Vancouver Metro Basketball League

Last night I covered the Suns and Blazers game for CKNW 980. This was my first time ever covering an NBA game, as there aren’t many NBA games happening around Vancouver now-a-days thanks to Scrooge himself, Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley.
What you will read below is an in-game blog of the events happening around me and the game itself, which at times was secondary, especially in the end.
Enjoy.

6:35 I arrive to GM Place and get to gate 9 where the media enters. Find myself wandering around the bowels. I come across the media room where I see a buffet of food, so I grab a nice hearty plate of pasta. As I go to sit down the attendant asks me my name, to which I reply. He looks over his list and advises me its $10 to eat. Guess I don’t qualify for a free meal. Rookie.

6:50 I take my seat right behind the basket where the Blazers are warming up. This media thing really has its perks.
I’m told by the guy next to me that the food is never free and that all the media pays for it. Guess I do qualify.

6:54 The national anthems are sung but the guys go back to shooting. Kind of strange to not start right after.

7:04 Trail Blazers new point guard Andre Miller grabs a ball that’s bounced up on my table. Dudes hair is all out of wack. He looks like a homeless guy I gave change to earlier in the day. Miller asks if we’re scouts, to which I reply “ya we’re from the Raptors. We’re looking to trade Jose Calderon for you.” He gets a chuckle out of that.

7:12 Steve Nash hits the Suns first basket with a nice cross over to fade away jumper. Crowd goes bananas. If the NBA was to ever come back to Vancouver, it would have to involve him in some capacity.

7:19 Brandon Roy with nice behind the back dribble into the lane making a tough finger roll. Outside of Kobe Bryant, is Roy the best two guard in the league? Very well could be.

7:26 Amar’e Stoudemire and Nash connect on a screen and roll for a Amar’e dunk. Greg Oden answers back with a dunk of his own from a beauty Roy pass.

7:36 Oden goes to the line for two. Crowd starts chanting “Ohhhhhhdennnnn!”. Their giving it to the 84 year-old looking 21 year-old. Very pro Suns crowd.

7:40 At the end of the first Q it’s 36-25 Blazers. Good game so far. Nice pace. Brandon Roy has been lighting it up early.

7:43 During a time out the Suns dancers kneel down in front of me. Its a rough job, I know.

7:55 I get handed the first quarter stat sheets to see Roy’s got 17 points (3 for 3 from three) 3 rebounds and 3 assists. How’s that for a first quarter?!

7:57 Amar’e dunks on Blazers center Joel Przybilla to knot the game up at 49. Suns making a run while still running some of their starters. The Blazers have turned to the their bench and they haven’t been too good.

8:03 TV time out. The cameras have caught a few of the Canucks who are sitting courtside. Big cheers for Alex Burrows, Willie Mitchell and Ryan Kesler when they show them on the jumbotron. When the camera goes on Mason Raymond no one cheers till they put a graphic with his name on it. Guess nobody recognizes the young Canuck just yet. Too funny.

8:07 Rookie Earl Clark checks in for the Suns. Really like this kid. Has the potential to be a good NBAer.

8:08 Clark gets his first bucket off a nice feed from Nash. Like I said, I like this kid.

8:11 Seven seconds left in the half. Miller tries to take Jared Dudley one on one to no unveil. Blazers take a slim 59-55 lead to the locker room. Suns have a much better second quarter. Blazers reserves getting it taken to them.

8:32 The second half starts and the Blazers have their starters back in. Much better unit then their reserves. LeMarcus Aldridge looks like he’s been working on his 18 footer cause he’s nailing it from the outside. Even tries for a three, though misses.

8:35 Nash gets his ball blocked by Oden that is clearly goaltending. Crowd gets rowdy. Steve gives it to the replacement ref. Can’t really write what Steve had to say, but he wasn’t congratulating the ref on his blown call I can tell you that.
Blazers up ten 71-61 half way through the third quarter.

8:46 One of my favs on the Blazers, second year point guard Jerryd Bayless checks in. Really like Bayless. Loads of potential though he’s buried on the Blazers bench behind Steve Blake and Miller. Curious to see if the Blazers shop Bayless around this year. Could get them a piece they may need down the road.

8:55 The third quarter wraps up with the Blazers ahead comfortably 89-73. Blazers starters played basically the whole Q.

8:58 Suns mascot The Guerrilla puts on a great dunk exhibition with a spring board much to the fans delight. I try to coax the guy next to me to run out and do a dunk of his own. He refuses.

9:02 The reserves in for both teams to start the fourth. First look at Taylor Griffin the brother of first overall pick Blake Griffin. Taylor’s first shot he connects on. Suns still down big though, 96-75.

9:10 My boy Earl Clark hits a nice runner and is fouled for an and one. Getting into garbage time as the Blazers are still holding a large lead.
Crowd starts chanting “we want Nash. ” Amare tries to get him up, but Nash chooses to sign his shoes and toss them into the crowd. He’s done for the night just as his Suns are.

9:23 The Suns bench playing scrappy. Alando Tucker with a nice couple of drives. Reserves doing their best but running out of time.

9:26 Time runs out. Sold out crowd give their appreciation.
113-93 Trail Blazers.

After the game I waited around the media room for Steve Nash’s press conference to start. Steve took awhile so I decided to go to the Blazers locker room to get a quick chat with Brandon Roy. Great guy who’s real well spoken. Brandon explained that he feels his team has what it takes to be a contender, wonders why Vancouver doesn’t have a team, and that he would gladly play here if he had the option.

CLICK HERE—->Brandon Roy Raw

I quickly got out as Nash was about to start his presser. I ran into Jerryd Bayless in the hallway for a quick chat, then quickly into the media room to chat to Nash.

10:12 Nash’s press conference is over and now he’s talking to a crowd of a few hundred that have stuck around to see him. Steve’s answering questions from the crowd. Total nice guy going out of his way to please his hometown fans. Is there a better pro athlete from Canada for kids to look up too? I think not. Pure class. The modern day Wayne Gretzky in terms of being a sports figurehead from Canada.

Overview
Well it is just a preseason game, but this one was won by the Blazers starters who are much better than the Suns starters. The Blazers have one of the youngest teams in the league but are very deep and very good. The Suns on the other hand are in a bit of rebuilding phase. Nash is locked up for this year and next, but Amar’e is destined to head elsewhere come the 2010 off-season.
Jason Richardson is there but outside of him, Grant Hill and Leandro Barbosa the rest of the team is young. Looks as if there may be some lean seasons in Phoenix unless they use the money that comes off the books from when Amar’e leaves to sign someone of significance. Time will tell. The Blazers will be in the playoffs, that is a guarantee. With Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge locked up in long-term contracts, look for this team to remain as one the beasts of the west for many years.

Game Stats:

Points:
Portland – Brandon Roy (22)
Phoenix – Steve Nash (14)

Assists:
Portland – Steve Blake (7)
Phoenix – Steve Nash (7)

Rebounds:
Portland – LeMarcus Aldridge (9)
Phoenix – Taylor Griffin (5)

Pecentages:
Portland – FG (48.8) 3P (41.2) FT (81.5) REB (50)
Phoenix – FG (46.2) 3P (31.3) FT (76.2) REB (28)