Portland vs Minnesota: New Win Streak

Portland 90, Minnesota 79 (boxscore)

I'm setting a bad precedent for myself by doing all these game recaps. This game had an interesting angle of the bounce back. Young teams especially seem vulnerable to coming out flat after coming off a high. Portland just having their win streak ended, coupled with struggles on the road this season, may have lead a few to doubts to be cast on a Blazers victory. But then you realize their playing the Timberwolves.

It was a weird game. First of all, there was a half-hour delay because apparently some wood was missing from the floor. Don't ask. Then there was the fact that the game was in Minnesota, and the Target Center was completely devoid of anything you could consider to be energy or enthusiasm. I went to my neighborhood Target store before Christmas, and it was a madhouse. Maybe they should integrate a store into this stadium and get some movement in the place.

Portland's inability to deliver a knockout punch and end the game early was evident again, although it hardly mattered. The fact that Portland had only 4 turnovers (that number from the Blazers, ESPN reports only 3) is astonishing when you consider how ugly this game was. Sergio had one of his dazzling displays, racking up 8 assists and no turnovers in less than seven first half minutes.

Another ugly win against Minnesota. As they say, you take the ugly win over the pretty victory.