Portland Trail Blazers Blog – Page 44 – NBA Blog

Trail Blazers recall Victor Claver and Joel Freeland from D-League

The Portland Trail Blazers have recalled forwards Victor Claver and Joel Freeland from the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey.

Portland assigned Claver and Freeland to the Stampede on Dec. 14. The two rookies played in both of Idaho’s games vs. Santa Cruz this weekend in Boise.

Freeland posted averages of 20.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 37.0 minutes in the two contests. Freeland led the Stampede in scoring on Dec. 14 with 22 points.

Claver averaged 6.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 34.0 minutes in two games with Idaho. He recorded five steals against Santa Cruz on Dec. 14.

Both players will be available for Portland’s contest vs. New Orleans tonight.

Trail Blazers assign Victor Claver and Joel Freeland to D-League

The Portland Trail Blazers have assigned forwards Victor Claver and Joel Freeland to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Trail Blazers General Manager Neil Olshey.

The two players will join the Stampede today, Dec. 14, and will be active in advance of the team’s contests against the Santa Cruz Warriors tonight and tomorrow, Dec. 15, in Boise.

Claver played with the Stampede on Dec. 7 and 8, posting averages of 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.00 steal and 33.5 minutes in the two contests. Claver has appeared in six games with Portland this season, and averages 0.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 10.2 minutes per contest. Claver was selected by the Trail Blazers with the 22nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, and signed with Portland on July 11, 2012.

In 12 games this year with the Trail Blazers, Freeland is averaging 2.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 10.2 minutes per game. Freeland signed with Portland on July 13, 2012, after being selected by the Trail Blazers with the 30th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.

Damian Lillard scores 29, Blazers beat Spurs

Rookie guard Damian Lillard had a career-high 29 points and the Portland Trail Blazers handed the San Antonio Spurs their second straight loss with a 98-90 victory Thursday night.

The Spurs, who have lost only six games this season, trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half but Manu Ginobili’s layup cut the deficit to 89-85. J.J. Hickson answered for the Blazers with a running hook that made it 91-85 with 2:36 left.

Danny Green hit a 3-pointer to pull the Spurs closer again, but Portland clung to the lead and Nicolas Batum—who has been bothered by a sore back— made a 3 that gave Portland a 96-90 advantage with 1:08 left. Batum hit two free throws with 8 seconds to go for the final margin.

It was Lillard’s 13th game this season with 20 or more points. LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points for the Blazers and Hickson finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Tony Parker had 21 points for the Spurs, who were coming off a 99-96 loss at Utah on Wednesday night that snapped a five-game winning streak…

The Blazers were without starter Wesley Matthews for the second straight game…

— Reported by Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press

Blazers shoot 0-of-20 from 3-point range, yet still beat Raptors

Injuries, an ejection and a dubious record.

The Portland Trail Blazers’ 92-74 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night had a little bit of everything.

Both sides were beset by injuries, with Portland missing starters Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum, and Toronto losing starters Andrea Bargnani and Kyle Lowry during the game.

Then Toronto’s Amir Johnson punctuated his ejection from the game by throwing his mouthpiece at the official who tossed him.

And finally, the Blazers went 0 for 20 from 3-point range, a new NBA record for futility.

”I don’t want to break records like that,” said Portland star LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 30 points and 12 rebounds.

J.J. Hickson added 16 points and 11 boards for the Blazers, who led by as many as 18 points in the second half. DeMar DeRozan had 20 points for the Raptors, who have dropped eight straight games against Portland…

The Raptors were hurt late in the first quarter when Bargnani went to the locker room after falling awkwardly on a dunk. The Raptors said later that X-rays on his elbow were negative, but he did not return…

The Raptors lost Johnson when he was ejected with 5:01 left in the third quarter. He had words with referee David Jones while trying to take the ball from him following a Portland free throw. After Johnson was ejected, he threw his mouthpiece at Jones and fellow players had to restrain him before he was escorted from the floor.

— Reported by Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press

Trail Blazers recall Will Barton and Victor Claver from D-League

The Portland Trail Blazers have recalled guard Will Barton and forward Victor Claver from the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey.

Portland assigned Barton and Claver to the Stampede on Dec. 7. The two rookies played in both of Idaho’s games vs. Austin this weekend in Boise.

Barton averaged 19.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.50 steals and 42.0 minutes in two games with Idaho. His 18 points Friday matched a team high, and a 21-point outing Saturday led the Stampede.

Claver posted averages of 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.00 steal and 33.5 minutes in the two contests.

Barton, the 40th overall pick out of Memphis in the 2012 NBA Draft, has played in 16 games this season for the Trail Blazers, and has averages of 2.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 8.8 minutes per game.

