We are SO clutch in close games on the road

[KingSpeed]

Houston, Cleveland, Charlotte, NY, Memphis, Minnesota. All close games on the road. All wins. I've never seen anything like it from the Blazers. It's pretty amazing.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

We're pretty dang good in close games this year, for sure... it's making sure they can be in a close game that's the problem to solve now.

 

[magnifier661]

Home or on the road. We've been clutch all year

 

[B-Roy]

Home or on the road. We've been clutch all year

180 degree swing from the last two seasons.

 

[magnifier661]

180 degree swing from the last two seasons.

I know crazy

 

[ABM]

I know crazy

Speaking of crazy, people thought I was that when I bet Sly $50 at the beginning of the season that the Blazers would make the playoffs. How do you like me now?

 

[HailBlazers]

If only we had a bench we could win a playoff series

 

[MickZagger]

Speaking of crazy, people thought I was that when I bet Sly $50 at the beginning of the season that the Blazers would make the playoffs. How do you like me now?

Bee's knee's.

 

[ABM]

Bee's knee's.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

The second unit played terribly in the second half. The lead went from 20 to single digits before Stotts had to put the starters back in.

Without that second unit collapse, this wouldn't have been a close game.

 

[mook]

180 degree swing from the last two seasons.

The difference? Roy -> Meh -> Lillard

Guard swag.

 

[HailBlazers]

Guard swag.

Funny you say that, it's exactly what Wessy Wes said after the game, "we got swagger and wanted to win all four games."

 

[Boob-No-More]

180 degree swing from the last two seasons.

Weren't we something like 2-9 in close games under Nate McBoring last season?

BNM

 

[B-Roy]

Weren't we something like 2-9 in close games under Nate McBoring last season?

BNM

I think we were 0-5 or something in OT. Amazing what a go to guy can do.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I think we were 0-5 or something in OT. Amazing what a go to guy can do.

But, it's not just one guy. Lillard, Batum and Aldridge have all hit big shots in close games this season. With Nate, it was always the predictable, one-dimensional ISO. That worked great when Roy was healthy and at the top of his game. When Roy was out, or a shadow of his former self, or when Nate ran the Roy ISO for Jerryd Bayless, Andre Miller or Jamal Crawford, not so much.

And that's just one difference between Terry Stotts and Nate McMillan. Stotts knows how to run an offense that involves more than one player at a time. That is much less predictable and harder to defend.

BNM

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Speaking of crazy, people thought I was that when I bet Sly $50 at the beginning of the season that the Blazers would make the playoffs. How do you like me now?

Still, not very much.

I feel the same about your bet, too.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Funny you say that, it's exactly what Wessy Wes said after the game, "we got swagger and wanted to win all four games."

Yeah. Funny thing is, the one game I expected we'd win, we lost. This trip was exact opposite of what I expected, to be totally honest.