Seattle Sports: In the Morning

In Brandon Roy's first game after being named an NBA All-Star, he recorded his first NBA triple-double and helped lead the Blazers to an 94-88 OT win against the Knicks. Steve Blake had 19 points, he had the much-smaller Nate Robinson on him most of the game. The Knicks were surprisingly energetic on the offensive glass, with Renaldo Balkman and David Lee alone combining for 13 offensive rebounds, 4 more than the Blazers team. Travis Outlaw hit the shot that sent the game into OT, assisted by Roy, it completed a Blazer comeback from 15 points down in the third.
Blazers 27-19, 1/2 game back of 8th playoff spot. Next game Monday vs. Denver, 7pm.

Former Packers GM Ron Wolf still blames Mike Holmgren's unwillingness to make adjustments for the Packers' Super Bowl loss.

Ted Miller writes that the Huskies aren't playing with the urgency befitting a team about to get knocked out of NCAA title contention. And he says Romar is in danger of repeating the pattern of Bob Bender's tenure. He concludes with rather some piquant imagery: "If the Huskies lose a third consecutive game Saturday for the second time this season and establish a two-game home losing streak, it won't require an oracle to see a pattern as the entrails of another lost season spill out onto the court."

The Huskies have to stop 6-10 Ryan Anderson. He's more of a three-point-shooter than a post threat--presumably he'll be guarded by Pondexter. Cal's main post threat, Devon Hardin, won't play, he's sick.
UW vs. Cal, 3pm today, FSN

Now it the Cougs' turn to figure out how to stop Brook Lopez. They think Aron Baynes, who "possesses more brawn than finesse and tends to fare better against bigger players," according to the P-I's Howie Stalwick, will help. Robbie Cowgill tells TNT's Todd Milles: "It will be a team deal with trapping, collapsing and everybody rebounding."
WSU vs. Stanford, noon today, FSN

It's the Civil War of basketball today, Oregon State should be no match for Oregon.
Civil War, 3pm today, ESPN Full Court
Old man Thomas and young Durant are turning into a pretty tough tandem to defend on screen-and-rolls, writes the Times' Jayda Evans. Durant "has 14 assists in his past three games, after only three in the five before that." Most of those are to Thomas.

6am Friday was the baseball practice for back-to-back NCAA champion OSU Beavers. Pitcher Mike Stutes told the Oregonian's Brian Meehan: "It is tough to get up so early. It is hard when it is 35 degrees and 6 o'clock in the morning, but it is good to start up again."

25-year-old Newport sports star Tripper Johnson chose baseball over football and spent eight years in the minors, never getting past AA. Now Johnson's thinking about walking-on to play football at UW, writes Bob Condotta.

It's "Boss-Mania" in Philomath, Oregon, writes Jeff Smith. That's Kevin Boss, the Giants starting tight end and an '02 grad of Philomath High.

The incredible Oregonian columnists John Canzano visits "The Zone", the area to which Phoenix's homeless population has been relocated during the Super Bowl. He writes:

On one side of this city, people are busy name dropping and handing out invitations. The party organizers boast guest lists that include Eva Longoria Parker, Justin Timberlake, Carmen Electra, Nick Lachey and Snoop Dog, among others.

On the other side of the city, in "The Zone," you ask for names, and people look away. Or they apologize and tell you that they've been on the streets so long that their names feel like they belong to someone who died. Or they invite you to spend the night in the shelter, just to see how awful it is.

Incidentally, remember that homeless encampment in New Orleans that the Sonics visited? Bill O'Reilly says it doesn't exist.