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Ben Golliver: "I don't think anybody's safe [from trades]. ... I would like to think I'm wanted here." -- Wesley Matthews Twitter @blazersedge

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews 

After a game in which his shot was errant — 1 for 11 on 3-point attempts, 6 for 19 from the field — Portland’s starting guard seemed to call out his teammates. “We need to play with some pride, man,” Matthews said as he met with the media afterward. “I’m trying not to cuss right now, but we have to play with some damn heart. This is crazy. This is ridiculous.” Told that the Blazers’ playoff chances had reached zero, Portland’s starting shooting guard shook his head. “It’s not even about that,” Matthews said. “We have to play like this is the blessing that it is. We’re over here taking it for granted. “We need to check our hearts at the door. We have six games left and we’ve lost seven in a row. we’re better than that.” Portland Tribune

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews 

It’s hard to win a game, a reporter mentioned, when a team is 2 for 20 on treys, as were the Blazers Friday night. “I’ll take the blame for that,” Matthews said. “I’m supposed to be able to knock down 3s. I’ve been off a little bit. “But we can’t give up 11 or however many we gave up, either (the Rockets made 12 3-pointers). We have to knock down shots, but at the same time, we have to play some damn defense. We have to play with some heart and some toughness. Who cares if we’re not in the damn playoffs?” Portland Tribune

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews 

"The fans are sick of it, we're sick of it," Matthews told Blazersedge. "We've got to give them something to cheer about. Losing seven straight isn't it. We're playing a little bit harder, but not up to our standards, not what we're capable of. It doesn't matter that we're mathematically out [of the playoffs], this is the best job in the damn world. We've got to treat it as such. We've got to be men. We've got to play, we've got to come to work, until this is over with. We're not doing that." Blazers Edge

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews 

The rant pierced an otherwise flat locker room, and Matthews said that it would be repeated -- without the cameras and microphones -- the next day to his teammates. "It's definitely going to be known tomorrow," he told Blazersedge. "We're not getting beat by 20 for the rest of the season. There's no excuse. We've beaten these teams before. ... It's stupid right now." Blazers Edge

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews 

Matthews, quite simply, is going nowhere. If the Blazers dealt Matthews, they would need to get a starting shooting guard in return. It is highly unlikely teams would swap starting shooting guards. Plus, privately, Olshey has grown to value Matthews beyond his statistics, which happen to be at career-high levels across the board. Matthews’ toughness, work ethic and positive attitude are invaluable, and Olshey wants him to be part of what he is building. Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Trade, Wesley Matthews 

Chris Haynes: According to Nicolas Batum, he expects that Wesley Matthews (hip) will be back for Thursday's game vs Nuggets. Twitter @ChrisBHaynes

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews, Injuries, Nicolas Batum 

Matthews, who has never missed an NBA game in his four years, said he heard his left hip flexor pop during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 99-80 home loss to Sacramento. That came after the same hip was hobbled a quarter earlier when John Salmons kneed him. He said if the Blazers had to play Sunday, he would have to sit out, ending his string of 250 consecutive appearances. It’s the second longest active streak in the NBA to Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook (332 games). Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews, Injuries 

While he admits his streak of games played means something to him - he even has the game operations staff play Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” during his introduction - he says his desire to play through pain is for more than a note in his bio. “It’s done not only out of stubborness, but out of sacrifice for the team,’’ Matthews said. “It’s not just an individual thing,I’m doing this so my team knows I’m going to fight for them regardless. As long as I can compete, I’m going to compete.’’ Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews, Injuries 

The play came in the first quarter of Portland's win at Cleveland on Saturday. Matthews starts to drive from the top of the key, gets by defender Alonzo Gee, but loses the ball as he goes to rise for a left-handed layup, and the ball sails over the backboard. "I didn't have the ball," Matthews said Friday. "I yelled it as I was going – 'I'm losing it! Lost it!'" As for Matthews' reaction to being the butt of O'Neal's segment: "Why would I care about something like that? It's whatever," Matthews said with a laugh. "Ball slipped out of my hand. Shaq airballs free throws. Whatever. It's just basketball." Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews 

Joe Freeman: Wesley Matthews on the #Blazers play against the Wizards: "Inexcusable." Twitter @BlazerFreeman

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews 

Few players are as integral to the their team’s offensive success as Houston’s James Harden, who is averaging 26.4 points – third in the NBA – heading into the Rockets' game Friday against the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden. That will mean a busy evening for Harden’s friend, Blazers guard Wesley Matthews, who will be the primary defender on Harden. “You gotta take a lot of bullets,” Matthews said of Harden. “He’s going to keep coming at you, they’re going to keep throwing the ball at him. He’s going to be aggressive. You’re going to have 7-footers trying to take your head off setting screens to get him open looks. I look forward to that matchup.” Oregonian

Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews, James Harden 

However, the same two issues popped up for the Trail Blazers: Defending and lack of bench production. Last night marked five out of six games where the Trail Blazers have allowed opponents to shoot over 50 percent from the field and the Spurs shot a whopping 57 percent. “I can't put my finger on it,” Wesley Matthews said. “It's something we have to correct somehow, but I can't tell you right now what it is.” CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews 

It's only six games in, but to sit back and dismiss that the bench play isn't an issue, is illogical. “I'm more concerned about what happens on the court when they're in the game than actual numbers, points, rebounds,” head coach Terry Stotts said after the game. “Like I said, the bench was a positive in the first half and we had a bad stretch, a horrible stretch and obviously we scored enough points to win. It's not about bench production, we scored points.” CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews, Terry Stotts 

As the temperatures dip to near-freezing levels this weekend and the reality of a cold and rainy winter surfaces in Portland, the logic behind Wesley Matthews’ pet project comes into sharper focus. It’s cold. People are in need. Many of them could use a warm coat. “Unfortunately, you see a lot of people who are homeless or in need and it’s rainy here,” said Matthews, the Trail Blazers' starting shooting guard. “So I decided this was something I could do to help a lot of people and really cement myself in this community.” Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews 

For the third consecutive year, Matthews has partnered with Fred Meyer to collect new and “gently used” coats as part of what has become an annual effort to provide a little warmth for those in need. Matthews’ first two coat drives have produced 1,100 coats and he is optimistic this year’s effort will be even more fruitful. Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews 

Stephen Curry: If any #DUBS fans see @wessywes2 though, punch him in the gut for me lol Twitter @StephenCurry30

Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews, Stephen Curry 

Joe Freeman: Stotts says the #Blazers starting lineup entering camp will be: Damian Lillard, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, LA and J.J. Hickson. Twitter @BlazerFreeman

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, Damian Lillard 

Wesley Matthews: Listening to NAS is like having a conversation with @Jamal Crawford #kickinknowledge Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley Matthews, Jamal Crawford 

For months, Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews has lobbied for Kaleb Canales to become the team’s permanent head coach. But that possibility vanished Tuesday, when general manager Neil Olshey hired Dallas Mavericks assistant Terry Stotts instead. “Initially, I was a little shocked,” Matthews said. “I thought Kaleb was definitely going to get that job. But after talking to Neil and hearing his reasons, I’m excited. Coach Stotts brings championship experience and I think that’s huge. That’s somewhere we see ourselves in the near-near future.” Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Coaching, Neil Olshey, Wesley Matthews, Kaleb Canales, Terry Stotts