A Season Over - Rockets Take Down Blazers in Six

Tonight just doesn't feel right.  It's hard to think that everything has come to an end.  It's not that I actually believed this team would make a deep run at a championship, but I didn't think they'd lose now.  It just feels like there should be more.

Without going into some long ass depressing post, I need to sleep on this and come back with some reflections for tomorrow.  This marks a pretty special time for me personally as a blogger.  I've been blogging for over 2 years now, but this is my first full NBA season without losing interest or moving on to something else.  So this will take some time to think about before I just run off a bunch of thoughts.

It's been a wild one...thanks to everyone.  We're definitely not going anywhere!

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Brandon Roy Playoff Commercial - Real?

Ran into this NBA Playoffs ad on Youtube today. The uploader says that it went unplayed during the pre-playoffs coverage and has "never been seen before." Anyone catch this commercial?

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Blaze of Glory Playoffs - 4/30/2009

 (Photo - Canzano.  Love it!)

The Blaze of Glory is your almost-daily link list of Blazer blog ridiculousness and other random Blazers info. If you ever want your Blazer blog featured, make sure to drop us a line unless your name is Dwight Jaynes. (Kidding!)  

• Rudy lands on the All-Rookie second team.  Congrats!  [Behind the Beat]
  
• Canzano's fanstatic article that is pissing off China/Houston.  [John Canzano]
  
• Our buddy Von Wafer is out tonight.  We'll miss that trainwreck.  [Houston Chronicle]
• The enemy does not want another 4th quarter collpase.  [Dream Shake]
• Should the NBA shorten the regular season?  [USA Today]
• A real look at who the youngest NBA team is.  [Golden State of Mind]
• Nate Robinson cracks top 10 in jersey sales.  Right.  [Seattle PI]
  

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Trade Blazers Themed Pipes for Playoff Tickets?

It looks like one creative Portlander really needs some playoff tickets!  OK, not sure if creative is quite the right word there...would you be willing to trade a game 7 ticket for these bad boys?

 

 

So if you are into smoking some cherry flavored...tobacco...this is the post for you!  Wait, maybe this guy smoked a little too much cherry flavored baccy; doesn't he know that you can't get game 7 tickets yet?

(Via Ball Don't Lie.)

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Ron Artest Thinks Brandon Roy is Better than Kobe

How can you not love Ron Artest?  There are certain people in this world that need to have a reality show done about them or at least a microphone in front of their face at all times.  Ron-Ron would be one of those guys...


(Via You Been Blinded.)

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Going Back to Houston, Houston, Houston

Aside from my lost voice, sore throat and hangover, today is a pretty damn good day.  It's the one day we have to recuperate before we do it all over again on Thursday which hopefully leads to another day off so that we can REALLY do it all over again on Saturday.  I just have a few thoughts from last night, so in classic bulleted format, we'll just lay these out for you.

• During the starting lineups, the lighting displays the signature of the Blazers player that is about to be announced in sort of a swirling motion.  So last night, as Roy is getting announced, I look over to the Rockets bench and sure enough, Von "Ton" Wafer deliberately walks over and does a little warmup dance on top of Brandon's signature.  Take what you want from it, but karma is a huge b***h.

• Foul differential of 12 in favor of Portland.  A big thanks to Nate for those comments and the $25K hit?  Or maybe just a more aggressive style of play from "your" Portland Trail Blazers?  You decide.
  

• Carl Landry +6...the rest of the Rockets all in the negatives.

• Aaron Brooks is going to be one hell of a player in this league and for Oregonians, it's pretty cool to see.  Also nice to see him get a positive round of applause during announcements.  However, 6 of 20 from a guy who's technically the third option and barely out of his college diapers, is not cutting it.

• Coaching move of the year - Rudy comes in early off the bench?  An immediate impact from Fernandez that set the tone for the entire game.  Sure, the Rockets made a couple of runs, but Rudy's energy really made the difference.  I'm sure Shane Battier is feeling like he just ran a half-marathon.

• Speaking of Battier...Mr. Walnut buzzed the head again.  You know how we feel about sports and superstitions.  Not a good choice!
  

• We begged for Ron Artest to continue to shoot and he let us down by only chucking up 9 shots.  Fortunately for our cause, he continued to underwhelm in every other category as well.  Keep it up big guy.

• Is Luis Scola cracking the top 5 on the Blazers Fanbase's Most Hated list?  Not sure I could even count the number of signs I saw last night related to his greasy mop.  The girl sitting next to me even belted out a "Get a hair cut!" just 10 seconds into the 1st quarter.  That must be a record.  And the Przybilla vs. Yao "eat the head!" sign was an instant classic.  You can view it on ESPN Classic this afternoon at 3:30.

• Nice work again Brandon and LaMarcus.

Any other thoughts you had from last night?

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Yahoo Sports Loves Celtics Dancers...Oops?

I just love the fact that this picture made it into Yahoo's NBA photo rotation from last night.  Not sure if this is quite up to "FAIL" level, but it's gotta be pretty damn close.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the editor over there probably didn't want a Celtics Dancer's special parts in full form running through it's photo section.

Now, I love the Celtics Dancers as much as the next guy, but when a professional photog is snapping candids like this, the world is a better place. Nice work camera guy!  And nice work to the backroom image-uploading intern!

