Shorthanded Blazers Fall

The frustration of a 108-97 blowout-loss to the Utah Jazz at the Rose Garden was somewhat tempered by the fact that this is just the pre-season. But, Nate McMillan showed signs of frustration after the game, saying, "we can't just flip a switch." Obviously, the Blazers need to get better, and the preparation time is running out.While the exhibition time is now short, the injury list is growing for the Blazers, who started their 7th different starting lineup in 7 pre-season games. Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez were ruled out of this game well in advance, but LaMarcus Aldridge was a late scratch as he recovers from a shin bruise. Just one minute into the game with the Jazz, Nicolas Batum left the game with a thigh injury and didn't return. Oden could return Thursday, but Rudy will likely be out until Tuesday's opener against Houston.Even though he cited that the injuries were a factor, McMillan stopped well short of using them as an excuse after the loss to the J...