Hanging by a (Ham)String
Andrew R Tonry | Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 11:06PM It should’ve been a joyous beginning to the stretch run. The Blazers just acquired a great big man for a small price. Then they throttled the Clippers, 109-87, which ended a two-game streak at the Rose Garden. They looked rested and ready.
Then Brandon Roy decided to be honest. Roy said that indeed, he is starting to wonder if this lingering hamstring injury is putting this season in “jeopardy.”
Video removed after 72 hours in accordance with NBA policy
Roy has tried rest, treatment and more rest, but none seems to be making much difference. Now he’s starting to wonder if anything can offer the fix he and the Blazers want so desperately—a solemn Roy alludes to the fact that he’s so close, yet so far. Roy’s voice felt more depressed than frustrated Tuesday—it was the kind of thing no one in or around the franchise wants to hear, and moreover, something they’d rather he not be saying publicly.
It seems the young star is nearing his breaking point. After weeks of rest—and a limited schedule since experiencing the injury in early January—Roy decided that Tuesday’s game against the Clippers would be as good as any to test it. He figured this coming Friday against the Celtics wouldn’t be any different—every day he wakes up and it feels the same. This of course begs the question why Roy would have played at all Tuesday, as he and the team already went through the rushed early return only to make things worse. The following video is talked more about the injury, and tonight’s performance in general. It was before Roy admitted how worried he really is about the dogged hamstring (that one is above):
Video removed after 72 hours in accordance with NBA policy
Coach McMillan said afterwards that he nudged Roy to play. And for 15 minutes he did. During his first stint Roy said he felt fine. But after cooling down and then coming back in, he felt the injury, and then sat out the second half.
It’s too soon to drive the Blazer playoff bus off the road just yet—it’s quite possible that Roy let his emotions get the better of him after a disappointing early comeback attempt. But then again, the way injuries have continually derailed this season, one worse than the next, is anyone the least bit surprised?
Oh yeah, that’s right—there was a game tonight. And my God, did the Blazers dismantle the Clippers. Really, over the last 24 hours, Portland has been just awful to the other team from L.A.
First a call comes in during dinner informing the Clippers their defensive leader be staying until long after the team plane leaves. Of course, they are not happy about this—but hey, they’re the Clippers, when does anything ever end well?
So after having to suffer a mess of trade rumors in the city where you’re staying, the next night the team goes out and gets manhandled. It was a brutal whipping from front to back.
The Blazers came out rested, focused, and at that point buoyed by the return of Brandon Roy. They got off to a quick 16-7 start by hitting shots and forcing Baron Davis into a number of embarrassing turnovers. Roy twice picked Davis’ pocket clean. The Clipper point guard managed four turnovers by the time the first quarter ended. Coach McMillan said afterwards that the All-Star break left his team rested and ready:
Video removed after 72 hours in accordance with NBA policy
From then on the Blazers nursed a lead that hovered around double-digits. The Clippers closed the third on a 7-2 run, and blew it to 16-3 in opening minutes of the fourth. With 8:48 to play, the Blazers were up just 79-74. They regrouped, and from that point on outscored the Clippers 30-13.
Martell Webster had a fine game, and if the severity of Roy’s confession is to be believed, he’s going to need to have a lot more of them in the days to come. Webster had a career-high tying 28 points, making a career high seven (of 11) three point attempts. (In all fairness, one came in junk time and could quite fairly be called for running up the score.)
LaMarcus Aldridge had another steady game of late, adding 22 points and nine rebounds. He said the few days off did wonders, adding that for the first time in a while he wasn’t tired in the final quarter:
Video removed after 72 hours in accordance with NBA policy
Andre Miller was also his steely self, contributing 10 points and 12 assists and outplayed the younger Eric Gordon. Rudy Fernandez, whose playing was all around atrocious entering the All-Star break, emerged from his shooting slump by hitting three of six from deep, and five of 10 overall. Dante Cunningham rounded out the Blazers in double-figures with 10.
Team-wise, the Blazers beat the Clippers in every category sans rebounding, where L.A. held a 40-33 edge and points in the paint. Portland hit a remarkable 10 of 18 three point attempts, 25 of their 32 from the line, and shot 49.3% from the field overall. The Blazers set a new season-high forcing 15 steals, and tied a season-high 21 forced turnovers. In fact, every starter—even Roy in limited minutes—had at least two steals.
Unfortunately all those sweet numbers haven’t quite washed away the fear of Roy’s post-game admission. Maybe this will help—Clippers coach Kim Hughes explained how much he missed having Marcus Camby in the lineup:
Video removed after 72 hours in accordance with NBA policy
Reader Comments (5)
We can hang in the west without Roy for a while. Give him another month rest i say. He is just depressed saying all that stuff about the season being over. He just needs to chill...literally I mean with lots of ice packs
Indian Drugs - The best of pharmasy
The reality is that because this design of boot is only very popular along with the product may seem to literally disappear the shelf, discount uggs could possibly UGG Bailey Button Kids be difficult to locate, even on the Internet. From a retailer?¡¥s point of view, it does not make good financial sense to discount the price of an item that may be easily and continuously selling at full list Ugg Bailey Button Triplet price. With the fall season under way as well as the christmas closer than you think, this brand of boot likely continue its brisk selling pace making discounts challenging to locate. Eventually, however, stores are going to discount their prices that allows you to draw consumers within their UGG Broome Boots stores and make them make purchases. In case you are patient and they are willing to remember to investigate Internet as well as other retailers
Thank you to share and look forward to your next work. Beautiful you are, for the money troubles? LV Leather Wallets is stylish, but affordable. cheap replica handbags makes you get more.They is a best and smartest choice for women everywhere in the globe.
ugg bailey button sale
ugg bailey button chestnut
ugg classic tall sale
ugg classic tall grey
ugg classic short sale
ugg classic short grey
ugg classic tall sale
ugg classic tall navy
ugg classic short sale
ugg classic short black
ugg bailey button sale
ugg bailey button bomber
ugg classic cardy sale
ugg boots sale
ugg classic cardy sale
ugg classic cardy black