And at some point, it'll be gone from the photo-roll, so we've grabbed it for your long lasting, viewing pleasure.

And in case you were wondering, this fabulous blonde Celtics Dancer is none other than Ms. Alison.  For more of this flexible beaut, check out her video at Celtics.com.  And how about some pictures as well?

 

 

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Nate McMillan Fined $25,000 for Comments on Refs

After expressing his feelings towards the refereeing over the first 4 games of the series, Nate McMillan was slapped with a $25,000 fine.  There were 2 other coaches involved, including the guy from the other bench.

The NBA has fined three coaches for publicly criticizing referees during the NBA playoffs.

Houston's Rick Adelman, Portland's Nate McMillan and Boston's Doc Rivers all were penalized $25,000.

I'm glad that Nate came out and said what he said.  I've been waiting all season for "Sarge" to step up and take one for the team.  Too often it feels like he is unwilling to take a technical or say something to the media when his team needs it. 

So how will tonight shape up? Loose? Tight?

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One Quick One - Rockets vs. Blazers Game 5

There really is no need for a pep talk or some pre-game breakdown is there?  After 4 games, I think we all know what needs to happen for the Blazers to win.  So at this time, all I'll say is...

LET'S GO BLAZERS! 

SEE YOU ALL AT THE ROSE GARDEN! 

TIME TO GET LOUD!

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Greg Oden and Oregon Mentors - NBA Cares

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A Trip Around the NBA - 4/28/2009

Every now and then instead of focusing completely on the Blazers, we like to spread some love to our friends around the world covering the greatest game on Earth.

• 40 year old women love them some Derek Fisher.  [Hoop Doctors]
• Barack Obama is the P-I-G machine.  [DIME]
  
• Dwyane Wade knocks up Gabrielle Union?  [Moondog Sports]
• D-Wade also starring in a new movie.  [Cuzoogle]
  
• Carnival of the NBA #64!  [Baller Blogger]
• 11 questions from the Playoffs weekend.  [on 205th]
• Michael Wilbon the bowler.  [InGameNow]
• The best moves in the history of the NBA.  [Sportige]
  

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Six NBA Players in Need of a Jayson Williams Tasering

Former shotgun spokesman Jayson Williams, had an episode with police in a New York City hotel room Monday after trashing the room and apparently coming off as suicidal.  Poor guy,  I figured after blasting someone in the face with a shotgun, 5 years later, he'd be doing just fine!

While tasering seems to be all the rage these days in pig circles, we were wondering which other NBA players are in need of a little shock therapy.  Here's a quick Playoff breakdown...

The "Birdman" Chris Andersen

The guy already has a sweet prison nickname!  And let's not forget that greasy mop and barrage of tattoos he's added to his already cracked out bad boy arsenal.  The scariest part about lambasting Birdman with some extra electricity is the thought that he'd probably enjoy it.

Kevin Garnett's Mouth

How about that game 2, sidelined, v-neck performance?  While always finding a way to come off as the guy with the biggest heart in the game, KG found yet another way to come off as the biggest jerk-off in the game.  He may not have been down on all fours taunting a rookie this time, but he did find that wearing sweater vests makes it even easier to yell obscenities from across an entire arena.

Rasheed Wallace's Game 4 Performance

Retirement Tasering should be the only option for a guy known for his intensity and toughness in big games that decided to mail it in during the final match-up of the 1st round of the Playoffs while trying to avoid a sweep.  Laying an egg with a measly 5 rebounds in 29 minutes for one of the clutch performers in history calls for some shockage.

The New Orleans Hornets

58 point loss in the Playoffs?  50-freakin-8?  Call in S.W.A.T. for a team effort.

Andrew Bynum's Knee

A little shock therapy possibly?  Anything is better than hula hooping and squatting Playboy Bunnies right?  Nothing like a quick nipple zapper to straighten out this young chap's brain.  Wonder when fans across this great country are going to rag on this clown as much as they do Greg Oden? 

Delonte West's Cornrows

Seriously "D" they need to go.  The mini-fro was acceptably cute, but the cornrows, having gone out of style 8 years ago are far overdue.  You know it's all over with when A.I., Melo, Rip, and even Big Bad Ben Wallace lop off the locks.  Next up, Nene.

Anyone we missed?
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It's Von Wafer People - The Blazers Don't Need Him

First off, take a look at this picture as we all need a good laugh.  Eyes closed?

It may seem like this guy has been torching the Blazers this series but the idea that the Blazers should have never let him go is preposterous.  If anyone was listening to Brian Wheeler today, you would know that the Blazers let him go because he was unwilling to put in the extra work to become a better player and secure a spot on anyone's roster.  That's right, he also took this outstanding work ethic with him from team to team before landing with Portland just securing his reputation as someone just looking to cash a paycheck.

If you look at his game log from the series, you will also see that he has far from "torched" Portland.  In his biggest game, racking up 21 points, the Rockets lost, confirming that this guy is nothing more than a below average role playing gunner. 

Do his dunks or 3's seem timely?  Sure they do, but it also helps that he showboats down the court even after a first quarter three as if he had just won the lottery. 

