They did it, you guys. the Blazers won their final game of the regular season, snapping a four game skid and claiming the Northwest Division crown. The Utah Jazz had momentum coming into this game and every reason to want it badly. The winner would earn the 3rd seed in the tightly packed western conference playoffs- a nice prize. But apparently the Blazers wanted it more. In losing, the Jazz slipped to 5th place. Damian Lillard was amazing, scoring 36 points and dishing out 10 assists, a fitting cap to his best season so far. The final score was 102-93.
It was an exciting night all around the NBA as many playoff spots remained undetermined until this final night of the regular season. The various calculations and scenarios boggled the mind. Minutes before the tipoff the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the San Antonio Spurs, a good result for the Blazers as it assured them home court advantage in the playoffs. This took a little of the pressure of this final game against the Jazz, but it still would determine whether the Blazers finished 3rd or 4th place in the western conference. The big difference there would be the second round opponent should the Blazers win in the first round. A win against the Jazz on this night meant a date with the Warriors in the second round whereas a loss which would have them face the Rockets. Conventional wisdom says the Warriors are a better matchup due to injuries. So, basically, things worked out very well for the Blazers last night.
The Blazers came out firing from the start. Lillard especially had a killer look in his eye. He hit a couple of three point shots early while the Jazz were still shaking off the rust from their game in Oakland the night before. The Jazz are an excellent team, one of the big surprises out of the west. First year guard Donovan Mitchell is a serious candidate for rookie of the year and gigantic frenchman Rudy Gobert is a nightmare in the middle. Mitchell and Lillard seemed destined for a showdown in this game. The night before Mitchell set the new single-season record for 3-pointers made with 186, breaking Lillard’s rookie mark. But it was Lillard who had the things going on this night. The Blazer defense swarmed Mitchell and he ended the game with only 17 points, going 1-8 from deep.
The Blazers led for nearly the the entire game, yet things stayed competitive and the Moda Center crowd remained riveted throughout, giving this game a definite “playoff atmosphere”. The Blazers led 55-41 at the half. Here’s a sampling of the fan action in the hallways:
The face painters brought their “A” game:
So did the hat-wearers:
These women were stoked:
And look, it’s high school sensation Bol Bol, son of NBA legend Manute Bol, the tallest player ever to play in the league! Bol Bol here is nearly 7 foot 2 and could dunk in 6th grade. He’s going to the University of Oregon next year so us Oregonians will be seeing a lot of him before he likely goes pro after his freshman year. He says his great grandfather was 7 foot 10!
Okay, back to the game. The second half was great. The fans loved it. The Blazers built their lead up to 23 points but still couldn’t quite put the Jazz away. That lead got cut to 9 before Lillard came in and shut things down for good. Nurkic and McCollum played their parts well and the Blazer bench stepped up too. Of particular note has been the play of previously overlooked guard Wade Baldwin. He’s had a late-season surge, using his long arms and quickness to provide some much needed lockdown defense on opposing team guards. He can also hit three pointers. Will Baldwin be the X-factor in the upcoming playoffs? Fans are going nuts for this guy who spent much of this season toiling in the G-league. Here’s what he looks like:
The Blazers needed this win badly and they got it. It would have been hard limping into the playoffs on a five game losing streak. After the game the locker room was bumping. Players were in high spirits, joking around and sporting their Northwest Division Champion T-shirts. Paul Allen made a rare visit to congratulate the team on the title and over in the staff offices you could hear bottles of champagne popping open. Who would’ve guessed this season would find The Blazers as high as 3rd seed in the playoffs? None of the national sports pundits, that’s for sure. It’s been 18 years since the Blazers finished this well in the regular season standings.
So now we enter playoff basketball, the best time of the year for NBA fans. The Blazer’s first game is at home on Saturday against Anthony “The Brow” Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans and the Blazers are actually favored to win the series. It’s been a long while since this team entered the playoffs a favorite. Let’s bring it Rip City!
