I grabbed the ol' basketball out of the garage yesterday to shoot some hoops with my son on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.  I found the ball a bit deflated.  And it made me think of how Blazer fans around the city must be feeling after the Rockets' perfect playoff launch that rattled Portland's basketball universe:  Deflated.

And who can blame you?  This team has been on a steady rise all year, and the regular season finish--10 wins in the last 11 games--gave Rip City a shot of playoff fever it hadn't experienced in nearly a decade.   Huge late season wins over the Suns, Jazz, Spurs, Lakers and Nuggets.  A jam-packed Pioneer Courthouse Square for Thursday's playoff parade.  Comparisons to the '77 Blazers, who parlayed youth, playoff inexperience and teamwork to bring home the franchise's only championship.

But then came Saturday night's shocking reality check:  Yao Ming literally couldn't miss.  Aaron Brooks toyed with the defense like he was freewheeling back in the Oregon Ducks' backcourt against a Pac-10 also-ran.  And the Rockets were totally in their comfort zone, far too relaxed for a road playoff team facing a loud, frenzied crowd of 20,000 plus.

So what happened?  No question, the Blazers appeared "jittery" on the floor, as Brandon Roy described it.  Their defense wasn't unified, and the offense seemed to press playing catchup and could never find a groove.  At one point, I looked around and asked, "Who's the home team here?"  The Rockets played loose and focused and took away homecourt advantage by making themselves right at home at the Rose Garden.

I can't imagine Blazer fans replaying that horror flick on their Tivos, but as the Blazers pour over the game tape today, they'll be able to clearly see where they were a step slow rotating on defense, and where they didn't put their own shooters in the positions where they're most comfortable.

Bottom line, Portland just took Houston's best shot, and it was a staggering first-round blow to the gut.   Does anyone think the Rockets can do it again in Portland?   If they can--especially in front of Tuesday's hostile crowd--well, we're watching a real contender, not a Rockets team that has dealt with its own first-round playoff demons for more than a decade.

After watching this Trail Blazer team all year, we can expect a resilient Blazer team to answer the bell for round two.  We've seen it time and time again this season.  Once they get knocked down, team leaders like Brandon Roy set their jaws and attack with more fire the next time out.  It's the fighting spirit that defined the Blazers' late-season run.  Philadelphia beat 'em at the Rose Garden March 23rd, and people start whispering "It's a playoff atmosphere now, how will they respond?"   Well, the next time out, they ripped Phoenix by 20 and pretty much ended the Suns' playoff hopes.  And what about April 5th, when the Rockets held 'em off in Houston?  Next time out, with homecourt advantage really hanging in the balance, the Blazers rallied from 19 down to shock the Spurs in San Antonio.

This Blazer team is young.  Their core players have almost no playoff experience.  But Saturday, they got a taste, and they can feed off that now.  Granted, Houston's a tough matchup.  At 7-feet-6, Yao Ming can get off any shot he wants at any time.  But he hasn't felt Portland's counter-punch yet.  He can expect to get it Tuesday night.

Okay, the ball's deflated.  It's another beautiful day outside.  Time to pump some air back into Rip City, and watch how the Blazers bounce back.