Is this really the kind of guy you want with this team?  Hasn't Kevin Pritchard done an incredible enough job of getting rid of cancers?  Travis Outlaw may have disappeared in this series, but I'll take a Trout anyday over a cookie.
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What if...Durant was Here?

The post that many knew was coming has finally arrived.  What if the Blazers had prolific-scoring-future-perennial-NBA-All-Star Kevin Durant right now instead of foul machine, Greg Oden?  The National Post has it covered.

With Durant and Roy, Portland would have been a legitimate threat to topple the Lakers this year, and in many years to come. With Oden, the Blazers are a nice team that might one day get serious.

This point has been made before, but it's being driven home right now. This is the first playoff run for Portland's collection of young talent, and the first chance to see just what — besides experience — it is missing. And it is missing a third scorer, and another star. Right now, this is Darko Milicic over Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.

Amen.  As angry as Portland fans may be with me for agreeing with Bruce, I just can't help it.  Kevin Durant was the right choice 2 years ago and the impact would have been noticed immediately, not 5 years from now which we can only dream about with Oden.

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Blaze of Love Playoffs - 4/27/2009

The Blaze of Glory is your almost-daily link list of Blazer blog ridiculousness and other random Blazers info. If you ever want your Blazer blog featured, make sure to drop us a line unless your name is Dwight Jaynes. (Kidding!) 

• LaMarcus and Oden invited to Team USA summer tryouts.  [Sports Illustrated]
  
• The man-crush on Brandon Roy just keeps growing.  [The Good Point]
• I agree with Canzano, why did Travis get the shot?  [John Canzano]
  
• Can Portland force a game 6?  [Blazers Blog]
• Blazers not built for the Playoffs?  This guy kidding?  [Fanhouse]
  
• Houston doing the little things to keep winning?  [NBA.com]
• Who knew Chuck Hayes would be the man?  [Dream Shake]
• How about a vote for best series so far in the Playoffs!  [Hardwood Paroxysm]
  

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What Now Blazers?

I'm not sure where to even start this morning after watching another game slip through the Blazers' fingertips.  Aside from the fact that my office is empty, you can almost feel the quiet in Portland this morning.  I'm just not feeling that same energy flowing through everyone's vanes like we had last week.  Obviously over the next few days, a ton of work has to be done to overcome a 3-1 deficit which we all know is something that doesn't happen all that often.  Maybe another Rip City miracle in the making?

And can I just vent for a second?

• Ron Artest is keeping the Blazers in this series - As much as we all hate Ron-Ron, his horrific play is at least keeping these games close.  He shot another whopping 5 of 20 last night while also shelling out 31 points to Brandon Roy.  I know this guy is supposed to be "elite" but this is pathetic.  Keep it up big guy...along with those bicep poses after making a dinky layup.

• Shane Battier...go away - If there is one college basketball program that I could drop a bomb on, it would be Duke's.  And if it is possible to hate another Dukie more than JJ Redick, Shane Battier is the guy.  At least he hasn't buzzed that hair in a while so we're left without having to look at that walnut for another game or so.

• This is entertainment, but come on Refs -  Is it the enormous Chinese audience generating all kinds of revenue for the NBA that's making this such a lopsided foul battle in the post?  Is it just Yao Ming's "star factor"?  I'm just finding it difficult to understand that 2 guys can total 36 fouls in 4 games while the single guy they are guarding has just 12.  Everyone knows that the key to this series is Yao and the dueling 7-footers from Portland, so why is it that these match-ups have been taken from us?

• On second thought, get over it Portland! -  After every blown whistle, all we seem to get is a "WTF?!?!" look from every Portland player.  We all understand that the reffing seems to be lacking in the consistency department, but why make it your problem?  It's almost as if Joel and Greg are expecting fouls to get called on them now rather than just worrying about playing to their strengths or opponent's weaknesses.  It's time to move on, and play with that freelancing aggressive style we saw from this team during the last few weeks of the regular season.
  

• Maybe give Batum some run, eh Mac? -  All season long, Nic Batum was one of the rocks that this team could lean on for a big play, but now that the Playoffs have arrived, it's like he's been shun to the bench for being young.  Why now Nate?  Show me the miraculous things that Travis Outlaw has done in this series while logging 3 times the minutes.  Aside from an ill-advised three in the closing seconds of last night's game, nothing else is standing out.

• Aaron Brooks is still Aaron Brooks - He's the exact evil that Steve Blake has never been able to handle.  Keep expecting consistent contributions from him, but don't expect anymore 27 point All-Star performances.  He'll continue to get his, but the key for Portland remains Yao while forcing guys like Brooks to beat them.  Let's just hope the Rockets find some cold patch that lasts for a full week.

• The offensive glass is no longer Portland's -  Finishing the season as the #1 offensive rebounding team in the league means nothing at this point.  The Rockets are abusing Portland right now and basically running a clinic on how offensive rebounding wins Playoff series.  I will say that Artest bombing bricks from deep isn't helping, especially when he's missing everything so bad that rebounds are coming from free throw line-extended.

• Enough with the fist pumps -  You are scrapping to pull off some solid wins Houston, but enough with the first quarter fist pumps.  Just because you are handed unscathed "and-ones" doesn't mean you're entitled to game-long flexing and Tiger Woods-esque fist jabs.  Time to start acting like you've been there before...well at least in the 1st round anyway.
  

