The Portland Trail Blazers enjoyed a relatively successful run during the 2010s, only missing the NBA Playoffs twice since the 2010-11 season. The beginning of the decade was marked by the retirement of franchise star Brandon Roy, but the Blazers soon landed another beacon in the form of Damian Lillard in the 2012 NBA Draft. Lillard helped the Blazers quickly make it back to the playoffs, with Portland currently holding a streak of seven consecutive postseason appearances.
Portland’s success in making the playoffs means there are a handful of memories to highlight as the best. Bleacher Report’s Mandela Namaste picked Lillard’s game- and series-winner against the Thunder in 2019 as the team’s best playoff moment of the last decade:
When the opportunity came to dispel the doubters, Lillard did so with aplomb. Matched up with the star-studded Thunder in the first round, Lillard outplayed archrival Russell Westbrook, capping his dominance with a high-arcing, series-winning three over Paul George that resulted in two effortlessly cool reactions.
Lillard’s shot against the Thunder is memorable for a multitude of reasons, from the distance his heave traveled, to the iconic wave that followed.
There are other worthy choices, too, for best Blazers playoff moment of the 2010s. Brandon Roy’s heroic effort in Game 4 of the 2011 playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks serves as one last reminder of the shooting guard’s greatness and showcases his natural ability to take over games.
Then there’s Lillard’s other game- and series-winning shot, the one that came in his first playoff appearance ever in 2014 against the Rockets. Lillard dashing across the top of the arc and clapping like a mad man before sinking a fadeaway 3-pointer — with only 0.9 seconds on the clock — is something every Blazer fan can easily picture in their mind.
So, we ask you: What’s your favorite Blazers playoff memory of the 2010s? Let us know in the comments below.