The Blazers have won four straight games (by margins of 20, 20, 21 and 35 points) and are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2003. A win here or a Phoenix loss (at Dallas), would end the team's five-year playoff drought. Roy (22.9-4.9-5.2) and Aldridge (18.4-7.5) have been the team's leaders all season but players like Outlaw (12.7-4.2) at small forward and Fernandez (10.2) at shooting guard, have been HUGE catalysts. Both players come off the bench to give the Blazers a big lift night after night. Oden (8.9-7.1) gets a lot of criticism at center but he's back healthy and he and Pryzbilla (5.4-8.5) offer a quality combo in the middle. The team was 10-5 with Oden sidelined from Feb 18 through Mar 16, as Pryzbilla averaged double digits in rebounds. However, with Oden's return on Mar 18, the team has gone 6-2, including those four straight blowout wins. Oden's averaged 10.0-6.5 in that four-game stretch, with Przybilla averaging 7.8 RPG. While I like the Blazers, this is NOT a good spot for them. They enter 48-27, which puts them just barely ahead of tonight's opponent, the 48-28 Rockets. The West is a logjam behind the Lakers, as the No. 2 seed leads the No. 6 seed by just three games. No one at Houston misses T-Mac (he can't possibly come back next year, can he?), as Ming (19.6-9.8), Artest (17.2-5.3-3.2), Scola (12.6-8.8), Brooks (11.2-3.1 APG) and Battier (7.1-4.7) round out a quality starting-five. Lowry (7.1-3.5 APG) has been excellent in his 22 games with team backing up Brooks at the point, while Wafer (9.6) continues to provide a scoring 'punch' off the bench. Landry (9.3-5.0) has done a nice job in the frontcourt but he's out with a calf injury. The fact is, the Rockets have won 15 of their last 17 home games (losses to the Lakers and Spurs), allowing only 91.1 PPG. Meanwhile, the Blazers have lost EIGHT of their last 10 visits to Houston, while scoring just 82.8 PPG during that stretch. Lay the small number with Houston.
Larry Ness 4-05-09
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