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By Dan Christopherson, KOIN Local 6 Sports Director
Who doesn't love a party? Especially a party six years in-the-making and the whole city's invited? A celebration that runs a couple weeks, is theme-oriented (red & black required) inspires high-fives, spine-tingling twists and turns and a few victory dances along the way?
Okay, so the law disguised in Rockets uniforms barged in and threw everybody out before they were ready to go (remind us to leave Ron Artest off the future guest list). Portland didn't get to say a proper goodbye and thank the hosts. But what a thrill ride it was, this first Blazers playoff ball in more than a half-decade. And the best part if you had a blast? It promises to be an annual bash for years-to-come.
But now comes the worst part: The day-after clean up. You look around, survey the damage, smile at the signs of the good times and memories, roll-up your sleeves and get to work restoring things. That's the job facing Head Coach Nate McMillan and General Manager Kevin Pritchard. They're tidying up on this day after the playoff exit, meeting with each player individually to talk about the season past and look ahead to the future.
For most players--the Blazer core--they'll get a rock-solid invitation to rejoin the festivities next fall. A few will be on shakier ground. Even the top contenders make off-season changes, so we can be pretty sure that some of the players fans have loved and rooted for in the past few years won't be around when training camp reconvenes.
In the Blazers' long-term plan, management has been pointing to the summer of 2009 as the first shot to make a big roster move or two. The plans are right on schedule, maybe even slightly ahead of schedule coming off a 54-win season.
They won't have quite as much salary cap space to work with. Darius Miles refusal to go quietly into his retirement years took care of that. But they'll have enough to sign a quality free agent who wants to join what is looking like the up-and-coming NBA team over the next five-or-so years. And with Pritchard orchestrating things, you can bank on at least one off-season trade.
Despite several trade-deadline temptations in mid-February, Pritchard opted to wait for his favorite time to reshape his roster--the summer. He's been at his best making moves on draft day, and while the Blazers won't have a lottery pick for the first time in Pritchard's G.M. tenure, they will have some coveted pieces to work with.
Draft night doesn't figure to be as intriguing to Blazer fans this time around, unless Pritchard swings a deal for a veteran in late June. This team doesn't need another rookie. This team needs a proven scorer to take some of the load off Brandon Roy. This team needs another veteran presence who has been to the playoffs before and can help steady 'em though next year's post-season run.
And without question, this team can't afford to upset its positive team chemistry. The next front line Blazer doesn't have to be a choir boy. But he can't be a malcontent, either. This is Brandon Roy's team, and they're hoping it becomes LaMarcus Aldridge's team in the coming year, too, with Greg Oden emerging as a leader once he truly gets his footing in this league.
Players with heart, players who want to win and players who are good guys in the community: That's the face of the 2009-2010 Trail Blazers. The next front line Blazer needs to fit that profile, and you can count on Pritchard's staff not settling for less.
The Blazer management team 10 years ago felt it had to bring in questionable characters to keep the championship window from closing. The current brain trust has worked too hard and struck gold too many times to get desperate. They'll painstakingly scout, research and find the player or players who will fit the culture they're building here.
Sure, they might have to take a small gamble. Any change this summer will threaten to tweak the chemistry. While it would seem to be a priority to land a fearless scorer who wants the ball and can perform under the ultimate pressure, that player has to accept that Roy is end game option #1. Pritchard's team will identify the veterans who might be available and zero in on the player who will best fit the Blazers way of doing things. And then they'll go after that player.
Only time will tell if they'll be successful, but this is the summer to strike. The Blazers were clearly not quite ready for the playoff party in their first go-round, but Roy, Aldridge and the core group got a taste of what's it's all about. They'll use that as fuel to earn their way back, and try and make the fun last longer the next time.
And sometime this summer, or maybe in the early fall, look for at least one new Blazer to join the party.
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By Dan Christopherson, KOIN Local 6 Sports Director
It's going to happen, folks. The core group of this current Blazers team is going to win a road playoff game. And then they're going to win another. And another. And then it's going to become second nature.
And when this all transpires, Blazer fans can look back on where it all began. That first important playoff road win. The day they scaled the barrier and never looked back. The breakthrough post-season game on enemy ground.
Tonight could be that night.
The Game 6 odds are stacked against them in Houston, where Portland teams have lost 12 of the last 13. The relevant number is four: All four Blazer games in the Toyota Center this season have ended in defeat, including Games 3 and 4 of this series in the past week.
