Weekend Discussion: The Moment You've Never Gotten Over (Now with Sunday Update)

in the 2000 WCF game 7 for sure. I will never forget that moment because it was almost a certainty that we were going to win not just the game, but the championship. Almost doesn’t cut it tho. I was in 4th grade at the time and I can vividly remember crying at the end of the game. What a terrible moment I wish I could forget.

That was the day I graduated from high school. During the post-graduation open house we had been listening to the game, and when the lead was nice in the third quarter we turned it off to instead just enjoy the graduation festivities. With only two minutes left someone showed up and asked if we could believe what was happening. We had no idea what they meant, so we turned it on. Graduation day ruined.

I think The Tinfoil is an alternate account of Dave’s.

Since I’m a younger fan, I’d say the 2000 WCF just like those guys above me. Although, for a 2nd one that hasn’t been said yet, I’ll go with the news that Oden needed microfracture.

hit that 3 in the corner and they won. All he had to do was make some free throws, we were up 5 with like 30 seconds to go.

I’ll never get over that collapse. Whats worse is I have to work everyday with a l*kers fan who feels the need to rub it in every now and then. I can still see shaq’s face and the exact expression he had on his face after that ally-oop. I’m gonna stop typing cuz its pissin me off again.

I often wonder about if we had been able to sign bob macadoo..we still would have been lousy and gotten walton the next year.. how about if we wouldnt have sold moses malone,,or gotten rid of anthony mason and of course Jermaine…just wondering im not even going to bring up jordan…its not the on court action that i fret over its the front office decisions,,just sayin

Single most memorable moment – June 5, 1977 George McGinnis’ shot bounces off the rim and then the game clock reads 00:00. That was one of the best moments of my life.

Ok, SINGLE most memorable BAD moment – 1991 WCF Cliffy drops “The Pass”.

1st Runner Up Bad Moment – Oct 17, 1987 Bowie breaks leg AGAIN while warming up for 1st exhibition game of the season. This moment was extraordinary because of the 2nd runner up moment ….

2nd Runner Up Bad Moment – Nov 7, 1986 Bowie breaks leg after 5 games and misses the season.

Yeah, the 2000 WCF 4th quarter was awful, but it wasn’t a moment. In fact, it went on forever ….

What seemed so right went so wrong! That memory has never faded.

Sean Elliot’s three pointer while falling out of bounds. Spurs fans call it the memorial day miracle. Killed me.

Also of note: The game that Dave mentioned against the Lakers was the first basketball game I ever watched. I remember it pretty clearly.

Only because they were accompanied by that unshakable feeling that the Blazers’ clock had run out. Sure, we’d post winning seasons, but the dry rot that was the “Jail” Blazers era could finally be seen through the drywall. You knew it was going to be a dark few years, and even the playoffs weren’t going to distract from that.

Hedo’s bank three out front…

But for this last season, 08-09, the Turkoglu bank-shot 3 pointer killed me (and no not for the jilted reasons that are obvious now).

If you remember, at that moment the Blazers were undefeated at home (either 8-0 or 9-0 to that point). They were up 8 points with under 1 minute left in the game. The fact that Orlando even had a shot to win was just ridiculously poor game management by the Blazers. It was the point in the season where I had to admit chinks in the armor. When I think of the youth, the lack of a power putaway game, all of the reasons why we took a first round exit, I just can’t help remember that night at the Rose Garden when Turkoglu hit that ugly 3 to give the Magic the win.

It was that “Daddy’s hitting Mommy” moment for me where all that was good in the world came crashing down to reality. It’s stupid and really not a memorable game in the Blazers history, but hopefully you get my point.

rather than games or series. For me the worst was Sean Elliot’s tippy toe three pointer. A close second, though, would be Danny Young’s three pointer against the 1990 Pistons that came after the clock had run out.

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-06-13/sports/sp-275_1_trail-blazer-lead

I also have nightmares about Damon Stoudamire being isolated at the top of the key guarding Shaq and of Scottie Pippen at the top of the key being dared to brick a three point shot. Good times.

