thinking the game was suddenly going to be easier

When he played, Kendrick Perkins [stats] was an average player for this team — good defender, decent rebounder, and not much more than a compulsive moving picker on the offensive end. All in all, a good role player who was surrounded by stars who made him look better every night Versace Sunglasses. If the loss of that guy is the reason for this funk, then maybe general manager Danny Ainge did make a mistake. He assumed the four stars could carry on without Kendrick Abdul-OlajuEwing. Maybe he gave them too much credit. Maybe they’re not as mentally tough as he thought." Jason Quick of The Oregonian: "It wasn't pretty, it wasn't dominating, and it wasn't against the full cast of the San Antonio Spurs, but the Blazers' 100-92 victory over the league leaders counted just as much as any other win, which pushed the Blazers (43-31) closer to the playoffs. 'We won,' said Andre Miller, who led Portland with 26 points. 'That's all that matters Bvlgari Sunglasses.' ... Less than an hour before the game, a buzz started circulating among the Blazers when they saw Parker on the court in a business suit. Eventually, Blazers forward Nicolas Batum went over to talk to Parker, a friend and fellow Frenchman. Parker told Batum that he was being held out along with starting power forward Antonio McDyess because Popovich wanted to prevent Parker from joining the injured ranks of Duncan (sprained ankle) and Ginobili (thigh bruise). Only small forward Richard Jefferson was among the normal starters for the Spurs, who sent out two rookies (Tiago Splitter and James Anderson) and two efficient reserves, sharp-shooting Matt Bonner and high-scoring George Hill Gucci Sunglasses. Immediately, Blazers coach Nate McMillan said the contest became 'a trap game' because of the way the mind works, thinking the game was suddenly going to be easier."