Game Day: Trailblazers (2-3) @ Suns (4-1), Sat 11/2/24

[Cap]

Is this really happening?

[The Bobster]

What an embarrassing quarter.

[AmareIsGod]

14 point quarter.
JFC

[Cap]

A 26-point fourth quarter lead should not be a nail biter.

[Cap]

I’m gonna start calling #8 Grayhair Allen.

[Split T]

How did we go 44-18 in the 3rd and then almost blow it by getting outscored 32-16 in the 4th?

[Cap]

How did we go 44-18 in the 3rd and then almost blow it by getting outscored 32-16 in the 4th?

Got up 26 then thought, “Game over already? Fans paid for 48 minutes. Let’s make it interesting.”

[Furlanfufi]

They played the 4th like they're can't wait to get to Hooters.

[TOO]

Suns played one good quarter and won a game, thats something that doesn't happen last year.

[Superbone]

I didn't like that our fans booed Ayton all night. It's not his fault the stupid Suns picked him first.

[Superbone]

Is this really happening?

No, not really. The three to take the lead going in and out was fun though.

[pickle]

Thank you for that win Portland. We didn’t deserve it but thanks anyway.

[ShelC]

Postgame Quotes and Videos

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[ShelC]

Kinda stumped a bit on this win. Felt like 3 different game in one. In the first half we were just cold and couldn't get shots to fall. Same with the Blazers but they got a little hot near halftime. I still thought we were playing well and getting good shots. Everything clicked in the 3rd qtr - shots were falling, great movement off the ball, really good sets in the halfcourt, 3s were falling and we built a 26 point lead. Then in the 4th, Portland really turned up the defense with a lot of ball pressure and double teams and we looked like we tightened up. The 26pt lead was then 16 after a 10-0 run, then it was down to 9, then 3. Bantam came out of nowhere and changed the game with his size and defense, +18 in just 12 minutes. I don't know that we panicked and it didn't really feel like last year's 4th qtrs, just that we were caught off guard a bit. Still can't happen tho. Credit to the Blazers for their effort - if they played like that for 48 minutes they'd be a tough team for anyone.

Book with the near triple-double. Beal looked more comfortable on offense playing with better flow, keeping his dribble alive and not getting caught up in traffic with multiple defenders. Allen found his game and shook off some rust with 18pts in 18 minutes. Nurk with 15 rebounds and a team best +15, just really solid on the boards and defending DA. He and KD did a great job doing less with the ball. Both made it a point throughout the game to get the ball to Tyus or Book, no wild dribbling or careless passes.

With a 26pt lead, you'd hope the team would finish strong and keep the blowout going but between the Blazers defense and a bad night shooting, ll it's a positive we were able to gut this one out. We shot 37% from the field and 32% from 3 (52 threes taken). Just a lot of shots rimming out, halfway down and not falling. Still need to put together a full game together. It does feel like we're getting better and guys are adjusting to each other and the system.

[pickle]

I feel like the team got a bit lackadaisical as you said Shel, turning the ball over a couple of times and clearly giving the Blazers a pulse. And then when they wanted to put some pressure back on it was easier to default to ISO play rather than trust the flow that got them the lead in the 3rd.

Also, why was Ryan Dunn kind of benched this game? He and Royce checked in together and he got pulled very quickly thereafter. I didn’t notice any egregious mistakes but also I’m not very good at catching these things on the fly.

[ShelC]

My initial impression was that Allen took those Dunn minutes and Royce is firmly in the rotation so there might be a squeeze there. Royce played 22 I think, Allen 18 and Dunn 13. Those 3 plus Plumlee are our bench so there's a bit of a logjam the 2/3. Royce and Dunn can get minutes at the 4 but again, Bud's gotta pull back on KD. I thought he left KD out there for too long a stretch during the 3rd.

Could also be that Dunn has a specific strength in guarding premier perimeter players and there wasn't one against the Blazers so it made more sense to go with more offense in Allen and Royce? If Dunn doesn't have that specific defensive assignment no one else on the team can handle, his offense becomes a bit more glaring. Plus he's likely on the scouting reports now and teams are going to take away the 3pt shot and run him off the line. Happened a few times last night and that's still a major hole in his game. Royce and Allen can make plays off the dribble and be threats to score, Dunn still has to work on that.

[Cap]

I wonder what the odds were on the gambling sites when we were up 26 with less than ten minutes to go.

[AmareIsGod]

There were many fans sitting around us screaming every time Ayton got the ball or whenever the PA announcer said his name terrible things. "Ayton you suck! Ayton, go to hell! We HATE you!". There were plenty of kids near us too so no idea why they thought it was appropriate. And lots of people would look around laughing too when it was being said. Pretty embarrassing display by Suns fans last night.

[Cap]

There were many fans sitting around us screaming every time Ayton got the ball or whenever the PA announcer said his name terrible things. "Ayton you suck! Ayton, go to hell! We HATE you!". There were plenty of kids near us too so no idea why they thought it was appropriate. And lots of people would look around laughing too when it was being said. Pretty embarrassing display by Suns fans last night.

Ugh.

Ayton seems like a pretty good guy. He just doesn’t have a head for basketball.

[AmareIsGod]