[MJG]

<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr><td></td><td width="20"><center>vs</center></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><center>6 - 7</center></td><td width="20">
</td><td><center>5 - 8
</center></td></tr></tbody> </table>

7:00 PM on CSN

Season series tied 0 - 0

<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr><td></td><td><center>- Key Match: SF -

</center><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="34">

14.2

</td><td width="50"><center>PPG</center></td><td width="34">18.6
</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">
</td></tr><tr><td width="34">

4.5

</td><td width="50"><center>RPG</center></td><td width="34">5.8
</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">
</td></tr><tr><td width="34">

2.8

</td><td width="50"><center>APG</center></td><td width="34">2.6
</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">
</td></tr><tr><td width="34">

1.5

</td><td width="50"><center>SPG</center></td><td width="34">1.5</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">
</td></tr><tr><td width="34">

0.3

</td><td width="50"><center>BPG</center></td><td width="34">1.3
</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">
</td></tr><tr><td width="34">

27.5

</td><td width="50"><center>MPG</center></td><td width="34">38.6</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td></td></tr></tbody> </table>

[f22egl]

The most critical matchup is obviously Chucky Atkins vs. Juan Dixon.... obviously.

[MJG]

Portland got whalloped by Philly tonight, more or less letting four guys do them in. Looking things over, we should be able to duplicate:

- Iverson lead the way with a big 38/8/3 game on 60% shooting. While Arenas may not quite match that level of play, if he plays up the level of his previous home games, we could easily see 30/3/7 on 50% shooting. Close enough.

- Webber played that secondary role, chipping in 16/15. Throw another half dozen points onto that, and you've got a Jamison box score.

- Korver played that third scorer role from the starting lineup, kicking in 16 points of his own on just under 50% shooting. Much like Arenas, Hayes plays better at home - averages suggest we'll get 11/4 on near 50% shooting from him.

- Off the bench, Philly got a big boost from Salmons, chiming in with 13 points on a solid 6-13 from the field. Continuing the trend of home versus road, Caron puts up a very excellent 17/5/3 on 53% from the field.

So if the averages hold up, we'll have the big gun, the solid secondary, the third supporter, and the spark off the bench needed to duplicate Philly's 24 point drubbing. Or at least, after the pathetic outing last time, we can only hope.

[CP26]

I hear Ruben Patterson might not play tonight.

[One on One]

We should win this one handily. We are well-rested and well Portland isn't that good.

[MJG]

This is one of those games where I'll say "I don't like making too much of any single game, but this one means a lot." This is a home game against a lower-tier team, which determines whether we finish the opening month at .500 or two games under. In reality that's only a difference of one game, but mentally, it looks so much better.

[Shanghai Kid]

This team plays wayyyy too loose, you would like to see some intensity with how the team has been playing lately but everybody just seems to be going through the motions as if it the games mean nothing.

[MJG]

Man, we're just hard to watch most nights, including this one. It's tough to picture us having won any games outside of sheer luck with how low our lows are.