Wolves vs. Blazers Gameday

First Quarter
Synopsis
Fans at the Target Center enjoyed a back-and-forth start to the game with seven lead changes and a 27-25 lead for the Blazers. Al Jefferson scored six points to lead the Wolves. Mike Miller added two rebounds and three assists as the team shot 55 percent from the field.

Analysis
Jefferson found several ways to record the six points as he avoided the double team from the Blazers. Clearly, the defensive focus for the Blazers is to stop Jefferson from getting easy looks in the post.

Second Quarter
Synopsis
The Wolves enjoyed a nice 12-point advantage in the second quarter to take a 51-41 lead at intermission. Randy Foye jumped off the bench to score six points along with snagging two boards. The Wolves defense held the Blazers to just 22 percent from the field.

Analysis
LaMarcus Aldridge was tagged with his third foul of the game, which will hurt the front court for the Blazers. The Wolves seem to have the offense flowing with the 51 first half points. This game is very similar to the contest a week ago when the Blazers took charge in the second half to outscore Minnesota by 10 points and capture the win.

Third Quarter
Synopsis
The Blazers fought back into the game with a 24-20 third quarter. Jefferson and Kevin Love combined for 12 points; the team shot 45 percent from the field. The Wolves out rebounded the Blazers 13-8. Brandon Roy scored six points to increase his total for the game to 16 points.

Analysis
A critical third quarter for the Wolves as the squad held on to the lead, 71-65 heading into the final period. Minnesota struggled in the late minutes of the quarter executing the offense but managed to weather a three-point storm from the Blazers. Once again, the Wolves will look to close a potential tight game to notch their second victory of the season.

Fourth Quarter
Synopsis
Portland slammed on the pedal for a 23-12 final quarter. Jefferson finished with 26 points and six rebounds to lead the Wolves. Miller and Foye scored 10 points in the losing effort. Roy was the top scorer for the Blazers with 24 points.

Analysis
An all too familiar sight for the Wolves as the team dropped to 1-7 on the season. Oden provided some key points in the late minutes of the quarter while Roy and Travis Outlaw nailed jumpers to help lift Portland to its sixth win of the year. The young Wolves are extremely competitive but are looking for critical plays down the stretch to gain victories.