Trying Again on the Portland Trail Blazers’ Easter Games

The Portland Trail Blazers have the time without work at the moment as a few of us have Easter Sunday plans (hopefully open air, as one other stunning Portland spring day tempts us from our properties).

While they’re not on the courtroom at the moment, the Blazers are not any stranger to Easter video games, and I needed to take a fast look again at how these video games panned out.

Portland’s first-ever Easter recreation got here of their fourth season in Seattle, the place Sonics ahead Spencer Haywood – a five-time All-Star who completed as excessive as fifth in MVP voting – erupted for 40 factors and 10 boards. Portland’s John Johnson (sure, actually) led the Blazers with 24 factors, and regardless of main early and trailing by simply 1 level going into the fourth, Portland slipped late and let the Sonics take the sport by double digits.

Less than a 12 months faraway from the Blazers beating them within the Finals, the 76ers have been on the docket as the 2 groups confronted off in Philly. The Blazers had misplaced Finals MVP Bill Walton to harm in late February, and a Portland membership that began the 12 months 50-10 ended the 12 months simply 8-14 with out him. Tom Owens and George McGinnis led Portland and Philadelphia respectively, and the Blazers as soon as once more let a nasty fourth quarter (being outscored 34-22) doom their possibilities at a win.

Portland’s first Playoff Easter recreation led to yet one more lack of each the sport and the best-of-three first-round collection… and Portland but once more let a nasty fourth quarter (outscored 33-15) take them from main 8 to dropping by 10 in Phoenix. Five-time All-Star Paul Westphal led Phoenix with 26 as Portland had three gamers (Mo Lucas, Mychal Thompson, and Larry Steele) with 16 factors apiece.

More eerie echoes with a 3rd consecutive Easter recreation, a second consecutive street playoff Easter recreation and collection loss, and a fourth consecutive Easter loss, all on the street. This time it wasn’t the fourth quarter that did Portland in, however reasonably falling right into a 15-pint halftime gap they couldn’t crawl out of. Two-time All-Star Gus Williams led Seattle with 21 factors as Billy Ray Bates led Portland with 26. Tom Owens additionally had 16 boards for the Blazers,

FINALLY! A win! It took time beyond regulation, however the Blazers closed out the sport at dwelling at Memorial Coliseum after letting yet one more poor fourth quarter effort nearly sink them. Purvis Short and four-time All-Star Bernard King paced Golden State with 21 factors and Jim Paxson led Portland with 24. Fun truth: every staff shot only a single three-pointer in an period the place the league hadn’t but found out that three factors was, the truth is, value greater than two. It is probably not a coincidence that their first win got here at their first Easter recreation at dwelling.

Another street playoff recreation, one other loss to the Phoenix Suns (and a collection loss too, however that got here later because the format was now best-of-three). Portland obtained outscored by 10 within the fourth, persevering with a powerful pattern of letting recreation slip late. Six-time All-Star and Suns legend Walter Davis led Phoenix with 27 factors as Portland was led by Darnell Valentine’s greatest recreation of the season with 29.

At this level within the train, I turned satisfied the Blazers have been cursed on Easter street video games. Though the Blazers fought valiantly to beat an early 15-point deficit, they couldn’t overcome Magic Johnson’s 39 factors whilst Kiki Vandeweghe and Clyde Drexler advert 24 and 23 of their very own for Portland. This was additionally Sam Bowie’s rookie season and he poured in 21 factors and a season-high-tying 20 boards as he confirmed glimpses of the dominant participant he would change into… wait, what’s that?… oh… oh, okay…

Another dwelling Easter recreation… one other WIN! Fully within the (early) Nellie-ball period of the 80s, the factors have been flowing and protection was non-compulsory. Johnny Dawkins led San Antonio with 26 factors, and Kiki Vandeweghe led Portland with 26 because the Easter dwelling = win, street = loss rule continued to be confirmed.

On the street? Loss. Chalk it up. The X Man Xavier McDaniel led Seattle with 34 factors, and Portland benefitted from a chief Kevin Duckworth chipping in 24 factors of his personal. Portland performed Seattle comparatively evenly within the second and fourth quarters, however obtained outscored by 16 within the first and third mixed to more-or-less create the margin of loss.