Claver has appeared in four games with Portland this season, and averages 0.3 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 5.8 minutes per contest. Claver was selected by the Trail Blazers with the 22nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, and signed with Portland on July 11, 2012.

Both players will be in Portland for today’s practice and are available for tomorrow’s game vs. Toronto.

Trail Blazers assign Will Barton and Victor Claver to D-League

The Portland Trail Blazers have assigned guard Will Barton and forward Victor Claver to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Trail Blazers General Manager Neil Olshey.

Barton and Claver, both rookies, will join the Stampede tomorrow, Dec. 7 in advance of the team’s contests against the Austin Toros tomorrow night and on Saturday, Dec. 8, in Boise.

Three Trail Blazers executives laid off

The Trail Blazers laid off three high-ranking xecutives Thursday morning when Chief Financial Officer Gregg Olson, Senior Vice President of tickets and marketing Michele Daterman and Senior Vice President of Human Resources Traci Reandeau were relieved of their duties.

The moves come eight days after Chief Operating Officer Sarah Mensah resigned and less than a month since team president Chris McGowan moved into his office.

Olson, who was named the CFO of the Year by the Portland Business Journal in 2009 in the large private business category, was in his 10th year with the organization.

— Reported by Jason Quick of The Oregonian

Blazers storm back to beat Bobcats 118-112 in OT

After playing six games in eight days on the East coast, you might think the travel weary Portland Trail Blazers might be ready to run out of steam.

Hardly.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and 13 rebounds, Luke Babbitt hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers and Portland overcame an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Charlotte Bobcats 118-112 in overtime Monday night.

The Blazers trailed 97-79 with 5:17 left in regulation, but stormed back to tie the score and sent it into overtime on Babbitt’s 3 with 22 seconds left…

To win their second straight game the Blazers had to find a way to stop Ben Gordon who set a Bobcats’ franchise record with eight 3-pointers and finished with 29 points to eclipse 10,000 for his career.

Damian Lillard scored 24 points and Nicolas Batum added 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Blazers, who finish their seven-game road trip at Indiana on Wednesday…

[Kemba] Walker finished with 22 points and seven assists for the Bobcats. Byron Mullens added 12 points and 12 rebounds.

— Reported by Steve Reed of the Associated Press

Blazers rookie Damian Lillard off to great start

The NBA will release its monthly individual honors today and Lillard, the Blazers’ electric, do-it-all rookie point guard, almost certainly will win the league’s Rookie of the Month award. After 16 games — which factored into the league’s decision — Lillard led all rookies in scoring (18.4 points per game), assists (5.9), steals (1.38), field goals (102) and minutes played (36.8), while ranking 11th in rebounding (3.1) and fourth in free-throw shooting percentage (83.9).

His first month in the NBA was so dynamic, so polished, Lillard’s lofty statistical accomplishments regularly drew comparisons to some of the best players in NBA history. Players like Oscar Robertson, Isiah Thomas, Allen Iverson. It started on opening night, when Lillard had 23 points and 11 assists in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming just the third player in NBA history to record at least 20 points and 10 assists in a debut. Robertson and Thomas are the others.

One accomplishment after another followed in the next 15 games. After three games, Lillard became just the second player, along with Robertson, to record at least 20 points and seven assists. He’s the second player in franchise history to score at least 20 points in his first three NBA games, joining Geoff Petrie. And Lillard became the first player since Allen Iverson in 1996 to register at least 295 points and 94 assists over his first 16 games.

— Reported by Joe Freeman of the Oregonian

Blazers beat Cavs in double overtime

Nicolas Batum’s first attempt at making the game-winning shot didn’t count. He got it right the second time.

Batum’s 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left in the second overtime gave the Portland Trail Blazers a 118-117 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

An apparent game-winning basket by Batum in the first overtime was disallowed because it came after time expired. The basket was first ruled good, but the call was changed after a video review. Batum, who celebrated after making that shot, got a chance to do it again and this time it was the winner…

Lillard led Portland with 24 points while Batum added 22. Alonzo Gee paced the Cavaliers with 22 points, but missed a free throw that would have given them a three-point lead before Batum’s shot.

Anderson Varejao had 19 points and 17 rebounds for his eighth straight double-double.

Portland put five players in double figures and improved to 1-4 on its seven-game eastern road trip. The Trail Blazers, who lost to Washington during the trip for the Wizards’ only win of the season, have been in search for something positive…

Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters left the game in the second overtime with an ankle injury. Varejao, the NBA’s leading rebounder, dislocated his right ring finger in the first quarter. X-rays were negative and he returned midway through the second period.

— Reported by Steve Herrick of the Associated Press