Game 1 vs. Houston this year in the Garden.

..and wondering why on earth we didn’t try fronting Yao at all. I was there in person. Everyone near me was in total shock. How could we be beaten so badly at home against a team we’ve seen 4 times before? I remember driving home numb thinking, “The guys on ESPN are going to have a field day with this..” ..and I was right. The words “destroyed” were used. Kenny Smith would later ask the same question.

Why didn’t we try fronting Yao?

What I’m not sure a lot of you remember is that the Blazers opened up the arena for the public for that game. This was the ultimate killer. Going into the fourth, the 5,000 or so people that were there (myself included) were jumping, hugging, and high fiving our way to victory. I was wearing a red shirt, a black under shirt, and black pants. I remember it vividly. My roommate was there with me.

Slowly, but surely, the Garden died that night. I’ve been to some sports moments. I saw live when Griffey Jr. tied the consecutive game home run record. I saw live when Carlos Guillen bunted past Frank Thomas to sweep Chicago. I saw live when Ichiro threw out T. Long. I saw live when we got DESTROYED by San Antonio in the playoffs. And I saw this. From my free seat in the Garden, when everything that I have dreamed about fell away from me.

This is why I need this season. This is why I need the Trailblazers.

because we went on such a downward spiral after that. Also there is the shot that MJ made against the Blazers in the playoffs where he raises is shoulders and signals " can’t help it if they all go in"….\The NBA shows that in perpetuality and that always haunts me.
http://www.onemanfastbreak.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/michael_jordan.jpg

rolling the ball down the court as the seconds ticked to zero…and our season was over.

While I agree with most everyone about the 2000 WC Finals, it still tears at me everytime they show Shaqs dunk for the NBA commercial, I was really torn up when Jordan torched the Blazers in the 92 NBA Finals.

I was just finishing up my 6th year of college for my 4 year degree, which many of nights I should have been studying were spent at the Ram’s Head Sports Bar in Salem watching the Blazer games. I had celebrated memorable Blazer wins such as the double overtime win over the Spurs by dancing in the streets as I had done with my father in 77 and suffered through losses to the Pistons in 90 and L*kers in WC Final in 91. I was in attendance when the Blazers were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the L*kers in Kareem’s final season. What I am trying to say as so many people have, I had invested much time and energy being a die hard Blazer fan. As I stated earlier I was getting ready to graduate from college and was about to pack up my car and move to Texas to become a Texas High School Football Coach. A friend and I went and camped out in front of the Memorial Coliseum before game 5 or 6(forget which but it was the final EC game)between the Bulls and Cavs to be first in line IF the Bulls clenched. I was in attendance at game 3 of the 92 NBA Finals with two of my close friends. We had $8 between us when we were standing in line and had to take shifts to leave and beg family and friends for money to buy the tickets the next morning. We could have purchased 6 tickets each, I feel really stupid for not taking advantage of that but in the day of no cell phones and being broke college students we did the best we could. I video taped every single game of the Finals, was going to have the entire series saved for years of viewing pleasure. I had visions of partying for days and going to the victory parade like the footage I have seen of the 77 parade and all just before I moved away from home all the way down to Texas. It did not happen, game 3 was a not very exciting loss by the Blazers then I managed to get my hopes up for a miracle comeback in the series, when Jordon got hot and started nailing 3’s and won the series. I was devastated for weeks.

I am still waiting for that victory parade! I have vowed to be in attendance when it happens. I still live in Texas but plan to fly into Portland for games 6 and 7 if it goes that far when they make the finals and stay for the victory parade before heading home. I have had NBA League Pass since about 2000 and have watched every game since 2000, if I am not home I used to video tape every game to watch when I get home and now with dvr it is even easier. I almost did not subscribe a few years ago when the Blazers were at their worst, but realized I would be pissed at myself all season so I suffered right along with Nate and the entire organization through that long terrible season, actually there were a few of those!