The Rockets just seem to have a knack of grinding out home wins when they see those Blazer black jerseys coming at 'em. Chalk it up to the heart of Shane Battier, the problematic reach of Yao Ming, that scrappy bench and Rick Adelman's crafty coaching.
And while the Blazers almost stole one of those first two in Houston--in the playoffs, 'almost' only gets you eliminated. They haven't broken through, and they'll face a tough road getting it done in Game 6.
But when it finally happens, I see a light going on. This is a Blazer team building on every experience. A few years ago, they showed flashes of substance. Last year, they were only good enough to win half and lose half, and the NBA still didn't take them seriously. This year, they're on everyone's Most Improved Team list, but still overlooked when it comes to talk of serious title contenders.
Why? They haven't beaten many quality teams on the road. Championship contenders go into other arenas and play like they own the place. Not every time, but enough to seize momentum in every series. These young Trail Blazers haven't taken that step yet. But you can see it developing. They've had their moments. And one of these days, it's all going to come together.
On paper, they seem to be one steady veteran scorer short. And maybe another tested playmaker. Another year or two of Greg Oden growing into his game and becoming a more consistent force. An All-Star season out of LaMarcus Aldridge. And continued health and well-being for Brandon Roy. Management has told us it wants this "cake to bake." And if they watch it carefully, add a key ingredient here or there and apply just the right heat, Portland might feast on a championship down the road.
That's right, down the ROAD. How far down? That's up to this '09 Blazer team. They've arrived at the crossroads in Houston. One more big shot at a breakthrough.
Wait 'til next year? Add a veteran or two? Stand by for Oden to emerge? That's the formula in the recipe book. That's on paper. This Blazer team has the power in Game 6 to tear that page out and write its own playoff blueprint. They don't have to accept the standard timeline. Tonight could be the night.
And when it finally happens, the Rip City Uprise will truly have wings.
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A Date With ‘Miss I.V.’ = Poison I.V. To Houston
by Tim Becker, KOIN Local 6 Sports Department
He’s a magician. A master of disguise. A man who masks the truth better than any politician you’ll ever shake hands with…. well, almost.
Because if Brandon Roy was sick before Tuesday’s game 5 of the Blazers-Rockets series…
If he was laying flat on a table somewhere with an I.V. needle in his arm taking in vital fluids…
If he was anything less than the rock-steady All-Star player we’ve come to know, it didn’t show out there on the floor. Especially in the fourth quarter, when he duped the Rockets into submission. Except this was no illusion. It was very real. Another dazzling display of will-power, heart, and determination. The Blazers disarmed the ticking time-bomb that Houston can be down the stretch of big games, with a 15-nothing run. Mr. Roy scored nine of those 15 points, and the outcome was never in doubt again.
Doubt. We should know better. When Roy’s teammates and coach said Monday that he’d 'be fine,' and ‘ready to play’ despite missing practice with flu-like symptoms, we sort of believed. But somewhere deep inside, some also wondered, and some doubted.
It was only after the 88-77 win that Brandon revealed his date with ‘Miss I.V.’ before the game; That he felt “lousy” after the morning shoot-around, and so arrived at the Rose Garden early for the I.V. treatment that he says, made all the difference in that final quarter:
“I struggled throughout the game to catch my second wind, but late, I finally felt good, I finally had some bounce to my step and was able to make some baskets to help my team win this game…”
And the Rockets never knew what hit them--- even when Roy was out of sorts--- for two reasons:
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Because Roy wasn’t himself during most of game 5, his teammates were forced to shoulder the work-load even more---a mentality Roy says they need to keep--- even when he’s 100 percent healthy. It worked. They moved better, played better, passed better, shot better, defended better, and rebounded better.
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When Roy did find his ‘second wind,’ it was like a wicked change-up pitch that struck-out the Rockets at home-plate; A fluttering knuckleball that had Houston players flailing their bats aimlessly. Suddenly, they had to deal with the best player in the other uniform again, and they simply didn’t know what to do.
So bring on Game VI in Houston. Because if a date with ‘Miss I.V.’ did the trick, I’ll excuse Brandon for stepping-out for a day. He has the Rockets all scratching their heads right now.
But it’s not just their heads that itch: The Rockets developed a bad rash all over during Game-5 Tuesday night in Portland. They think it’s the pressure to win Game-6 and avoid first-round elimination for a seventh straight season.
I think it’s a bad case of Poison I.V.
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Tim Becker—KOIN Local Six
I woke up Monday Morning with a hang-over. Funny thing is, I didn’t have a single fermented thing to drink Sunday night.
