Brandon Roy's 52 and the Greatness of its Memory

Oden, I dare say, showed up Shaq with a monster block on Amare Stoudamire, but foul trouble limited the 20-year-old to the bench for much of the game. The battle for the Rose Garden's heart, it appeared, would be fought on another battleground.

Gettysburg. Metropolis. The Rose Garden's backcourt. All places where heroes have been born. All places that Brandon Roy would thrive. But (as far as I know) in only the latter could Roy show that he is truly a star.

As the Blazers and the Suns traded baskets, it was soon apparent that the game would be a shootout. The halftime score was 66-59, and while fans looked toward chalupas, Roy was warming up for a run that would put Usain Bolt to shame.

Phoenix kept up the pressure, using Amare's gifts and Matt Barnes' threes to keep the game just out of reach for Portland. Soon, a double-digit lead arose, and as time wound down in the third, it looked like head coach Nate McMillan's plans for a win were heading out the door.

But the Roy did what he does best, which, frankly, is exactly what I, and the thousands of Blazers fans watching, expected. He turned the compassion dial down, keyed his Terminator ignition and kicked his game into overdrive. You could almost see his pupils turn an blazing red.

Roy, top of the key, Barnes five feet back, dribble through the legs, quick jump shot from the arc. Swish.

Roy, fast break, going lefty, backboard-then-net. And One.

Roy, crowded with a pair of defenders and a Steve Blake handoff, leaping right to drain the three.

Roy, one-two-stepping. See ya, Shaq.

Roy, with the game tied 119-119 and 1:01 left, put up a game-breaker that everyone knew would fall. And so it did. A pair of Roy free throws later—the Suns' fate was sealed.

124-119, Blazers. 17-10 on the year, 9-2 at the Rose Garden.

After the dust settled, the chalupas were consumed, and Craig Sager had hung his suit, Roy was credited with 52 points. "A quiet 52," said McMillan. "An eye-popping, door-opening, level-hopping 52," says me. A career high, and second only to Damon Stoudamire's 54 points in 2005 in Blazers history. The game ball, snug on his hip as time expired, was one Roy would be keeping with him for a long, long time.

Much like my memories of this game. Here's to the rest of The Resurgence, and here's to Brandon Roy.

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