Sure, Cleveland was tired, having played the night before and arriving in snowbound Portland at 2:30 am. But so were the Blazers. They played the night before too, and got diverted to Seattle for a 3:30 am landing on their way home. So we'll call it even. This was a nationally televised game, a big stage for our little team, and the Blazers came up huge, stifling Lebron James and company at nearly every chance, and scoring their biggest win of the season, 108-87.

Coming home through the storm...
Coming home through the storm... Courtesy Trail Blazers

My companion for this game was rocker Courtney Taylor, frontman for The Dandy Warhols, a lifelong Portland resident and Blazers fan. His band is on a break from a heavy touring schedule and currently recording a new acoustic album here in town. Before the game we met up at his new wine bar, "The Old Portland," a classy retro spot he's carved out of the band's recording complex in NW Portland. Taylor was in a bit of a somber mood, reflecting on the rigors of touring and the potential longevity of an indie rock band well into its third decade. "I can't stand a month on a bus anymore," he told me.

Courtney Taylor contemplates the state of the Blazers.
Courtney Taylor contemplates the state of the Blazers.

Well, there's nothing like a good game of basketball to take your mind off your struggles, I say. And hey, it's not often that a superstar like King James comes to town. Lebron got a loud cheer from the crowd when he was announced, but, interestingly, hometown boy Kevin Love received a chorus of boos. There were more empty seats than would have normally been the case for this marquee matchup. This was on account of the weather, a historic snowfall that had caused the governor to declare a state of emergency just a few hours earlier. No matter, we had basketball to see! One fan held up a sign that read, "Blazin through the snow!"

The Blazers took the lead early in this game, playing aggressively, eager to show the national audience their new look defense against this Cleveland juggernaut. Mo Harkless and Al Farouq Aminu gave Lebron James trouble all night long while Damien Lillard and CJ McCollum kept a surprisingly tight lid on explosive point guard Kyrie Irving. Alan Crabbe was a monster off the bench, again, outscoring everyone in with a career-high 18 points in first half.

No one expected the Blazers to even compete in this game. Many of us were just hoping it would be a respectable showing by the home team. With the Blazers up by 8 points at the half, we were feeling downright giddy, though we all sensed that this good fortune might not last until the final buzzer.

"Do they have real drinks here?" asked Taylor, "like hard liquor?"

They do have real drinks at the Moda Center, though on this night it was very difficult to get served at the bar. The place was short staffed on account of the State of Emergency, so we were left clamoring for service from the overworked folks who did make it in. I hope they got paid extra!

Finally, drinks in hand, Taylor and I looked over the crowd for compelling fan ensembles. Here's what we found:

Lots of hats in the house!
Lots of hats in the house!

Brothers!
Brothers!

Red and black plaid is Blazer gear too.
Red and black plaid is Blazer gear too.

This kid came dressed to play!
This kid came dressed to play!

We settled back into our seats for the second half, fully expecting the Lebron James train to come rolling through and blowout our upstart Blazers. But you know what, that didn't happen! CJ McCollum continued his extremely hot hand, knocking down threes and becoming the first Trailblazer since legendary Clyde Drexler to score 25-plus points in 7 games in a row. Believe or not, CJ has the highest scoring average of any player in the NBA since the start of the new year. Will it continue?

Go CJ!
Go CJ! Courtesy Trail Blazers

Courtney and I cheered on the Trailblazers with glee as they stomped the defending champs into the snow. Unbelievably, this game was over less than halfway through the fourth period. Cleveland coach Tyrone Lue waved the white flag and pulled all of his starting players with 7 mins to go. Lebron was visibly upset about his team's performance, but we'd all like to chalk it up to the tough competition they met here in Portland. Could this be the turning point for our beleaguered team?

Taking down The King.
Taking down The King. Courtesy Trail Blazers

Courtney and the Dandy Warhols are gearing up for a month-long tour of Europe next month, a prospect many of us might find appealing, but right now Taylor, constantly thinking ahead, has a lot more on his mind. They've nearly sold out their London show, but still he's always wondering how to keep this band relevant with changing times. It's not easy being an old-school rocker these days, apparently. "My self-esteem won't let me continue like this," he commented wistfully. As a fan of the band, I'm hoping he's just feeling some temporary wintertime blues. Perhaps this big Blazers win cheered him up. We could all use a little good fortune in this new year.