to shoot.
Their inside-outside combination continued in the second quarter, helping them build upon a nine-point first quarter lead. After over-excitement caused two turnovers to begin the frame, the Blazers second unit flourished. Bayless, who played the final 2:27 of the first quarter and scored five points over that span, started the second. Webster drove into the lane and kicked the ball out to the second-year guard out of Arizona, who crossed up his defender and canned a 22-footer. Bayless repaid Webster on their next possession, drawing a crowd then finding his fellow explosive guard for a wide-open three-pointer. Thanks to the Bayless-Webster duo, their lead was extended to fourteen, and once the rest of the team got into the action, the lead only grew.
Minnesota missed a majority of their shots, whereas Portland rarely went consecutive possessions without scoring. The Timberwolves woes helped the Blazers orchestrate their version of the Phoenix Suns “seven seconds or less” offense. They had a 5-on-2 advantage, with a easy chance to score and mount some momentum, but guard Ramon Sessions missed his driving layup and power forward Al Jefferson missed the tip shot.
Portland’s backup center Joel Przybilla, who was solely responsible for the two misses, grabbed the rebound and fired downcourt. Fernandez snagged the pass and, with no one in front of him, slammed the breakaway dunk. This basket was the Blazers 11th and 12th fastbreak points and gave them a 15-point advantage.
Even when the Timberwolves went on a run, the Blazers had an answer. Promising young guard Jonny Flynn drained a three-pointer cutting the deficit to thirteen after Travis Outlaw’s driving layup gave Portland their largest lead. Oden followed with his version of a three-point play, leaving Jefferson in his wake with a spin move, making the layup and then the ensuing free-throw. Flynn and a much-improved Corey Brewer hit back-to-back three-pointers to make it a ten-point game with just under six minutes remaining. Portland then went on a 16-9 run to end the second period. Ten of their points were scored by Aldridge, and ten of their points came from the free-throw line, with the other six coming on three assisted jumpers.
Mice Rice, the Blazers hilarious and passionate announcer, noted that “few plays [were] called, just high I.Q. basketball” in the first two quarters. Portland had a seventeen-point halftime lead at intermission. They shot 55 percent, made 16 of 18 free-throws, and had 18 well-distributed assists, as five Blazers had three apiece. Aldridge notched their 60th point of the first half with a fadeaway 22-footer as the shot-clock hit zero. Commenting on a layup, albeit missed, by Andre Miller with under a minute to play before halftime, Rice noted that the Blazers are “looking ahead immediately, wanting to run” and admiring their fluid transition game, said “Nate’s wondering ‘will I ever have to call plays again?.’”
Portland’s up tempo style clearly was a success, but Brandon Roy’s role was greatly diminished. The team scored 62 points in the first half. Roy, averaging 25 points per game over the first six games, scored just two. His nonexistence offensively was a testament to the tremendous play of his supporting cast, and though this style has hurt his numbers, the unselfish leader acknowledged that the style is “great for the team.”
Roy didn’t score in the second half, but that didn’t stop the Blazers from racking up the points. Instead of scoring, “The Natural” was the assist man. He set up a driving layup by Oden for their first points of the third, and after Miller took a dazzling pass by Oden and translated it into a layup and a free-throw, he kept the Miller Show going, setting up a 19-footer that Rice said was shot “on his tippy toes”, and then a three-pointer.
With the lead at twenty following a dunk by Oden from Roy, Aldridge zipped a pass inside for Miller. The new arrival botched the layup, corralled his miss, then made his second chance. Aldridge yelped at him, screaming sarcastically. He wanted the assist. Miller jogged up the floor smiling and said “My fault.” They wandered into the Blazers huddle still talking about the play. Monte Williams, an assistant coach, laughed, and many followed, chuckling at their banter.
The game was a laugher in itself, and Portland continued to pour it on. The Bayless-to-Fernandez-to-Webster three-pointer capped off the third and sent the Blazers comfortably into the fourth. Fernandez picked Sessions pocket and scampered to the three-point line with just over eight minutes left in the game. Rice yelped “Take it Rudy!” and El Mago did, draining his lone three and only his seventh of the season. The Rose Garden erupted, just as Rice did prior to Fernandez’s launch. The lead was at Twenty-five
In all, Portland scored 116 points, shot an even 50 percent, made 27 of 30 free-throws, dished out 34 assists, nailed seven three-pointers, recieved six points in garbage time from Dante Cunningham, who was making his debut, and outscored Minnesota by twenty-three. In the middle of all the fun, Rice said “[when the] game gets slow, Roy will be the main guy.” Given the Blazers are showing no signs of slowing down, Roy may never have to be, and that’s fine by him.
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