I wondered . Then I remembered: A belly-full of the Blazers-Rockets series. That’s the culprit! That sort of concoction will do it to you every time, especially when it’s laced with copious amounts of ‘oh-so-close-but-we-still-lost-in-the-end’ disappointment. The Blazers lost the last two games by grand total of four points. And Sunday’s 89-88 loss is the real mind-boggler; One point is what separates Portland from having this series all-square at 2 wins each, and being down 3 games to 1. Chew on that too long, and it’ll turn your taste buds into pungent swamp-mud.
One less shot for Houston.
One more rebound at the right time for the Blazers.
One less foul called on Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla.
One more chance to get the ball to Rudy Fernandez.
If only.
And it’s not just game-4, which brings me back to the mud. With the exception of the game-1 blow-out by Houston, this entire series has felt like running a marathon smack-dab in the middle of a swamp. And the Rockets are the Creature from the Black Lagoon that just keeps bubbling up from the muck to scare-up a win in the end. Can anyone kill the monster? And if so, how will they do it? Will it attack again?
It’s like the Rockets backed-up a truck before it all began, and dumped a festering, thick load of tar on the magical road the Trail Blazers were driving down all season. I’ve never been more exhausted--mentally and physically--from watching an NBA playoff game or series. I know the Blazers can’t say the same from playing in it, because they’re so young that they’ve never been here before.
But I have. And the fans have. And we’re all wondering if we’ll wake up with another hang-over on Wednesday morning. (Burp!)
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Dan Christopherson, KOIN Local 6 Sports DirectorMaking the long walk through the Houston airport concourse, gift shops left and right feature the expected Western fare along with t-Shirts, mugs and magnets with a red, white and blue statement: "Don't Mess With Texas."  Leaving Games 3 and 4 of this playoff series behind, the Blazers definitely dared to tangle with a certain NBA team from the Longhorn State, but falling short of bringing home a playoff victory goes down as a mission unaccomplished. Houston, Texas hoop fans are feeling mighty proud today. Put a scare in us, Trail Blazers, fine. Take your shots at beating the Rockets, just don't make 'em when it matters most. Don't Mess With Texas. In the locker room following the 89-88 near miss defeat, several Blazers talked about how this year's playoff run is a learning experience, how they're soaking it all in and, win or lose, will emerge a better team. This is this group's first trial by fire in late April, and you have to go through it before you truly grasp what it's all about. Playoff basketball is a higher level of intensity. If you made it to the first two games in Portland, you felt it. We experienced it at the Houston Toyota Center, in its own way. When your P.A. Announcer has to tell the fans, "Brandon Roy at the line for two LOUD free throws," urging the crowd to try and distract him, well, it's clear Rocket Mania is not quite as instinctive and pure as Blazer Mania. But back to the point: In the playoffs, you have to approach every play with urgency. The Blazers get that. They've been talking about it all series. They just haven't quite been able to act on it yet. Take Game 4. It followed the general formula for a young team learning its way on the road: Start slow, galvanize and make an energetic run to get back in it, only to lose focus on the key possessions in the final minutes. Why the slow start? They want to play with more urgency at tip off, but they just haven't reached that level of team maturity yet. These guys are young, proud and most comfortable playing the underdog rallying from behind, especially on the road. They did it again last night. Down double digits, Travis Outlaw relaxed and buried some big shots. LaMarcus Aldridge did the same. But when it came down to the final minutes, in a relatively hostile enviroment, they turned it over a couple times, just couldn't quite secure an important rebound, and watched Yao Ming and Shane Battier shoot Houston to victory. And when they had a shot to tie, when everybody in the arena knew Brandon Roy was going to get the ball, the Blazers needed another veteran presence out there who wanted to take--and make--the big shot. Instead, Roy tried to make something happen and was called for an offensive foul. He went down battling, as he always does. His teammates played hard, too. But as a unit, they just were missing that steadiness that an experienced team has at playoff crunch time. They'll get there. It just doesn't happen overnight. Coach Nate McMillan said it: This series is not over. First team to win four games is the winner. It's 3-1 Rockets. Based on what we've seen in this Blazers team all year, I envision another rousing Rose Garden Tuesday night and a determined home team jumping on the Rockets early and often. Will they win Game 5? It'll likely come down to those key possessions at the finish, and Portland has a much better chance at success on the home court. If they make it happen, then it's back to Houston to face a Rockets franchise that hasn't won a single playoff series since 1997. They're 0 for the last 6. Maybe the ghosts of playoff failures past will start to creep in. Maybe something will click and the Blazers will have a road breakthrough. Maybe. But these things take time. No Blazer fan should be satisfied with a first round playoff exit. And you wouldn't tolerate that from the players. You want them to battle hard to the finish, and we've seen this team do that all year. As Coach McMillan said, it will be interesting to see now how much fight this team has left. If they can take the battle to the Rockets at the Rose Garden, they can send this series back to the land where everything's bigger: Hats, hospitality and airports. And maybe by then, they'll be ready to MESS WITH TEXAS.
