In front of a sold-out crowd that had the Rose Garden’s very foundation quaking Tuesday night, the Trail Blazers celebrated their storied past, and caught a glimpse of a future that could be just as bright, with a cathartic 102-94 win over the Detroit Pistons and former Blazers star Rasheed Wallace.
The expectations that had suddenly skyrocketed into high orbit crashed back to Earth in Denver the next evening, as the Nuggets ended the Blazers’ four-game win streak, but it was too late-Rip City and its long-dormant fans had already fallen back in love with the team.
It started with a startling 91-82 victory against the Mavericks on the second night of a back-to-back. The win felt momentous, with Brandon Roy scoring a career-high 32 points as the team clawed its way back to .500 after a tough 0-3 road trip to start the season.
However, Saturday’s victory over the Mavs and reigning MVP Dirk Nowitzki proved to be little more than a tasty appetizer.
Tuesday’s main course proved far more satisfying. First, Blazers fans got a blast of nostalgia as Clyde Drexler, Cliff Robinson, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey and Kevin Duckworth were honored at halftime.
Asked whether the new incarnation of the Blazers is similar to the old team Drexler and his friends played on, the Glide revealed a coy smile before he said, “Not yet. Once they get the big man (Greg Oden) back, we’ll see.”
After the brief trip in the “Wayback Machine,” it was the youth movement that blasted Detroit right out of the Rose City.
With the game knotted at 74 going into the final period, head coach Nate McMillan listened to his assistant coaches and let one of his greenest players-second-year point man Sergio Rodriguez-run the show to begin the fourth quarter.
“I just felt like Sergio needed a chance in the second half,” McMillan said. “Then Sergio turns the game around with his pick-and-roll offense.”
Rodriguez responded to the chance by playing his best basketball of the season, first dishing behind the back to Joel Przybilla for a monster jam, and moments later nailing a long three-pointer to give the Blazers an 84-80 lead.
As Rodriguez triumphantly held his follow-through while backpedaling toward the Blazers bench, Detroit was forced to call a timeout, and the Rose Garden denizens came unhinged with pure joy, and yes, love for this young team desperately trying to live up to its “Rise With Us” campaign.
Yet on Tuesday night, indeed all four nights of this recently concluded home stand, the Blazers haven’t needed highlight reels featuring cheesy U2 songs or free T-shirts to rile up the fans. These new stars are doing it alone.
It all starts with Brandon Roy. The reigning Rookie of the Year is averaging 19.3 points and 5.3 assists a game, and has stepped up to become the clutch stud the team needs. When the local five must have a bucket, Roy comes through more often than not. He’s even shooting 11-21 from three-point territory, good for fifth in the league.
“I think it’s a great start for a young team,” Roy said after Tuesday’s game. “We got so many guys we can throw at you. I think we’re a tough team to guard right now, a tough team to match up with.”
Roy was the known quantity going into the season. What most fans didn’t expect was LaMarcus Aldridge to step up and become a dominant big man. But Aldridge has become a beast in just his second NBA campaign. Ask ‘Sheed, who got a sampling of L.A.’s full arsenal on Tuesday, including silky 22-foot jumpers and nasty righty jump-hooks.
“I used to watch [Wallace] when I was young, the high release, shooting from deep,” Aldridge said.
Aldridge scored 22 points and grabbed 10 boards playing primarily against Wallace, and is averaging 19 points and eight rebounds a game.
Martell Webster is finally starting in his third season and is adding over 13 points a night. And there’s Travis Outlaw, who was so excited after the Detroit win he exclaimed, “We’re probably at an all-time high right now. Once you see the upper row and it looks full, you’re like, ‘This is what I signed up for.'”
The list literally goes on and on. Jarrett Jack is making a legitimate run for Sixth Man of the Year honors, Steve Blake is averaging over eight assists as a starter, and Joel Pryzbilla has found new life in a backup role-each individual is doing his part, and this group of players has become a team.
And sometimes, teams falter, as the Blazers did Wednesday in Denver. The Nuggets won a sloppy 110-93 blowout, and Portland never seemed in sync. For the Blazers, nights such as these are part of the reality. They are young and improving, but on some nights, teams will simply have their number.
The Blazers head east for a three-game swing through Philadelphia, Washington and Charlotte. Those teams have a combined 8-15 record, and the Blazers should at least be able to muster a 2-2 record before returning home to their loving fans to face New Jersey on Nov. 21.