• Just win at home -  As fans, all we want is another memorable performance to add to this remarkable season.  If you are capable of pulling off the unthinkable, then this town will likely explode, but for now, let's just worry about tomorrow night back home at the RG.  We'll be cheering!
  

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DIME Magazine - Brandon Roy Special

If you haven't read the article on Brandon Roy over at DIME yet, then shame on you young one.  Not sure if this is the actual article published in this month's magazine or not, but it is a fantastic read.  We all know the kind of guy Brandon comes off as and this article just re-enforces everything and more.  I'll just grab a couple of highlights, but make sure you head over to DIME and read the rest...

Roy on his newly found spotlight:

“It’s hard to say. On one hand, I want the respect of being a great player, but on the other hand, I don’t like all the attention,” Roy says. “But I definitely feel like a national magazine cover, yeah, that’s great for me. I’ve never done any big magazine covers; I’ve done some local stuff, but on a major magazine? That’s pretty cool. It’s almost like I’m taking that next step to being one of the guys that are, like, stars in the NBA.”

Channing Frye surprised at how good Brandon has become:

“Did I see him being this good? Hell no!” laughs Blazers forward Channing Frye, a University of Arizona product who played against Roy in the Pac-10 while he was at the University of Washington. “His game wasn’t so much different than it is now, I just think his confidence is different now. He’s blossomed.

A story on why we love this kid so much:

“I was working out this summer at this gym. I worked out every day for three months, and it was the last day I was working out. A guy came up to me and was like, ‘I know this might be crazy, but I worked out with you for three months, and I never would have guessed you were anybody special. I heard people talking about you and I went home and asked my son and he went crazy. Like, You worked out with Brandon Roy for three months and you didn’t even know? You never once let off you were better than anybody in the gym.’

Now, get your ass over there and finish it out.  Excellent work as always Austin.

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Blaze of Glory Playoffs - 4/24/2009

The Blaze of Glory is your almost-daily link list of Blazer blog ridiculousness and other random Blazers info. If you ever want your Blazer blog featured, make sure to drop us a line unless your name is Dwight Jaynes. (Kidding!)

• Portland vows to "hit first" tonight in Houston.  [Portland Tribune]
• Travis Outlaw is ready to get hot and end a streak.  [Behind the Beat]
• What's it like to guard Yao?  [SLAM]
• Some thoughts before the game as usual.  [Rip City Project]
• A look back at an incredible man, Dikembe Mutombo.  [Houston Chronicle]
• The "No Layups" game 3 preview from the enemy.  [Dream Shake]
• The other 4 on this list don't even compare to Roy.  [Fox Sports]
  

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A Few Quick Ones - Blazers vs. Rockets - Game 3

• Adjustments?  After splitting the first 2 games of the series, both teams will need to make some minor tweaks here or there to pull an advantage.  Will it be Yao as the aggressor again?  Will the 2-headed Oden/Przybilla monster come back?  Will Roy be forced to give up the ball earlier in offensive sets?  Maybe a swtich to Battier on Brandon?  Maybe a more involved Outlaw? 
  

• Mutombo-less?  When you look at game logs and box scores from Houston's season, Dikembe's name doesn't appear all that often, but when he went down the other night, the Rockets seemed immediately lost.  The depth they needed to compete with the size of Portland was gone.  In any other series, the loss of a 42 year old might not have been felt, but in this series, it could be the decided factor.
  

• No Chance?  ESPN is giving Portland almost zero chance at stealing this game.  That's not surprising and to be truthful, I have to incredible wisdom to counteract that thought.  What I will say though, is that this team has been surprising everyone all season long and this is just another opportunity for this young team to prove how ahead of schedule they are.

• Aldridge?  LaMarcus better be ready to have a career night.  Brandon is going to be taken out of this game from the opening tip so it's imperative that Aldridge has a repeat performance.  Sure, the other role players like Rudy and Travis need to have solid nights, but this really comes down to LaMarcus.
  

• Tickets?  I read a brief article or Tweet yesterday claiming that there were still tickets available to the game in Houston tonight.  And no, it wasn't a joke.  And my love for Portland just keeps growing.
  

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This is a Great Sight - Aldridge and Roy

Seeing the two of them sitting in front of that Playoff screen brings a giant smile to my face.  The future is now...good luck tomorrow boys!

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Nike Blog on Brandon Roy - The Next Big Thing

The Nike Basketball site wrote a nice piece on Brandon Roy after his game 2 performance in which he dropped 42 points on 2 of the best defenders in the entire league.  The article also goes as far as claiming Roy as one of the next big things, possibly surpassing Deron Williams and Chris Paul.  Love it.

As we all know, people are quick to put Utah’s Deron Williams and New Orleans point man at the top of the point guard list. But based on last Tuesday’s performance and a season average of 22.6 points, 5.1 assists, 2.2 steals and 4.6 rebounds, Roy has led his team to a good postseason start and is keeping himself on the radar as the next big thing.

I'm obviously a Blazers fan but I've been making this exact statement for months now.  Chris Paul should never have ended up ahead of Brandon Roy in the MVP voting this year and fortunately for the rest of us, people are starting to put Roy ahead of Deron Williams.  I'm not taking anything away from those 2 as they'll like be hall of famers, but Brandon is due some elite level credit.

