Andre Miller says he never saw the rim or Batum on the final play (link)

[KingSpeed]

And called it the best assist of his entire career:

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2011/03/portland_98_san_antonio_96_nic.html

Nice photo of Batum's game winner. Man, Parker got up there with Nic. And I like the photo of Miller celebrating.

Go Blazers

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I can get up as high as Parker got on that play. That was the most awesome end to a Blazers game I can remember. Loved it.

 

[handiman]

For Batum, it was the perfect sendoff for his mother, Sylvie, who leaves today to return to France.

Is that why Batum's been playing so well lately? How long's his mom been visiting? We might need to get her back out here for the playoffs...

 

[mgb]

Is that why Batum's been playing so well lately? How long's his mom been visiting? We might need to get her back out here for the playoffs...

I thought he was playing better because of the pickup of Crash, but maybe it is because of his mother.

 

[Rhal]

I thought he was playing better because of the pickup of Crash, but maybe it is because of his mother.

I thought it was because his GF was back in town

 

[mgb]

Love this pic of Rudy and Patty when Batum is shooting the tying FTs.

Rice sure looks happy.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

When Rice was saying "I can't breathe!" I was scared for a second.

 

[jlprk]

Yeah, I heard him say that too. Notice that he had his tie loose, but the collar was still tight.

 

[C_note]

Man, that was an amazing finish!! Rivals the OT Roy shot(s) to beat Houston...if not better.

 

[THE HCP]

Man, that was an amazing finish!! Rivals the OT Roy shot(s) to beat Houston...if not better.

Great shot, but Roy's was 10X more difficult!

 

[mgb]

Great shot, but Roy's was 10X more difficult!

On this one I'd say it was the pass that was the difficult part.

 

[THE HCP]

^ NO doubt, but an almost half court fadeaway shot, nothing but net!!! Brandon's was a hell of alot more impressive!

 

[C_note]

Great shot, but Roy's was 10X more difficult!

Agreed, but if you consider the entire ending together...

vs Houston Roy almost handed them the game going after Yao like that as he was fading away from 17 ft or so...bad call but cest la vie. Great back and forth action .

But last night, it was truely a gritty come from behind victory. A series of amazing plays.

I'm just thinkin', that huge letdown feeling after Roy was called for the foul kinda kills part of it. ITS POLL TIME!!!

 

[THE HCP]

I'm just thinkin', that huge letdown feeling after Roy was called for the foul kinda kills part of it. ITS POLL TIME!!!

I was just talking about the shot difficulty, not the context or situation. That HUGE letdown feeling after Roy fouled Yao made is bucket even better!!!

 

[THE HCP]

Somebody make a poll!!!!!

 

[THE HCP]

[video=youtube;nNtlea1hs2s]

 

[THE HCP]

[video=youtube;MlBq-qXUdcs]

 

[mgb]

Hey held it over .8 secs.

 

[roywonder07]

Most impressive individual clutch performance goes to Roy. Batum's oop was more of a collective effort as a team. Miller, matthews, roy, LA deserve just as much credit for doing a good job of being the decoys. Plus, if Batum missed the shot we still would have had a chance to win in OT. Roy's shot was the ultimate deciding factor of the game. Still love the Batum's oop though.

 

[Darkwebs]

I'm just thinkin', that huge letdown feeling after Roy was called for the foul kinda kills part of it. ITS POLL TIME!!!

Haha, I was thinking just the opposite.

I feel that the fact that Roy screwed up on the Yao play, made his buzzer beater all the more significant. When Roy fouled Yao and gave him the and-one, it looked like the game was over- Roy had cost the team a win with a boneheaded play. I was depressed and not expecting anything on our last posession with 0.8 seconds left, especially when Roy was falling backwards, heaving up a prayer.

Then the ball swished through the net. And it took a moment to realize what had just happened: that Roy redeemed himself and made one of the most impressive buzzer-beating game-winners in Blazers' history!

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I thought Roy's shot was harder and luckier . . . where as Miller's pass and Batum's basket was a better executed play.

Kind of like a half court shot vs. a well executed pick and roll. I'll take the pick and roll any day when you need a hoop but the half court shot is dramatic and fun when it goes in.

 

[KingSpeed]

^ NO doubt, but an almost half court fadeaway shot, nothing but net!!! Brandon's was a hell of alot more impressive!

Roy wasn't anywhere near half court but I still think Roy's shot was more impressive. If he misses it, we lose. With Batum's play, the game was tied. I actually wasn't all that flabbergasted last night. We're the best alley oop team in the league and there was only 0.9 secs left. I expected an alley oop attempt and liked our odds of finishing especially with absolutely no pressure to make it happen since we'd get overtime if he missed. I'll take Roy's double pump three point shot to send the Denver game into OT as the biggest shot of the year this season. If he misses, we lose the game and the season series. That's a lot more pressure to handle. That said, I definitely give props for Batum hitting his free throws. THAT was the clutch moment of the game last night.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I think the 2 plays are classic for showing where this team was and where they are now:

Before-give the ball to Brandon no matter where he is or what the sitaution and let him do his thing.

Now- work as a team to create the best and highest percentage shot possible.

 

[mook]

I think the 2 plays are classic for showing where this team was and where they are now:

Before-give the ball to Brandon no matter where he is or what the sitaution and let him do his thing.

Now- work as a team to create the best and highest percentage shot possible.

Nicely put.

 

[mook]

Batum gets the glory for the game winning shot, plus the two cold-blooded free throws.

But game ball definitely goes to Miller. He's the one who came up with the steal on Parker to even put them in position, and he's the one with the perfectly placed, perfectly timed lob.

A lot of guys in the NBA could do what Batum did in those possessions. Very, very few could do what Miller did. Miller is rapidly becoming one of my all-time favorite Blazers.

 

[Minstrel]

Batum gets the glory for the game winning shot, plus the two cold-blooded free throws.

But game ball definitely goes to Miller. He's the one who came up with the steal on Parker to even put them in position, and he's the one with the perfectly placed, perfectly timed lob.

A lot of guys in the NBA could do what Batum did in those possessions. Very, very few could do what Miller did. Miller is rapidly becoming one of my all-time favorite Blazers.

Same. I feel like the glory years of the Whitsitt era could have been very different if they had had Miller at point instead of Stoudamire. Miller with Pippen and Smith = rather amazing veteran savvy and basketball IQ.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Batum gets the glory for the game winning shot, plus the two cold-blooded free throws.

But game ball definitely goes to Miller. He's the one who came up with the steal on Parker to even put them in position, and he's the one with the perfectly placed, perfectly timed lob.

A lot of guys in the NBA could do what Batum did in those possessions. Very, very few could do what Miller did. Miller is rapidly becoming one of my all-time favorite Blazers.

I agree.

 

[jlprk]

I rate Miller our best player, Aldridge 2nd. And that's averaged over the whole season, not just recently.

Thanks for those 2 videos of the Houston game, and I'll save them.

 

[Natebishop3]

I just wish we could have gotten Miller when he was younger.

 

[STOMP]

anyone ever play putt putt golf? You know the windmill shot where the rotating arms cover and uncover the hole and you have to time when you putt right to hit the window? That was the lucky part of that play/pass. McDyess's jumping up and down waving his arms to block the pass had to be timed right to allow the window for the pass. Obviously it was a great play call by Nate and skill/execution by the team, but the Blazers were also fortunate that the timing of AD's jumping was on the down cycle.

STOMP