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By Dan Christopherson
Mark down the date, Trail Blazer fans: April 21, 2009. There may be dozens upon dozens of playoff wins in the Blazers' future, and maybe a championship banner somewhere down the road. But Tuesday night's all-heart 107-103 victory over the Rockets goes down as the first. The first time Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden and their band of Blazer brothers can bask in some playoff glory.
And, oh, what a memorable breakthrough. For the second straight game, Houston applied some serious pressure by hitting exactly half of its shots. Granted, Yao Ming only put up six of his own, a puzzling number for a player who tossed a perfect game in the opener. But while Yao disappeared, once again Aaron Brooks fueled the Rockets with 23 and they had they had a fighting chance to go up 2-0 in the series.
It's just that Brandon Roy and the Blazers fought harder. It became Roy's game to win or lose, and there was really nothing the Rockets could do about it. Portland's two-time all star personally saw to it his team would not fall behind 0-2 with a 42-point outburst, tied for the second most in franchise playoff history. Not a bad way to win your first playoff game.
What fans saw Tuesday night was Brandon Roy planting the playoff seeds that may someday yield an NBA championship in the Rose Garden. The guy simply WOULD NOT LOSE. How many Trail Blazer superstars in the team's 40-year history have shown that kind of leadership and resolve in playoff battle? Put Bill Walton in that class. Clyde Drexler? He definitely carried Portland to the highest levels, but when his Blazer teams were on the championship doorstep in '90 and '92, Clyde could have used another pillar of strength on his side who simply wasn't going to exit the court without finding a way to win.
As this season has unfolded, we've seen Roy emerge as one of those rare "refuse-to-lose" team leaders. Michael Jordan had that in him. Bird. Magic. In today's game, put that ball in Kobe's court, LeBron and Dwayne Wade, too. And while Roy hasn't won on those players' level quite yet, we're seeing the champion in him starting to break out. Just ask the Houston Rockets.
Better yet, ask Kobe Bryant. I watched Roy and Kobe go at it in the Blazers-Lakers final regular season showdown. Roy didn't give an inch to the great #24. He looked right though him all game, and didn't back down when Kobe tried to exert his will in the fourth quarter. It was almost as if Roy realizes now that he doesn't need to take a back seat to anyone, ANYONE in the league. The Blazers might not quite be at that championship level, but Roy senses it is time to lead this group by fearing no one, and carrying his teammates home when necessary.
Tuesday night was one of those times. Ron Artest launched an array of fadeaways early, Von Wafer went off in the middle and Brooks got in a shooter's zone late. Brandon Roy took all that in, snatched the ball, stepped back and shot Portland into a 1-1 series tie. He wasn't leaving the Rose Garden floor without it. And he found a way to lead 'em there.
Of course, it was a team effort. LaMarcus Aldridge played like an All-Star, attacking the Rockets' defense inside and opening things up for Roy, Rudy and Steve Blake to do their outside damage. Greg Oden's numbers won't jump out at you, but he locked arms with Yao Ming at one point and rattled him, and that rebound-dunk off a Roy miss all-in-one-motion was a turning point.
It's only one victory. It's mission accomplished for the Rockets, taking one game in Portland and heading back to Houston with homecourt advantage. Coach Rick Adelman will have them ready for Game 3 Friday, and the Blazers will have to be even better to stay in striking distance.
But if they do, they have the one player in this series who can carry his team to victory in the clutch: Not Yao. Not Artest. He's #7 in Blazer red and black. Brandon Roy just got his first taste of playoff success. No telling where it's going to take the Blazers next.
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By Dan Christopherson
If you were around for the Trail Blazers' glory year in 1977, you'll recall how a young nucleus (Bill Walton-24, Maurice Lucas-25, Lionel "Train" Hollins-23) came together and led the franchise to its first-ever playoff appearance. And almost out-of-nowhere, feeding off an "us against the world" mentality, that Jack Ramsay-led band of underdogs shocked the NBA and brought home the championship.