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Blazer Dancers in New Playoff Catsuits? Rawr!

 
Anyone else notice those fantastic new Blazer Dancer outfits?  Those would be the new Playoff Dancer uni’s that we are quickly dubbing as the “Catsuits”.  It’s been a while since we’ve had some new and exclusive photos of the hottest dance team in the NBA hasn't it?  We’ll apologize for leaving you hanging but expect many thanks for bringing it home with these lovelies. 

I’m thinking that these rank with the best of them…what do you think?  How can you not love some black knee highs?  Better than the red boy shorts?  Or the Wonder Woman-esque outfits?  The Christmas uni’s are always a favorite.  Anyway, enjoy.

(And a huge thanks to Marissa for these!)

 

(Kim, Taren, Lindsey and Marissa.)

  

(Kassi, Marissa, and Caitlin.)

  

(Marissa, Ione, and Kim.)

  

(Mmmhmm.)

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Mutombo Likely Done...Forever.

After what appeared to be a pretty severe and scary knee injury last night, Dikembe Mutombo is calling his career "over".  Definitely a sad sight to see especially for a guy that seemed almost invincible after all of these years.

Afterward in Houston's locker room, the 7-foot-2 veteran was on crutches and fighting back tears.

"Nobody ever thought they'd be carrying the big guy out like a wounded soldier," he said.

Mutombo, the league's oldest player at 42, will be examined by doctors in Houston on Wednesday.

"Dikembe is one of the statesmen of this league," teammate Shane Battier said. "There's not a better guy. To see him in pain is tough to see. He cares so much about this game that he doesn't want to end his career like that. That's the tragedy of it, too."

So what does this mean for Portland?  Quite a bit actually.

Once 'Tombo went down, the Rockets were immediately reduced in size and depth.  He is in fact, the only back-up to Yao and once he found a little foul trouble, the Rockets also looked in trouble.  With two 7-footers for "your" Blazers splitting minutes and always coming in fresh, you've got think as this series wears on, that Yao will start to wear down.  Especially after the beating he took last night from the many Blazer bigs.

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Blazers Launch on Rockets. Even Series at 1-1. 107-103

Yao Ming was far from flawless last night thanks to a defensive strategy change plus 16 fouls laced between Aldridge, Oden and Przybilla.  The big man was clearly out of sync or at least taken out of sync by the Blazers 2-headed monster which we finally saw together on the court.  The Rockets had other players step up including Von Wafer and then Aaron Brooks in the final minutes, but Portland's big guns were too much.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Someone step over and take an f-ing charge on Von-ton.
• Mutombo going down leaves the Rockets incredibly smaller.
  
• In the Playoffs, you need star power and the Blazers are showing they have it.
• Joey Crawford is almost as bad as Steve Jaavy.
• Pretty incredible game when you look at the bottom line stats.
• Aaron Brooks will get his, it's limiting everyone else that matters.
• I kept thinking Yao and Scola were in foul trouble...somehow they weren't.
• Blazers offense still seems out of sync.  Luckily Roy and LA weren't.
• Joel vs. Artest - keep this in mind as this series progresses.
• Tickets on sale at 10:00AM for game 5!

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Bar Recap:

Without tickets to this game, we scurried our way to Grand Central Restaurant and Bowl about 6:30 to grab a prime spot at the bar.  The crowd had yet to arrive and we were actually a little nervous that this wasn't the right spot to enjoy a playoff game.  Fortunately, by tip-off, the place had pretty much filled up and the bartender was kind of enough to finally change over every TV to the game.  Reminder to all bartenders:  watching the pre-game of a Blazers playoff game is a hell of a lot more important than playoff hockey.

The bar crowd was down for some cheering, yelling and sporting Blazers gear which made it worth it.  The TVs in this place also make it worth a stop if you haven't been there yet.  Food is decent, beer and drink prices are decent...

We all owe a ton of credit to a buddy of ours that showed up for the last few minutes of the 4th which coincided perfectly with the Blazers final push to secure the victory. Cheers. I told you I was superstitious.

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Blazer Dancers from the Uprise Rally

Been a while since we've had our girls up and I deeply apologize.  More to come soon, I promise!

(Suraya, Marissa, and Melissa.)

(Ione, Cristi, and Tina.)

 

  

 

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A Little Reminder for Tonight

Just got chills...

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A Few Quick Ones - Rockets vs. Blazers 4/21

•  Simple as Yao?  Every expert in the game has now called the Blazers idiots for not fronting Yao Ming while every other team in the league has had success doing just that all season long.  I'm guessing we'll see some fronting tonight and hopefully a ton of early double-teams.  The Rockets likely won't shoot the lights out again and as long as Portland harrasses the hell out of Yao-zer, we should see a favorable result.

• Artesttier?  We've been talking so much about the 2-headed monster of Portland, Joel and Greg, but what about the Rockets'?  Ron Artest and Shane Battier have one single goal in this series and that is to take on Brandon Roy.  Brandon will see zero breaks throughout this first round match-up and if Portland plans on advancing, they need Aldridge and the rest of the cast to shine.