I’m right with you, Dave – 1991 Finals.

I remember right at the end, Kevin Duckworth had a shot to either put us ahead or tie (I forget which) and his soft jumper from the foul line hit the inside of the front of the rim, the inside of the back of the rim, and skipped back out the front.

Magic then did one of those intuitive amazingly smart things when he got the ball. Rather than allow himself to get fouled and give the Blazers one more chance or risk a turnover, he threw the ball high in the air towards the scoreboard – but down court. By the time it came down, the game was over.

One is obviously the 2000 Conference Finals.
     I have a small conspiracy theory about that game. NY had just lost to Indiana in the east and we were still playing out in the west. Stern went from the possibility of a NY-LA Finals (Two biggest TV markets) to an Indiana –Portland series. You think the refs didn’t have pressure to make sure at least one big market didn’t make it in.

Two is Magic rolling the ball down the court and watching buck Williams face as he knew there was nothing he could do about it.

Three is Danny Young’s half-court three against Detroit that upon replay was clearly off in time, but the league didn’t use replay back then.
conspirios

Loved that team. Hated the Pistons.

Should have beat their sorry butts in 5.

Had to listen to the pinhead media talk the whole series about how stupid our players were.

Had to watch Isaiah—that arrogant, over rated, disingenuous, poor excuse for a human being walk off the court holding our trophy with that smug look on his face.

Thought of another one.

It was a Jordan moment. But not what most people think of in this series. There was the series where he just went crazy and made all those threes and then shrugged his shoulders and gave that grin. I think everyone remembers that.

That was a killer but the thing I’ll always remember about that series was a defensive play that he made. The Bulls had just missed a shot and Buck Williams came down with a strong rebound and was holding the ball up high looking for an outlet. Jordan threw a punch at the ball. I mean it was a real haymaker, may have knocked out Mike Tyson. He hit the ball square and knocked it off of Buck’s face and then put in the layup.

I remember thinking “We’re done”. The guy was just too good on both ends of the floor.

I can’t remember the last Blazer related post i’ve ever had so many bad toughts while reading! Uhhgg… Bad times… I need to go watch Roy dunking on Samb again.

2000 WCF Game 7 – I kept screaming “go to the basket!”, nobody could take over.

MJ going off for 5 or 6 3’s in the first half and adding the shoulder shrug.

Then (off topic) one from another era, some guy named Rolando beating my college team in the NCAA’s with a last second shot; I just wanted to die, and felt so bad for all of us, but especially for Ralph Miller.

There are now Blazers fans everwhere on suicide watch.

Missed catch.

Nuff said.

1) The Botched Fast Break: Porter to Mercy to Cliffy to… the fan sitting baseline…
devastating. That of course was followed by Terry’s missed baseline jumper and Magic’s tossing the ball downcourt… sloooowly killing us….
i had just moved back to Portland after years in DC and then Oberlin in Ohio. this was my return to my home! i was sitting in a bar downtown, when they still called it skid row. the Rialto, which no longer exists, with like 5 other people. the blazers took possession and streaked down the court, we were delirious, making far more noise than should’ve been possible for our small number. SUCH a freakin high and then seconds later, SUCH a sinking feeling that that was it. THAT was the moment. the ball slipping out of bounds was our death. yes we had time, and if i remember correctly, Cliffy redeemed himself a bit (altho it was probably not his fault, Terry and Jerome overpassed) by blocking a shot on the other end… and Terry had his shot… but that missed fast break opp really felt like it for me… never got over that.

2) hearing that Walton was becoming a Clipper. i was 10 i think, and i cried.

3) 2000 WCF… 4th quarter… many here have already recounted it so i dont need to. but damn…

1978 Playoffs, first round game 1 against the Sonics.

Bill came out, we were going nuts in the MC. Then the tipoff……

…….and we all watched HORRIFIED as he dragged his leg up and down the court.

That was the day earth stood still in Portland.

Do we really need to discuss this? Really?

