Blazers v. Nuggets: Trading Punches With A Deadly Enemy...

Two of the best Blazer games I watched live were against the Denver Nuggets.

The first was in 2002, when I went to Denver to watch them play Portland.  In that game, a more-than-half-empty Pepsi Center erupted with thunder as the Nuggets came back from a 28-point second half deficit to tie the game with a three at the buzzer, and then win in overtime. 

My two friends and I sat court-side for the game (because at the time tickets were super cheap) and we were doing nothing but talking smack.  I mean, we were trash talking the whole arena!  You could hear us in the back row!  Then our team lost, and boy oh boy, did people have some mean things to say to us. 

Truthfully, it was so painful to watch that it stuck with me for WEEKS.

Face it NBA fans, you do not know your team until you watch them lose a big game on the road.  Not only that, but the Blazers (at the time) were hoping to win their 13th straight game.  Major buzz kill.  Those Jail Blazers were good at blowing big leads. 

Years later I lived in New York City and watched a then rookie Carmelo Anthony officially knock Portland out of the playoffs.   For the next THREE YEARS I watched the Nuggets either tear Portland to shreds or just pull out a win at the end.

Then Brandon Roy came along. 

In his rookie season he hit that famous three to tie the game in Denver...and though Denver won in overtime that three was the beginning of a tilt in the balance of power between the teams. 

The next season, I watched Portland win its 10th consecutive game, playing Denver, and it was the best game I have ever been to! 

In that game,  Brandon Roy made a pristine block on Carmelo Anthony, then Travis Outlaw sent Linas Kleiza's game-tying three into the rafters, and the party was ON.  I was wasted, and left the arena chanting, "Blaze the Nuggets!!"  

Alas Portland did not make the playoffs last year.  Denver did, but only to get swept in an embarrassing manner by the Lakers, a team they could have contended with but chose to go on an early vacation instead. 

Thus...all said and done...over the last two days Portland played back-to-back games against Denver...and truthfully...there was nothing terribly exciting about it.

Denver won in Denver.

Portland won in Portland.

I don't think either team was pleased with the schedule, or having to fly into Portland during the worst snow fall in 40 years!  I don't think either team intended to win on the road...although I do think Denver put up a decent fight. 

But a Rudy Fernandez alley-oop to Roy sealed the deal...and now both teams are 18-11. 

Just trading punches. 

Nothing personal... 

Yet I fear meeting Denver in the playoffs because they have veterans, which is what Portland lacks.  We have a lot of passion, talent, and dreams...but those qualities are exactly what savvy veterans rely on in order to crush their opponent's spirit.

They have Chauncey Billups, and I believe he can do for Denver what Scottie Pippen did for the Blazers...make them deep playoff contenders. 

But the talk of playoffs is for later.

For now, I am just glad we didn't lose two in a row...to the Nuggets.