Fast ahead a number of years, however the sample continues to carry: at dwelling, the Blazers win these Easter video games. On the street, they lose. Chuck Person got here off the bench for Minnesota to steer then with 21, whereas an in-flux Blazers staff was led by Terry Porter’s 20 and used a 38-22 third quarter to successfully put issues away early.

THE CURSE IS BROKEN! The Blazers received a street Easter recreation! Derrick Coleman, contemporary off his first and what can be his solely All-Star recreation, led New Jersey with 29, and Portland obtained a classic Clyde Drexler efficiency with 34 factors on 12-19 capturing. It can be Clyde’s final full season within the Rose City earlier than he was traded halfway by the next season to Houston the place he lastly captured his long-pined-for championship.

It was a brand new period of Blazers basketball, and when you might fast-forward and say this staff had a 15-point lead in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals with 6 minutes to go within the recreation, you’d additionally assume they might be making their subsequent Finals look. Epic late-game collapses apart, Portland took care of enterprise late on this recreation, holding Minnesota to simply 13 fourth-quarter factors. The Wolves have been led by Malik Sealy’s 23 factors, and the Blazers obtained 28 from Scottie Pippen.

Two 50-win groups performed an in depth recreation, however Shaq’s 33 and 18 for the Lakers proved an excessive amount of. Portland was led by Rasheed Wallace with 28 as Portland followers have been nonetheless stinging by what occurred within the aforementioned Western Conference Finals by the hands of the Lakers.

After the longest Easter recreation draught in franchise historical past, the following recreation was performed as a part of a playoff collection that finally ended a 14-year Blazers second-round playoff draught. Game 1 of the 2014 Western Conference First Round was probably the most dominant and vital recreation ever performed by LaMarcus Aldridge in any jersey, however definitely as a member of the Blazers. His 46 factors and 18 boards appeared summoned from one other dimension. He was placing folks within the basket. He a dunking… WITH AUTHORITY. He demanded the ball and in his 45 minutes, he knew precisely what to do with it. For their half, Houston obtained 27 apiece from Dwight Howard and James Harden, each of their prime (possibly JUST outdoors of it for Howard) and each dominant in their very own rights.

Let there be no query: that is one of the best Easter win the Blazers have ever had.

We shall not converse of this playoffs collection besides to say the Blazers obtained waxed in 4. For this recreation, Kevin Durant led Golden State with 32 and CJ McCollum took high billing with 42 for Portland. Dame additionally had 34… the issue was everybody else mixed for 34 factors. Yep: eight gamers, 34 factors. That received’t win you a ballgame.

A primary-year Dillon Brooks led the Grizzlies with 28 on this one, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient towards a greater Blazers staff the place Dame had 27 of his personal. Portland blew this recreation open by outscoring their opponent 43-24 within the third as a playoff-bond staff took care of enterprise towards a membership headed to the lottery.

This was the sport earlier than Dame’s “Wave Goodbye” recreation, and whereas not as memorable, any win in any playoff collection counts simply as a lot as one other. CJ McCollum as soon as once more led Portland with 27 factors and Paul George carried the load for Oklahoma City with 32. Fun truth: Zach Collins chipped in 10 factors and was a comparatively constant contributor all through the playoffs on this second 12 months, particularly within the second-round collection towards the Denver Nuggets the place he averaged 21 minutes per recreation.

Sorry… that sound you heard was simply my neck snapping as I did an OCTUPLE tackle the field rating. I don’t care if it’s the final recreation of the season: being overwhelmed by 56 factors is nasty work. Golden State had a FIFTY-FIVE level first quarter, received each interval, and completely embarrassed a Blazers staff who have been rolling with Skylar Mays and Kevin Knox within the beginning lineup. The Warriors have been predictably led by Steph Curry with 26 factors in simply 22 minutes, and the Blazers obtained 21 factors from the aforementioned Mays. Random be aware: Portland’s Chance Comanche performed his first and solely NBA recreation, logging 21 minutes and scoring 7 factors.

This was the Blazers’ final Easter recreation… and my goodness, was it forgottable.

Portland Trail Blazers Record on Easter: 8-10

Dominant LMA playoff performances: 1

The lesson for NBA schedulers is straightforward, and it’s this: PLEASE don’t mark the Blazers down for an Easter street recreation.