NorthWest Sports Blog brings you daily features on Oregon, Washington State, and BC amateur and pro sports teams.
Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers Dec. 8 matchup with the Sacramento Kings. Coming off a seven-game road trip, the Blazers are playing at the Rose Garden for the first time since Nov. 23. The team’s veterans—LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews—need to keep Damian Lillard and the rest of the youngsters from getting too comfortable at home. The key matchup in this contest is between J.J. Hickson and DeMarcus Cousins.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Jon Irwin breaks down the Blazers vs Cavs matchup. Portland finally nabs a game on their East Coast swing, aided by a big game from the starters—all scoring in double digits. But Wesley Matthews slump continues, and the Blazers struggle to box out the Cavs.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Jon Irwin breaks down the Blazers vs Celtics matchup. The Headline: LaMarcus Aldridge comes alive, but a dominating Celtics defense holds Portland to 34 percent shooting in this ugly loss. L.A. and the bench show some great signs of life, but there’s never anything positive about 34 percent shooting.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Jon Irwin breaks down the Blazers vs Wizards matchup. The Headline: squaring off with the winless Wizards, Portland continues its East Coast losing streak with this new 82-84 loss. Batum looked like he’s coming out of his slump, and Hickson had a season high 19 rebounds. But with four games left on the roadtrip, Portland needs to find some wins.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Jon Irwin breaks down the Bulls vs. Blazers matchup. The Headline: L.A. puts up a double-double, and Portland uses a rain of shots to sink the Rose-less Bulls 102-94. The Blazer’s shooting looked really good in this one, and the bench was even able to contribute. Fouls and ball control remain an issue for this young team.
Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers Nov. 16 matchup against the Houston Rockets. Portland avoided becoming the Western Conference’s worst team in Wednesday’s win against the Sacramento Kings, and a win against Houston would establish momentum going into an easier part of the schedule. The key matchup is between J.J. Hickson and Omer Asik, although it will be fun to watch Wesley Matthews vs. James Harden 2.0. LaMarcus Aldridge is Day-To-Day.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Jon Irwin breaks down the Blazers vs. Kings matchup. The Headline: The Trail Blazers finally find win No. 3 on the back of Damian Lillard, topping the Kings 103-86. Damian Lillard and Wesley Matthews were great in this win, making a lot of shots. But Portland was beat badly in the paint, and that was against a shorthanded Kings team!
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Jon Irwin breaks down the Spurs vs. Blazers matchup. The Headline: Nicolas Batum asks for the ball in the fourth and delivers, but not even that saves Portland from falling just short. Batum and L.A. have solid nights, but still can’t match a small Parker-less Spurs.
Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers Nov. 12 matchup against the Sacramento Kings. A game against Sacramento will either help revitalize a team that is looking for life to cling onto, or it will expose the Blazers as the worst team out West. Key matchup is between Wesley Matthews and Tyreke Evans, but the battle between centers J.J. Hickson and Chuck Hayes should be entertaining. DeMarcus Cousins is suspended, and LaMarcus Aldridge is looking to bounce back.
Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers Nov. 12 matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. Like the Blazers, the Atlanta Hawks are in a bit of a rebuilding mode right now, and these are two teams who will be competing against each other not just on the court come Monday, but in the free-agent market come next summer. The key matchup is going to be between Nicolas Batum and Josh Smith. Wesley Matthews is probable with a back injury.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Jon Irwin breaks down the Blazers vs. Mavericks matchup. The Headline: The Blazers can’t do anything to stop O.J. Mayo, as they fall to the Mavs 114-91. L.A. and Matthews really came alive on defense, and the team played great on the boards. But ugly ball control—and an inability to defend the perimeter—led to this big loss.
Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers Nov. 5 matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. These two teams have much different looks about them than they’ve had in the past, but that doesn’t mean the game has lost any of its appeal. Normally the key matchup in this contest would be between LaMarcus Aldridge and Dirk Nowitzki, but with Nowitzki out to begin the season, the battle belongs to Wesley Matthews and O.J. Mayo. Damian Lillard versus Darren Collison will also be fun.
