It's fun to watch these old games. Even though you look back and see how close we were at certain times. We lost game 6 by one point. That's one basket, one free throw (which that squad struggled with), one cheesy call. There were some blatantly bad calls in this game that hurt Portland. That team seemed to struggle in the half court game, which is totally opposite of our team. But man, Clyde was so unstoppable in the open court. If he played today in a big market he'd easily be the best player in the league, he's better than Lebron. He was the only reason Portland was even in the game really.... [video=youtube;aN4Pjaz9Nv4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN4Pjaz9Nv4[/video]
Clyde was an absolute superstar, favorite player of all time and a trailblazer legend. But would not be better that Lebron in todays game. IMHO
[video=youtube;5G7lGu0r2qc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G7lGu0r2qc[/video] Uncanny that you decided to start this thread. I just watched this a few days ago. The thing I remembered about this game for years was Cliff Robinson's stone hands. Instead of a break away layup that would have given us the lead with 56 seconds left, the ball went off his hands out of bounds to LA & we still trailed by 1. Now when I watch it a different perspective emerges . . . the pass from Jerome Kersey was a smoking bullet. Cliff still should have handled it, but surely he would have if Jerome just flips him a touch pass. Oh the horror of Magic flipping the ball up in the air and watching the clock run down. Uggg.
He also hit so many memorable shots. The And-1 lay-up to tie it up in regulation against the Suns in Game 4 of the 92 Conference Semis comes to mind - a game we would go on to win and a series we could close out in 5.
Also, this was the moment my loathing of the Lakers began. How could they break my six-year old heart like that?
It's interesting how we all look back with such fondness at the Drexler era, but it really delivered 3 heart-breaking seasons in a row. They definitely should have won at least one title....
I was so mad I dunked on my lowered hoop for like 2 hours after the game, fantasizing if I was a Portland Trailblazer who I would be fucking up the L*kers in crunchtime.
Yeah, I noticed that too, it wasn't the best pass by Kersey. I've always remembered that Magic play, and wonder why more teams don't try that in that situation. I've never seen a player do that again, but it makes sense! But the Blazers missed a ton of FTs that game, if just 2 more go in we take game 7 to Portland. You have two good teams battling, and just one little play can end your season, and history will forget you and celebrate the champion.
I had a hoop in my garage and I'd pretend I was an 8 foot center, dominating the game for the Blazers.
I was camping in Yosemite Valley when that series ended. We left Portland, after game 2, with the series tied 1-1. I figured we'd close the Lakers out in LA and then meet the Bulls in the finals. I grew up a Bulls fan, but by the 1990-91 season, the Blazers were my favorite team and I would have been rooting for the Blazers over the Bulls. Back in those days, there was no internet, no smart phones, not even any TV in Yosemite Valley. So, I didn't learn the Blazers had lost to the Lakers until I saw a paper the day after game 6. I was stunned. I just couldn't believe it. They were so good that year. They had the best record in the league and had made it to the finals the year before. That should have been their year to win it all. At the time, I remember most fans and most in the media pinning the loss on Duck. At the time, I thought that was unfair - blaming one player for losing the series. Basketball is a team sport. You win as a team and you lose as a team. Everyone at the time said Vlade got in Duck's head and took him out of the series. Well, I just went back and looked at the box scores, and maybe there is some merit to that position. Over the last four games of the series, Duck shot 11-41 (.268) from the field. Something certainly took him out of his game. Still, that team was deep enough that someone else should have stepped up. That team had 7 players (all 5 starters and Cliff and Danny Ainge off the bench) that averaged > 11ppg during the regular season. In the critical Games 2 and 3 (both Blazer losses), Clyde scored 18 and 14. As good as Clyde was, he should have stepped up and carried that team on his back. BNM
Ya, Cliff fumbling the ball away on the easy lay-in is the one play from that game I won't forget! I can't remember the situation except I think 4th quarter and it would have given us the lead. Totally killed our momentum.
Drexler stole the ball and had only one person to beat (meaning he could have dunked on the fool), Cliff was running on the left wing, Drexler "no-look pass" to Cliff for a uncontested dunk was fumbled and kicked out of bounds by that kid.