It was a magical run. And maybe as the '09 post-season unfolds, this young Blazer team--led by 20-somethings in their first playoffs--will catch a wave and ride it a long way, too. But NBA history shows that more often than not, emerging contenders have to take their playoff lumps for a few years before reaching that championship level. Detroit's "Bad Boys" had to get by the Lakers. Michael Jordan's Bulls got a few hard lessons from Detroit before finally breaking through. Even Shaq and the Lakers needed time (and Phil Jackson) to figure out how to win. It's a building process.
That doesn't mean the Blazers are happy just to be here. We've seen the fire Brandon Roy has to win, and ask guys like Joel Przybilla if they're satisfied with being a playoff team. They've proven all year they're a hungry young team that no longer looks up to, or backs down from, anybody.
And that's why most expect the Blazers to bounce back strong in game two tonight. Houston might just have the personnel, and the mismatches, to squeeze out another win. But we've seen how the Blazers have responded all year, and they just don't get blown out two games in a row.
This '09 playoff run is a learning experience for Roy, Aldridge, Oden and Rudy... but it's also their first early test of championship mettle. As far as the NBA goes, the playoffs are what reveals a team's character. I'm not saying a game two loss means they don't have character. Character is not about wins and losses. Team character is revealed by how a team responds to adversity, regardless of the outcome.
We've seen the Blazers' gritty character show up in places like New Orleans and San Antonio and right here in Portland throughout the season. After a tough loss, they almost always come back strong. That's what we'll be looking for tonight in game two. A team more focused on staying connected on defense, and finding each other on offense. A team that doesn't let Houston's inevitable runs knock them off its game. And a team that really feeds off the crowd's energy and uses that to rattle the Rockets, from Yao Ming to Aaron Brooks to that unsung Houston bench.
I'd be surprised if the Blazers fall flat like they did in game one. Think about it. This team has relished playing the role of the underdog. Well, after the red hot regular season finish, rolling over playoff contenders and winning homecourt advantage, the Blazers woke up at playoff time as a first-round favorite. Then came that fantastic Pioneer Square Rip City Uprise Rally, when all of Portland celebrated the accomplishment of making the playoffs.
For the Blazers, the job's not done. Saturday proved they're not the team to beat. There are whispers questioning if this team will lose again tonight, and if they'll get steamrolled by the Rockets in four or five games.
They're underdogs again. It's time to show their true character. Maybe they have Houston right where they want 'em.
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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.
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By Tim Becker/KOIN Local 6 Sports
The Trail Blazers marketing department had to come up with a slogan—something to hang their collective hats on for this “Fan-demonium” that’s sweeping Portland in the wake of the team’s playoff renaissance. That’s how it works. I understand that. You can’t go to war without a battle-cry, a mantra, a ‘raison d’etre’, if you will.
And “Rip-City Uprise” seems to be doing the job just fine.
But… I have a problem with it.
We’ve just spent the last six months watching this team blossom into a fiery red and black bouquet that now represents the Rose City; A team successful enough to hand Nate McMillan his best season ever as a head coach with 54 wins. A team that beat the defending champ Boston Celtics despite playing WITHOUT all-star Brandon Roy. A team that blew out the best-in-the-West Lakers, 111-94, in March, and so on…
Six months of steadily-growing success, and ever-increasing dominance over opponents. That, my friends, WAS the Rip-City Uprise.
This whole playoff thing is different; What lies ahead is something new, something special, something that promises to test the NBA’s second-youngest roster like a final exam in an advanced physics class at M.I.T.
Because the Trail Blazers are about to enter a whole new world. A physical, and grinding, and rigorous best-of-seven series, against one of the toughest defenses the NBA could possibly throw at them. The roily Houston Rockets will try to bang, and bruise, and bully them into submission. And the Blazers can’t give in like they did in the two regular-season losses at Houston. Roy was held to 24-of-61 shooting in those two games. That won’t be acceptable now. Or ever again. Not in the playoffs.
So it’s time to look ahead to what will be, and not back at the season that was; We witnessed the ‘Uprise’ first-hand for six months. Now it’s time for the ‘Throw-Down’. Because playoff basketball in the NBA is a new world, one that leaves little room for error; One that requires stamina; One that rewards the team most willing to put forth a physical effort that the opponent can’t match.
It’s time to THROW-DOWN !
But just one caveat: Don’t do it when the guys with the whistles are watching.
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