Not sure of the year but in his column he mentioned the fact that maybe more players should use Coke like Shawn Kemp instead of Pot, then at least some of the Blazer players would have the energy to run up and down the court once and awhile. Yikes….Jail Blazers at their best.

Oden’s Microfracture announcement was pretty devestating.

The team was on the upswing, I was SURE we were going to the playoffs that year, when we picked GO I marked that as the official return of Rip City. That microfracture surgery put such a downer on that WHOLE season. Even during the 13 game winning streak you heard “and just imagine what they would be like with Oden on the floor!”

That moment was the worst “non game related” incident I have with the Blazers, it pretty much ruined the rest of my summer and I spent countless hours researching microfracture surgery and reading Amare Stoudamire reports and in general obsessing over everything “knee surgery” related.

Ugh, thinking about it still bothers me, even today we wonder when/if he will get back to full health, that single injury has loomed over this organization for 2 full years now, and is a part of ANY conversation about the team… that just sucks.

I am only 31, so I wasn’t really “here” for the Walton injury/trade ordeal, but I am going to guess it was similar.

Hearing the news of Kevin Duckworth dying so young…

Kenny had a great year. The team was his team. His trade by Trader Bob ushered in the “this is a business, I am a Jailblazer era.” I was shocked at the trade and what it signified. “If you give away all your money but do not have love, you have nothing.” If you throw away great players but do not win you have nothing. Perhaps now, with this group of players, we have found redemption.

Sure these conference finals losses, meltdowns and bone-head plays are heartbreakers. But I can get over those losses, they usually mean we played an excellent opponent and proved a lot by that point anyway.

But annoyance sticks with me far longer. And the single most ANNOYING game I’ve ever watched that I will remember into my twilight is a run-of-the-mill, regular season game against the Warriors. You probably remember Corey Maggette’s floptactular performance in that one. I’m pretty sure I sneezed in the direction of the TV and he fell down.

That game was like one of those days where nothing really bad happens, but a parade of minor annoyances keep happening over and over again. You step in gum, you spill your coffee, you stub your toe, you seem to hit every red light on your commute, you get in the line that’s the shortest but end up waiting the longest, the same hobo asks you for change twice and they got your order wrong at McDonalds but you didn’t realize it until you got home.

Hate to change the trajectory of the conversation, but I’m curious what the most annoying game you’ve ever watched was?

Game 1 – “The Shrug”, Bulls annihilate the Blazers in Chicago, media continues to crow about the Bulls’ mental superiority and how dumb the choking Blazers and their coaching staff are. 0-1.

Game 2 – Drexler fouls out with four minutes to go and down 10… the “us against the World” Blazers pull it together and win in OT (great game by Ainge), shutting up the entire nation’s lovefest with MJ temporarily. Media laps up the Zen Master explanation that the Bulls just fell asleep. No mention of them choking of course, that doesn’t fit their story line. 1-1.

Game 3 – Hackfest in Portland. Bulls are allowed at least 3-4 free hacks, shoves, and pulldowns each time they go back on defense. Blazers and the fans are understandably extremely frustrated. Portland sets all kinds of finals records for offensive incompetence. Media chirps about what a tough and mentally superior team the Bulls are and how the Blazers are a bunch of oafish, whiny, crybabies. Fortunately I didn’t have a sledgehammer handy, otherwise I would have needed to buy a new TV after the game. 1-2.

Game 4 – Probably the grittiest performance I ever saw from Drexler-era Blazers. Despite continuing to play five on eight, they slowly battled back from and opening deficit over the entire game. Ainge and Kersey almost get into a fistfight. Blazers go small ball down the stretch, finally taking the lead when Clyde strips MJ and scores on a subsequent fast break. Media spins it like the Bulls intentionally lost so they could clinch the series at home. 2-2.

Game 5 – Gut punch, followed by a hard kick to the groin, courtesy of MJ. Media is busy falling all over themselves crowning MJ the best ever. The Drexler-era Blazers, A TEAM THAT CLEARLY DESERVED TO WIN AT LEAST ONE TITLE, MUCH MORE THAN THE RASHEED-ERA TEAM THAT OTHERS ARE MOANING ABOUT IN THIS THREAD, are backed into a corner. 2-3.

