The Hoop and The Harm

Friday night and monday night were two big games for the Blazers. First Zach Randolph and the Knicks and then Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets.

The Knicks, who are having a terrible season, pushed the Blazers into uncomfortable territory. Having fallen to ninth in the Western Conference, the Blazers could ill afford to lose. Their victory in overtime was followed by a big sigh of relief from the Blazers faithful who have seen a team that won eighteen in the month of December stumbling in January. On Monday, the Blazers continued their inability to win two in a row this month.

Although Monday’s was a much better game than Friday’s the Nuggets are a team that the Blazers need to beat. Especially at home, if they have any hope of making the playoffs. The upside to Monday: the Blazers started crashing the offensive boards and LaMarcus Aldridge failed to show up, the upside to LA not showing up is that next time these two teams play, if he gets more than four points, the Blazers will probably win.

Coming down the stretch the Blazers will be competing with the Nuggets for the seventh or eight playoff spot, and with no more head to head match-ups left, this game may turn out to be one of the most important of the season.

Links from the past few days you may have missed.

• DJ Mbenga to the rescue
• Presidential race ‘08: NBA Edition
• NBA Nicknames
• Starbury hates a sale, could be done with Knicks
• This just in……. Ronnie A is grade A insane, feeds dogs before kids
• Pacers need to handle their business….
• Slam dunk contestants announced……. G-Force gets snubbed, was not available for comment.
• “Revenge is a dish best served cold”-Anthony Johnson

Apparently Isiah Thomas stated last night that his team will remain inactive before trade deadline, which is crazy enough seeing that they are next to last in the east. But, he continues digging that hole by saying that he believes his Knicks can win a championship. Yes, a championship.

I’m not sure what he’s on, but I need some of that.  Reading that was like watching an out of control plane crash into a mountain.