"Since acquiring Kobe Bryant in a draft-day trade in 1996, the Lakers are 6-23 in Portland in the regular season, falling to the Trail Blazers year after year, whether rain or hail or the occasional burst of sunshine as their bus pulls into the oversized garage.

Phil Jackson used to blame the weather. Then he blamed the team's semiannual visits to the Nike store in nearby Beaverton. Then he went back to blaming the weather.

It will be noisy — the Blazers' fans are among the best in the league — adding a Super Bowl-type din to their den whenever the Lakers arrive."

-yep