Game 6 – Back in Chicago, the Blazers came out fighting and playing as hard as they could on every single possesion, stunning the media, the crowd, and the Bulls, all of whom expected the “mentally inferior” Blazers to come out in the fetal position. 79-64 lead heading into the fourth. You could see the team was completely exhausted, especially Porter (Adelman had lost all confidence in Robert Pack, the backup PG – this was my ultimate reminder of the importance of having a serviceable backup PG). The Bulls put in four fresh bench players with Pippen, and they almost immediately cut the lead to three. Portland continued to scratch and claw, but lost 97-93. 2-4.

Everyone knew this was the end of the era as Buck and Ainge were starting to age, Duckworth was slipping mentally as much as physically, and Clyde was starting to break down physically. Sad times. And to cap it off, my sarcastic and soon to be ex-girlfriend at the time was a typical bandwagon Bulls fan.

Thanks for making me relive the pain, frustration and humiliation of watching my team blow it in the 2000 wcf’s to the lakers. A pivotal moment in our team’s history which led to the end of the buy a championship at all costs experiment, and the foray into the darkest period of Blazers history that I have ever witnessed as a fan. Also the moment that gave all of the laker’s fans an indisputable smack-talking edge, over all of us Blazer fan’s. I’m going to go cry in a dark corner now…

1990 devastated me because I was a teenager and took it pretty hard.

2000 still hurts because it was the year I got my wife interested in sports. We had been to one of the games in the WCF so she felt a part of it. Game 7 I had to work and I couldn’t get out of it. Of course I recorded the game and told everyone to stay quiet about the results. I was jumping around the house around midnight as I watched the replay. After the l*kers started their comeback and I quieted down I could hear my wife crying in the bedroom. I knew then I should just turn off the VCR.

My wife now will not watch sports probably because of that experience. I took it better than her because 1990 had toughened me up as a teenager.

The Blazers had finally, FINALLY, played their brand of basketball for the first three quarters of game 6, running it down the defending champion’s throats. Kersey was diving on the ground, Clyde was soaring for dunks….the place was rocking and a game 7 seemed a foregone conclusion. And then, with Jordan on the bench, everything fell completely apart. They started to get outworked and outscored by Chicago’s bench & Pippen.

And what made that collapse so much worse was that the Blazers didn’t get beaten by superior play, they choked. Big time. I can still see, in my nightmares, Terry Porter’s face while he whines to the refs, basically begging them to bail out the suddenly inept Blazers. By the time the final buzzer sounded, I was done screaming at my television. I was just numb.

The losses I get over eventually. You can’t dwell on that stuff for 20 years or more. It will eat you up.

I have never really gotten over Bowie. Not the Blazers drafting him, but the injuries keeping him from realizing his potential. I was at the game he fractured his leg warming up against Dallas in the Coliseum. It was dead silent in the arena except for Sam pounding his hand in frustration on the floor. Everyone pretty much knew that the dream of Bowie being the final piece was dead at that moment. Sam was pounding on the floor for us all.

1. The comeback from the 3-1 deficit. This is my friend Jeff & I celebrating after game 6:

2. Brian Shaw bank shot 3 pointer.

3. Rasheed bricking at least six easy, makeable shots while being single-covered by Horry.

4. The alley oop.

Still, ’91 and ’92 were worse for me because I liked that team so much better and they deserved a ring.

nuff said, i was 10 and cried my eyes out

I wasn’t really a big basketball fan back in the WCF days, and the Blazers have been steadily improving since I became a big Blazer fan. Not that I’m a bandwagon jumper, it’s just that I have come to love my hometown team.

My worst sports memories are non-Blazer related:

The 2003 ALCS Aaron F’n Boone walk-off.

and

The Tuck Rule game. I don’t even need to list the teams, or which one I like, you know who they are.