• Superstitions?  I wrote yesterday about Roy's suit and their black shoes and it just reminds me how young this team is.  Young kids like to make changes or special tweaks for special occasions when they really just need to focus on the task at hand.  Rather than worrying about traditions or wearing a suit for only the 3rd time all year, maybe you should just be concentrating on the game?

• Go ESPN?  ESPN Accuscore is all over the Blazers, giving them 61% chance at victory which is pretty damn high.  Of course they are playing the numbers game while the rest of us know the Playoffs defy all odds.  The Rockets, sans McGrady, have been defying them all year.

• Sinus Infection?  A sinus infection Greg?  That nonsense seriously makes it to the media?  When playing one of the toughest teams in the league, maybe you should only report an injury when your actual nose falls off or it's broken.  We want to take you seriously, but the team is doing you no favors.

• No Tickets?  Since I left town last Friday and knew I'd miss Saturday's game, I didn't wait in line for 36 hours to get tickets so I'll be roaming around town to find my Playoff watching spot.  Grand Central?  Tortoise?  On Deck? 
  

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Mike Brown Wins Coach of the Year - McMillan Not Even Mentioned

Mike Brown is a worthy recipient of the NBA's Coach of the Year Award as he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the best record in the league and one of the best home court records in history.  Just a couple of years ago, you couldn't fend off the rumors that he should be fired because he wasn't using LeBron correctly or getting enough out of his team or he was too focused on defense or...the list goes on.  So congrats to MB!

Where I do have a problem, is Nate McMillan not even cracking the top 3 in the voting...

The guy coaching the youngest team in the NBA who just led his team to an extra 13 wins this year deserves some serious recognition.  Let me say those two things again, a 13 WIN DIFFERENCE and YOUNGEST TEAM in the NBA.  (Yes technically not the youngest, but that's because of Raef Lafrentz still hanging onto the roster.  Without him, it's easily the youngest.)

Rick Adelman finished 2nd while leading his team to a worse record this year with one of the most veteran squads.  Stan Van Gundy finished 3rd while adding 7 extra wins and probably deserved to be in the top 3.  In fact, you could argue he deserved to win the damn thing.

But seriously, Nate McMillian doesn't find his way anywhere in there?  Time for sports writers to open their eyes...

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Blazers Playoffs Black Shoe Ritual?

One of the first things I noticed in Saturday night's game, was the fact that the team was sporting black kicks with the white uni's.  I seriously shouted out, "WTF?  They never wear black with the whites..."

Sure enough, other people noticed and it sounds like the Blazers added the black shoes to the arsenal because of some Playoff ritual?  I've yet to find out anything on this ritual and would love to hear from someone that knows anything about it.

As a former basketball player, I'm all about the superstitions, so this change to the black shoes from the usual white totally threw me for a loop.  Any little change from a pre-game warm-up time to a shoe color change is always something athletes worry about.  I'm definitely surprised to see the Blazers doing all of these special things just for the Playoffs...

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Brandon Roy - Chalupa King 2008-09

He may not be the MVP this year, but to Brandon Roy, being honored as the Chalupa King for the 2008-09 season is almost as important.

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Worried? Maybe a Little...

Unfortunately for me, I spent the entire weekend back in Montana...wait, maybe that should say "fortunately".  I was able to catch the game in some random sports bar that lacked even one HD-LCD TV.  How am I still sane?  Don't ask.

After marinating on the outcome for a full 9-hour drive, I'm just not that worried.  OK, maybe a little.  Houston is good people and no matter what anyone says, they are better without Tracy McGrady.  They play the same slow ass offensive scheme as the Blazers but beat the hell out of people defensively.  They have a 7'6" guy who actually has skill, a point guard that is coming into his own, and a bad boy to take on the Blazers star.

I've read the rumors of McMillan completely benching Frye again and even looking at the dual-7-foot attack which I'm totally down for.  It's the Playoffs, and having almost zero success against the Rockets calls for immediate change.  Even drastic change.

Oh, I should probably give a shout out to the random guy sporting the camo-Blazers cap in James Bar in downtown Missoula.  Nice to see Blazers fans, even in the sticks.  (Should have Twipic'd that biz, but Montanans may not be Tweeting quite yet.)

Can't wait for Tuesday night.  Damn it feels good to be back in Portland. 
  

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What up Rockets? Ready for Rip City?

Houston fans, let's just break this down for you in the simplest of terms...

It's Been a While -  +1 Portland

Without a postseason series win in 7 years, the Rockets should be a little concerned after tumbling from the 2nd spot in the west all the way to the 5th.  In fact, they haven't seen the second round since 1997 which isn't surprising is it?  Remember, Tracy McGrady is on this team.  You know, the only guy in the history of the league to win a scoring title yet never win a playoff series.

Battier Head vs. Oden Head -  +1 Portland

That wrinkled mess that Shane Battier displays each night is embarrasing and lacks the versatility of our young rookie.  At least when Oden hits the barber shop, he comes out with a 2-for-one hairstyle.  Have you seen those wrinkles?  From the front, it's a cute quaffed fade, but from the back you've got a whole new world.  It's like the new-school mullet:  business in the front, freakish party in the back. The natural cornrow?  Solid.

