Yuck -- the Rockets
With San Antonio's overtime win against New Orleans tonight, the Blazers will be stuck with the Houston Rockets as their first-round playoff opponent. (Houston lost in Dallas.) If the Blazers win at home against Denver tonight, at least they'll have home court advantage.
If the Blazers survive the Rockets, the second round will be against the Lakers. Gulp. As Bill Schonely puts it, "Nobody said it was gonna be easy."
UPDATE, 9:57 p.m.: Home court advantage is secure, as the Blazers pounded Denver tonight.
| Posted at 7:42 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (13)
The blazers would have taken the spurs in 6, but the rockets are bad news for the blazers. Home court advantage would give the blazers a shot though.
Posted by Bob Clark | April 15, 2009 8:46 PM
It's obvious that the Blazers are going to have it to take it an even higher level than they've reached this far. First things first, though -- get home court.
Posted by Jack Bog | April 15, 2009 8:50 PM
Nobody wanted the Rockets, but whatever. Bring 'em on.
Posted by TKrueg | April 15, 2009 8:51 PM
The one good sign is that the Rockets lost a game tonight that they should have won. Let's hope they swoon like that in Portland, four times.
Posted by Jack Bog | April 15, 2009 8:53 PM
The Rockets looked pretty bad tonight in the second half, but I agree that San Antonio would have been a much better opponent. Let's hope the Blazers keep it up in the second half tonight. It helps that the Nuggets have nothing to play for.
Posted by Anon | April 15, 2009 8:56 PM
If the Blazers make it to the Western Conference finals, they'll probably be playing Denver. So a convincing win tonight would be great.
Posted by Jack Bog | April 15, 2009 9:20 PM
Whoooooooohooooooo!
I know the Rockets are good, but we are CRANKIN' - and at the right time. Sergio was huge! Loved to see Channing have a good game.
Posted by Pat | April 15, 2009 10:06 PM
I'm actually alright with the Rockets.
Who would you rather play? The team that has never made it out of the first round, or the team that has three titles?
I'll take the former.
Posted by Justin Morton | April 15, 2009 10:15 PM
Without Ginobili, the Spurs aren't going anywhere. Without McGrady, the Rockets are a better team.
In case you haven't heard, David Robinson retired.
Posted by Jack Bog | April 15, 2009 10:23 PM
The thing about the playoffs: you got to play tough teams eventually. Cuz crappy teams aren't in the playoffs.
So let's get to it.
Our bench is only building steam. We had our "scrubs" in at the end of this game and they still were busting all over the Nuggets. And that was the second seed team we just demolished.
So let's do this. See what we've got.
Posted by Snards | April 15, 2009 10:42 PM
I'm all for "doing this." I have faith in the Blazers, for the first time in years.
But I would wish we had the Hornets and then the Spurs, rather than the Rockets and then the Lakers. Just sayin'.
Posted by Jack Bog | April 15, 2009 10:58 PM
Both the Spurs and Rockets are tough--the Spurs because the play dirty in the playoffs and get away with it and the Rockets because they have lock down defensive players and Yao--and like Jack notes, they are better without McGrady.
We have a damn good team, though. Our bench scored 72 points tonight, while Denver's entire team scored just 76. We're definitely beyond to mental lapse stage that allowed teams like the Clippers to beat us earlier in the season. And it appears that at least some of our guys can play under extreme pressure. No playoff experience, but the Tampa Bay Rays had a bunch of young, inexperienced guys, too.
Posted by Gil Johnson | April 15, 2009 11:18 PM
If I am not mistaken, the Blazer have lost 10 out of the last 11 games they have played in Houston. They had better take care of business at home.
Posted by Jack Bog | April 15, 2009 11:24 PM