Some post-game thoughts (Bucks edition)

Sorry I'm a little late with this one . . .

• At least through three quarters, the Blazers were really clicking on all cylinders last night. They let their guard down a bit in the 4th, but the outcome was never really in doubt. In fact, I think there was a potentially significant moment in the 4th quarter last night. Nate McMillan saw that the Bucks were making a serious run, got nervous, and called upon . . . Andre Miller to stop the bleeding. I think that's a testament to how much Miller has grown in Nate's estimation in just the last few games. And Miller responded by taking control and stifling Milwaukee's run. Nate will remember that.


• As a fan, I too felt reassured when Miller came back in. He's just such a crafty player. He knows how to manufacture points and stop the other team's momentum by getting to the line. And unlike Bayless and Blake, he's not at all phased by pressure defense. He doesn't seem to get nervous or make mistakes when the other team resorts to a full court press. Over the last few games, Miller has really seemed to cement himself as the top point guard on the team. He had another solid outing last night, getting 19 points on 6 for 8 shooting and adding 6 assists. A number of his buckets came from posting up the much smaller Brandon Jennings. Miller may have the best back-to-the-basket game of any point guard in the NBA.


• The other big story of the night, from my perspective, was that Steve Blake was the first guard off the bench. With both Blake and Fernandez back, it will be interesting to see who Nate goes to off the bench. There aren't going to be enough minutes for Blake, Fernandez, and Bayless to all get the time they seemingly deserve. Tonight Blake got the first call and played with a lot of energy. He pushed the ball up the court quickly every time he touched it, seemingly knowing that his playing time was at stake. He made some good passes and shots, finishing with 11 points, 4 assists, and 5 boards in 28 minutes of play.


• Jerryd Bayless was the next guy in and he had a good 2nd quarter, repeatedly getting to the line for foul shots. He finished with 12 points and 2 assists in 18 minutes, though many of those minutes were in scrub time.


• Brandon Roy had a typical Brandon night, scoring 22 points on 7 for 10 shooting before leaving in the 3rd quarter. Unfortunately, Brandon's hamstring acted up again, forcing him to go to the locker room to get it worked on. At this point, it seems likely that Brandon will at some point have to miss some games to let his leg heal (as he did last year with the same kind of injury).


• LaMarcus Aldridge had a solid statistical night, scoring 21 points (on 10-15 shooting), and adding 7 boards, 6 assists, and 2 blocks. On nights like this, though, you watch Aldridge and you get the sense that he takes harder shots than he needs to, that on many of his touches around the basket, he could just elevate and dunk over people if he were more aggressive. Maybe that's not fair. I don't know.


• Jeff Pendergraph also had a really solid game. He had 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 emphatic blocks in 19 minutes of play. He also took a couple of charges and hustled every second he was on the floor. Some of his shots looked surprisingly polished. He hit a jumper from the top of the key as well as a fade away baseline shot in traffic. This guy might have more offensive potential that people give him credit for.


• Finally, it was Rudy's first game back and he got a monstrous ovation when he entered the game. He didn't do all that much on the court and looked a bit rusty, but he managed to hit his first shot and to block Andrew Bogut. Not bad for a first day back.


• The Blazers really needed this win. They've got a difficult schedule coming up and they can't afford to lose games against lower-level Eastern Conference squads. Orlando will be a much tougher challenge.