Game 3: Blazers 89, Suns 108

Warning: This Post Is Very Emotionally Charged

Last night I got a last minute invite to the first playoff game in Portland between the Blazers and Suns. Not to brag, but I had incredible seats and despite the loss, experiencing the Blazers at the Rose Garden, during the playoffs, is nothing short of magical.

The fans were great and loud as ever. I hadn't been to a playoff game since 2000 and felt enormously privileged to see these guys play, even if the game's end result was the opposite of what I had hoped.

Indeed, what I witnessed was nothing short of a disaster. One blowout in Phoenix is no cause to panic, but another at home not two days later most certainly is.

Phoenix played harder, rougher, faster, smarter and with more focus than Portland. The Suns ran the Blazers out of their own building, leaving many fans with drooped shoulders and hanging heads.

After the first 3 minutes of play it was obvious who would win, the only thing uncertain would be by how much. The Blazers didn't score 10 points until the 3-minute mark of the first quarter. I knew it would be a long night.

The Suns came out to grab an early lead and pushed it to 31 at one point. The Blazers looked intimidated, scared, downtrodden and defeated; at several different points they simply looked aimless.

For me, this game was an ominous sign for the remainder of the playoffs. I no longer prayed that the Blazers win the series, rather that they get one more game and manage to lose all the others by less than 20 points.

The final score: 108 to 89 was much closer than the game was in reality. In spite of a flurry of scoring and scuffles late in the fourth quarter, the Blazers were playing behind a deep lead and never secured enough momentum to threaten the Suns legitimately.

Jason Richardson played the game of his career (why do guys always have career nights against us?!)  and was absolutely on fire all night, finishing with 42 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steels.

He was left wide open on a number of possessions thanks the Blazers' help defense and Richardson simply connected on almost all of his shots.

I can't speak for everyone when I say this isn't a fluke the Blazers were once again pummeled. The Blazers do not have the fire power to score enough points to keep up. They have failed twice now to control the pace, allowing the Suns to get out on the break.

The Blazers were dismal on the boards, not a new trend this series, and the Blazers aren't moving the ball. The Blazers shot barely above 50 percent from the free throw line and just 31 percent from the three point line.

With so many guys playing out of position and some playing injured, their struggles are understandable, yet still it is painful to watch. In almost every metric the Blazers are down from their season average by a significant amount; not a good omen.

Put simply, the Blazers just aren't playing well. Some of this is due to a legitimate talent gap between the Suns and Blazers, while some is due to lack of effort. 

Rebounding and claiming good position on the boards shouldn't be an issue for guys like Marcus Camby and LaMarcus Aldridge, yet neither had more than 10 rebounds last night.

Jerryd Bayless and Martell Webster shouldn't be missing their spots on offense and the whole team shouldn't be cheating on defense.

The Blazers shouldn't be shooting less than 60 percent from the free throw line and must start connecting on their open shots. Nate's offense doesn't work if those shots aren't falling.

Rudy Fernandez continued his frustrating and lackluster play. Although he connected on a couple of late game threes and finished with 12 points, his presence overall was more of a detriment.

I am still emotional after such a demoralizing loss and maybe it isn't fair for me to continue to rag on Fernandez, after all he is but one member of the team. But I can't shake this sense of disappointment and bitterness I have towards him.

The Blazers need Rudy yet he plays without a care in the world, as if it doesn't matter that he holds the collective heart of thousands of Portlanders in his hands. This was Rudy's time to step up in the absence of the star and his grand opportunity to prove all his doubters wrong.

He failed, and miserably at that. As much as I hate to admit it, the Blazers need Rudy to win on Saturday. Will he answer the call? I'm not holding my breath.

Tomorrow at 1:30 PM the Blazers take on the Suns for game 4. Blazer fans deserve a win at home. I hope the team can deliver.

Sophia Brugato | Twitter | Email