The Wafer -  -1 Florida State Early Entry

Von might be the only guy in the league to do this one night and then this on another.  And what was that pecking duck move in celebration?  Is that a faux-hawk?  Are those retro-Jordans even though you aren't an MJ sponsored guy?

The Natural -  +1 Portland

Hey Dream Shake, remember this?

Mysterious Euro Man-bands -  +1 Vujacic

I hear enough about Vujacic and his cheerleader "man-band" but how is it that Luis Scola keeps getting overlooked.  Have we decided if he's actually wearing one or not?  The pictures available just aren't doing this injustice...justice.  Your team loses instant credibility when you allow a guy to ear tuck or man-band for longer than 6 months.  In the Lakers case, Kobe outweighs all injustices, but in the Rockets case, T-Mac and Ron-Ron aren't cutting it.

NBA Dance Bracket 1st Round Re-match - Toss Up

Revenge time my lovely ladies.

Seriously though...

It all comes down to the Blazers sudden elite level of play plus the Rose Garden advantage plus some injuries woes with Houston plus Nicolas Batum's French sex appeal plus Travis Outlaw's hammers plus Steve Blake's corner threes plus Ron Artest's album sales plus Brandon Roy's swagga.  Blazers in 6?

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ESPN Playoff Team Rankings - Blazers 6th

ESPN.com is running a poll that allows fans to rank the 16 Playoff teams.  I'm a huge fan of polls, especially when they involve the Blazers.  I find it incredibly interesting and entertaining to see what fans across the country feel about our local northwest franchise.

Here are the current results with my picks on the side:

After last night's beatdown on the Thuggets, I had to put the Blazers in the 5th spot, but as you can see from the rest of the country, they think the Nuggets are the much better team.  And how about that Eastern Conference...Go vote!

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Kevin Garnett - Out Entire Playoffs? Time to Celebrate

Fantastic news from the most obnoxious franchise in the NBA was released this morning:  Kevin Garnett could miss the entire post season.  Rookies and skinny white guys across the NBA will be free from his 4th grade bullying for at least the rest of this season!  Plus, dogs throughout the neighborhoods can stop laughing at his awful impersonations.

Kevin Garnett isn't ready to start the playoffs, and Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Thursday that there's a strong possibility that he will miss the entire postseason.

"He's not going to be ready. After watching him practice, there's no way," Rivers said on WEEI-AM. "The way I saw him move today, I don't know if he'll be ready."

When asked to clarify, Rivers said there was a chance Garnett could be out for the rest of the season. Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said he could not elaborate on Rivers' comments.

Not many were counting the Celtics into making another championship run anyway, but this really ends those chances doesn't it?  Let's just hope  they get knocked out early so we won't be put through the pain of watching Paul Pierce in another wheel chair.
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Rockets vs. Blazers - 1st Round Playoff Schedule

The schedules have finally been released!  Well, they were released late last night at some point, but my lazy body is just crawling out of bed.  The first game will be Saturday night!  Late!  (Too bad I'll be out of town...don't ask.)

Game #1 in Portland
Saturday, April 18
7:30pm Tip-OFF
TV: ESPN and KGW
Radio: 95.5FM The Game
Online at http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com.

Game #2 in Portland
Tuesday, April 21
7:00pm Tip-OFF
TV: NBATV and KGW
Radio: 95.5FM The Game
Online at http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com.

Game #3 in Houston
Friday, April 24
6:30pm Tip-OFF
TV: ESPN and KGW
Radio: 95.5FM The Game
Online at http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com.

Game #4 in Houston
Sunday, April 26
6:00pm Tip-OFF
TV: TNT and KGW
Radio: 95.5FM The Game
Online at http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com.

Game #5 in Portland
Tuesday, April 28
7:00pm Tip-OFF
TV:  NBA TV and KGW
Radio: 95.5FM The Game
Online at http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com.

Game #6 in Houston
Thursday, April 30
6:30pm Tip-OFF
TV: TNT and KGW
Radio: 95.5FM The Game
Online at http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com.

Game #7 in Portland *if necessary
Saturday, May 2
TBD
TV: TNT and KGW
Radio: 95.5FM The Game
Online at http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com.

I can't tell you how refreshing it is to have Blazers games broadcast on something other than the local channels.  The only time I turned to the game last night on KGW was for post game interviews.

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Blazers Clinch 4th Spot - Crush the Thuggets 104-76.

Ready for the Playoffs people?  You damn well better be!  4th spot in the West!  Who the hell could have predicted that at the beginning of the season?  We all thought they'd be limping in to that 7th or 8th spot...we were soooooooooo wrong.

The last set of fantastical bullets of the regular season:

• Carmelo Anthony is officially a whiny little b*tch.
• Birdman was completely taken out of the game tonight.  Head games are lovely.
• No Roy, no LA and the Blazers almost tack on another 30 point win.
• 72 bench points?
• Rudy sets another rookie record, yet gets no consideration for R.O.Y.
• New movie title - "How the Blazers Got Their Groove Back"
• Houston preview post on the way.
  

Plus/Minus Sheet:  (Love me some bench.)

Box Score.

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I Like Kelly Dwyer who Likes Brandon Roy

Most Improved Player is?  Kelly Dwyer thinks that Brandon Roy is this year's MIP.  That's an interesting thing to type as we've always known Roy was a great player, but seeing the stats laid out in front of you makes Kelly's argument extremely valid.

