10 WORST Portland Trail Blazers Losses of ALL TIME

Tonight the Portland Trail Blazers received a TUMULTUOUS ASS WHOOPING from the Philadelphia 76ers.  Normally I avoid using bad language in my writing, because I cuss enough in real life.  But as a writer, it is important to use bad language when you are specifically punctuating a particular emotion or event. 

In this case...it is the fact that after listening to all the post game hype on the radio...I turned the game on early in the second quarter and saw The Portland Blazers were down 34-15. 

It did not get better.

Tonight, the Philadelphia 76ers spank'd us like a red headed step child.  They did not apologize either.  Though we came into tonight's game without Rudy Fernandez, we left it with an injured Steve Blake and an UGLY defeat. 

Portland had two passionate games against Philadelphia last year, and the franchise beat them in 1977 for the NBA title!  So we should have expected the hungry Sixers would look to OWN us like Simon from American Idol owns a bad singer's hopes and dreams of fame and fortune!

This embarassing and otherwise ridiculous ass whooping made me think of the 10 WORST Blazer losses EVER.  Of course, these are just my opinion.

10. Game Two 1999 Western Conference Finals Versus San Antonio Spurs

Portland blows a nineteen point lead and lets skilled three point veteran Sean Elliot drop a dagger three to take a one point lead and win the game in an explosive come from behind win that is now dubbed: "The Memorial Day Miracle."  The three pointer not only gives San Antonio a two game lead in the series, it completely deflates the young Blazers and leads to a sweep.

9. Game Four 1990 NBA Finals Versus Detriot Pistons

Down 2-1 in the Finals, Portland has allowed the bad boy Detriot Pistons to get in their heads and hearts, and are down three points with seconds to spare.  Danny Young throws up a desperate three...which goes in at the buzzer!  Memorial Coliseum is electric and The Blazers have saved the series!  Right?  Wrong.  Replay shows that Danny Young's miracle three was still in his fingers when time was off the clock.  The buzzer sounded late.  Blazers go down 3-1 in the Finals, and all hope appeared lost.

8. 2002 Versus Denver Nuggets 

At Denver, shooting for their 13th win in a row, The Portland Blazers blow a 28 point second half lead to a Nuggets team whose best player is in his 50s!  Scottie Pippen missed a free throw to go up four, and Tim Hardaway drains the game tying shot at the buzzer.  Nuggets go on to give us a pathetic overtime defeat.  I had court-side tickets for that game. 

7. Game Three 2002 First Round Against Los Angeles Lakers

Facing a sweep, Portland puts up a valiant second half fight to take a five point lead with less than a minute.  If Portland can win one game, odds are they can ride the momentum and win the next game to force a decisive game five against their bitter rivals, The Lakers.  

Except Pippen misses a pivotal free throw, and Bryant drives to the basket, draws the double team from Pippen, and wisely dishes it out a wide open Robert Horry.  Big Shot Bob sinks the three, one of his most famous three pointers, and Portland is swept by their dreaded nemesis.

6. Game Five 1990 NBA Finals Versus Detroit

Down 3-1 in the NBA Finals, Portland loses a seven point lead with a 1:20 left and allows Vinnie Johnson to score seven straight points, including the game winner.  Terry Porter tries a three pointer to win...BRICK.  The Detroit Pistons dance on the floor of Memorial Coliseum and Blazer fans cry, cry, cry...

5. Game Six 1991 NBA Western Conference Finals Versus Los Angeles Lakers

Ask anyone on that great RIP City team why they never won the championship, and they will honestly tell you that it is because they lost to the Lakers in 1991.  Terry Porter missed the game winning shot, and Magic Johnson rolled the rebound down the court.  The Lakers go onto a historic NBA Finals against Chicaco, and Portland goes back to the drawing room board.

4. Game Seven 2003 Versus Dallas Mavericks

The last great run of the Sheed-Pippen era, the guys force a decisive game seven against a BRILLIANT Mavericks team that had them down 3-0.  No team had ever forced a game seven down 3-0.  Not a single Blazer fan could sleep the night before.  One of the best games I ever saw turns into Dirk Nowitzki and Nick Van Exel putting on an offensive onslaught to The Blazers away late in the fourth quarter!  The final game of Portland great Arvydas Sabonis.  (Sigh.) 

3. 2004 Last Game of the Season Versus Los Angeles Lakers 

Portland knows it will miss the playoffs for the first time in over twenty years, and has one last shot at redemption.  Defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, giving the best record in the west to the Sacramento Kings!  Portland puts up a fight, only to have Kobe Bryant drop an IMPOSSIBLE three to tie the game, and another impossible three at the buzzer for a one point win! 

Once again, in Hollywood style, the Lakers rub salt into the wounds of an badly injured franchise.

2. Game Six 1992 NBA Finals Versus Chicago Bulls

That RIP City Team was one of the best NBA teams ever assembled.  It took Detroit, Los Angles, and finally the Chicago Bulls (three legendary teams) to stop us.  The fact we were the ultimate test for those three franchises speaks to the quality of that RIP City team.  Sadly, our run ended in 1992 as the Bulls overcame a late second half 15 point deficit to win their 2nd NBA Championship.  I still hate watching that.

1. Game Seven 2000 NBA Western Conference Finals Versus Los Angeles Lakers

Top five worst days of MY LIFE!!  Do I even need to explain?  Did anyone think there would ever be worse Blazers loss than this??  Blazers blow a fifteen point FOURTH QUARTER lead over a Lakers team that cannot sink a free throw, and end an otherwise GLORIOUS run at making the 2000 NBA Finals, where we were predicted win. 

That day, as we lost, a tree outside of my house COLLAPSED.  Literally...it split in TWO at the same time Portland was blowing the lead!  I can still feel the pain from that loss, and it took over FIVE YEARS before I allowed myself to watch the rerun on NBA's Greatest Games.  To this day, it hurts.  Hurts.  HURTS.  www.beatLA09.com

So there you have it Blazer fans.

This loss was tough, and there will be more tough losses to come.

But there have been far worse losses than the one we felt tonight.