LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE! and DAMIAN LILLARD!

[e_blazer]

Going into this series, the national media were promoting this series as if it were "DWIGHT HOWARD! and JAMES HARDEN!" vs. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard. It's understandable since the NBA Playoffs are where reputations are established and the coronation of superstars takes place.

In this series, LMA was clearly the best player in the first two games, not just of this series, but of all of the series in the first round. Lillard elevated his game stats significantly over his already great regular season numbers and, in .9 seconds of brilliance, became the first player in the NBA to hit a series winner since John Stockton in 1997. I think it's pretty clear that it will now be "LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE! and DAMIAN LILLARD!" who get the billing going into the second round.

 

[PapaG]

I'm going by memory here, but only the Jordan shot against the Cavs was a come-from-behind shot. Stockton's shot was in a tie game, wasn't it?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I'm going by memory here, but only the Jordan shot against the Cavs was a come-from-behind shot. Both Stockton's shot against Houston, and Jordan's against Utah, came in tie games.

Holy crap... is this really a Jordan versus Cavs shot?

 

[magnifier661]

Holy crap... is this really a Jordan versus Cavs shot?

Really...

And think about this bro. Other than Roy, have we really had that clutch superstar? Drexler was great, but I remember the daly's always said we choke when the pressure is on.

This team seems to get better

 

[PapaG]

Holy crap... is this really a Jordan versus Cavs shot?

Jordan's shot was in an elimination game for both teams, so it rates a tiny bit higher. Still, if Lillard misses, nobody on this board is in a good mood today. What a difference one shot can make.

 

[crandc]

And let us not forget, Dwight Howard was the prize of last summer's free agent class. Houston was already a pretty good team. Adding Howard was supposed to make them legitimate championship contenders. And the Blazers were projected for 10th place.

Which is why I don't lose sleep over preseason forecasts. Because those are not the people playing the games.