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Half-assed Preview: Blazers @ Hornets
The Blazers are in Oklahoma City today to play our enigmatic Hornets. Portland are 19-26 on the season, compared to the Hornets' 18-25 record, putting the Blazers just percentage points ahead in the standings. Both teams trail the Clippers by 3.5 games for that magical eighth and final Western Conference Playoff thing.
Portland have won four of their last six games, two of those dubs coming in OT, but are just 8-14 away from the Rose Garden in 2006-07.
This will be the last meeting between the teams this season. You might still wake up screaming to the memories of the Hornets' 92-91 loss in Portland back on November 10th, a game in which our then-healthy ballclub choked up a 27-point lead. Refresh. The Hornets tried to avenge that loss on December 27th, again in Portland. Unfortunately, Chris Paul's ankle was chubby, and the Blazers won again, 100-85. I remember a dark room and a branding iron right after that.
Zach Randolph has been the main weapon for zee Blazers this season, averaging 23.8 points and 10.3 rebounds. I guess that's impressive. He's had games of 31-12 and 26-11 this season against the Hornets, and he dropped a career-high 42 points in double OT at Memphis on Saturday, though he needed 40 shots to do it. The Blazers won that game, 135-132.
Portland of course have two of the NBA's top six draftees from 2006, with sixth pick Brandon Roy apparently leading in the race for R.O.Y. He's scoring 14.4 a game but has missed about twenty games due to injury. Second overall pick LaMarcus Aldridge has been struggling to earn playing time in the PNW, averaging 6.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in about 19 minutes a game.
Also of note for the Blazers is our old friend Jamaal Magloire. He's scoring 5.7 and boarding 5.3 in about 19 minutes a game. He won't be making the All-Star team. Little Danny Dickau is also balling with the Blazers this season, getting a massive 8.2 minutes per game. This Spanish kid named Sergio Rodriguez looks to be making noise at the point for the Blazers lately. Look out for him off the pine.
Thus ends our fantastic non-bulleted game preview. Linkage below includes millions of Blazer blogs. In other news, Hornet Henry talks some crazy shit, and not even funny crazy shit, just regular crazy shit.