One of the feel-good stories here in River City is the local obsession, the Portland Trailblazers, who, after beating Philadelphia (and former Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks) 95-72 yesterday, have now won 13 games in a row. At the beginning of December, the Blazers were 5-12 and looking every bit like a team in search of yet another #1 pick. The team lost it’s first game this month and won every game since…and they’ve done it about every way imaginable. They’ve lead from the outset, they’ve come from behind, and they’ve hit the winning shot at the final buzzer. Yesterday, Philadelphia had the Blazers down by nine at the half, and Portland looked as if they were asleep at the swtich. Then they came out in the second half and absolutely annihilated the 76ers, outscoring Philadelphia 35-9 in the fourth quarter, and at one point going on a 21-0 run.
The nice thing is that these are not the “Jailblazers” of recent years. Gone are the whiners, the malcontents, and the micreants of years past. In the place of those fools is what’s now the youngest team in the NBA. Even before their winning streak commenced, the Blazers have been a fun team to watch. They’re young, athletic, supremely talented, and infectiously enthusiastic. They play the game like it’s a game, and the fun and enjoyment and passion they bring to their work is infectious.
Portland plays at Utah tonight, and while they’ve beaten the Jazz the last two times the teams have met, including once in Salt Lake City, a loss would not be surprising. Sure, they’re playing well, but they’re not going to run the table. They’re not going to win their next 52 games. They may not even make the playoffs, though you’d have to like their chances more now than you might have on December 1st. After the Jailblazers era, this team has been a breath of fresh air. The roster is populated with players who love the game and play it in the right way. Since the Trailblazers are the only major league professional franchise in town, they get a lot of attention locally. This season, they’re attracting attention for the right reasons, which is a refreshing change from the Scottie Pippen/Isaiah Rider/Zach Randolph/Qyntel Woods era.
Hey, if the Lakers had run off 13 in a row, the media attention would be overwhelming. The Trailblazers, stuck as they are in a small, off-the-beaten-path market, have gone about their business relatively anonymously. All they seem to want to do is win basketball games, which, if you think about it, is all you really need to do to keep fans happy.
Now, if Portland could just get an NHL team, life would be perfect, no?