Brandon Roy, a nice player, jumping to superstar-level 24.1 PER? That's a bigger jump. And that's not even taking into account his improved defense (he shuts down small forwards this year compared to last, while doing solid work on shooting guards), something PER can't document.

Still finding myself frustrated with the lack of respect or coverage the northwest is receiving.  ESPN ran its award picks from all of its analysts and Nate McMillan received just 1 vote for Coach of the Year.  There is something wrong with that.
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A Few Quick Ones - Nuggets vs. Blazers 4/15

• A Win Means?  They win and they get home court.  They win and they possibly get a 3 seed.  I don't know about you, but as a #3 seed, playing either New Orleans or Dallas sounds a lot nicer than facing off against either the Spurs or the Rockets.  And not having to play the Lakers in the second round is also a pretty damn important thing.

•  Record?  How does 54 wins sound?  The Portland Trail Blazers haven't hit a number that high since the 1999-2000 season of which the team totaled 59.  Even if the team loses tonight and ends with 53, you've got to feel so good about this team and where they've come from.

• Tonight?  Can they finish off this remarkable season with a win over the Denver Nuggets?  I'm a little nervous but still think the Nuggets will be somewhat in resting mode before the weekend.  Without taking an hour to dig into tie-breaker scenarios, it looks as if the Nuggets will end in the #2 spot no matter what.  Well, unless Houston wins tonight...dammit.

• Watching?  Where is everyone watching the game at tonight?  Obviously we all can't attend the actual game, so it's time for everyone to tell us their favorite game spot.  The last few games have left me stumped as to where to go.  I end up watching from the comfort of my own couch and in front of my HD telie.

• Blowout?  I want a blowout.  I'd love to see the Blazers send one more statement to the country before the playoffs start.  Brandon Roy is still getting zero love from the national media but tonight, he'll have another chance to show what he's capable of.
  

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Basketblog Header Contest - Vote for Us!

Our friend over at Pete Marasmitch is throwing a fun little contest comparing some of the best header images in the entire basketball blog-o-sphere and WE ARE IN IT!

Not sure what a "header" is?  Basically, that big ass logo for Blaze of Love at the top of the screen.  Ours, obviously mocking VH1's Rock of Love, is about as sexy as it comes.  (GrandMasterB has all your header and website needs!)

Blaze of Love was handed a #3 seed which we'll gladly accept but definitely face off against a tough opponent in Red's Army.  Those Celtics fans are almost as rabid as Blazers fans when it comes to the interwebs.

As an added bonus, our colleagues from Bust a Bucket are also in the contest and could meet us in the finals should we both sneak through the rounds.  

Go VOTE FOR US....NOW!

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NBA.com Fail - Tony Parker doesn't Play for the Blazers

Let's see how long before they fix it.

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Brandon Roy - Western Conference Player of the Week

Definitely deserved it this week.  Especially after that pimp slap on Kobe.

New York, NY -- (Sports Network) - Chicago's Ben Gordon and Brandon Roy of Portland were selected as the NBA's top players for the week ending April 12.

Gordon was the top player in the Eastern Conference after leading the Bulls to three wins during the period, averaging 26.7 points on 47.5 percent shooting from the field, including a 39-point effort against Charlotte on April 11.

Roy put together averages of 22.3 points, 5.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds during the Trail Blazers' 4-0 week that included wins over the playoff-bound Spurs and Lakers to take the Western Conference honors.

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A Few Quick Ones - Thunder vs. Blazers 4/13

•  How Hot?  "Your" Portland Trail Blazers have won 8 of their last 10.  Normally that wouldn't sound as incredible as it does right now, but this is the final stretch of the season which has so much weighing on it.  For a team this young, without any playoff-type experience to be winning against some of the best teams in the game when it really matters, is mind-boggling.  Their "time" wasn't supposed to be now, but it is.
  

• Lopsided?  ESPN Accuscore has this game at 91% to Portland.  Eek.  I'm guessing that it would take an act of...Buddha...to help the Oklahoma City Thunder take out the Blazers tonight in the Rose Garden.  Sure, the Thunder played the Blazers well early in the season, but this is completely another team.  Even Durant felt the force in the last battle.
  

• Starting to Believe?  I know things are getting pretty special when my brother starts calling me after games to chat about how "crazy" or "awesome" it was.  When the casual sports fan spends a night out with his chick watching a Blazers game, you know this is going to be a season to remember for a long time.  If you havent' already, it's time to start believing.  It's time...to start obsessing.

• Third or Fourth Spot?  The 4th and 3rd spots in the West are just dangling in front of Portland.  After a blowout win tonight (if that jinxes it, punch me) they'll take on Denver in hopes of securing home court in the 1st round.  If they win out, there is a pretty good chance that the worst they'll finish is in 4th.  Houston plays New Orleans and then goes to Dallas.  San Antonio goes to Golden State and then finishes up with New Orleans.  Feel that burn.

• Looking Forward?  It's hard not to look forward to Wednesday...loving this new found confidence I have towards the Blazers.  I actually expect wins.  When was the last time those words came out of my mouth?
  

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