Jan 10 2009
Pre-mid-season Review: 5 Worst Losses of the Season So Far
Tonight the Warriors are in town to face the Blazers for the second time this season. As we all know, the Blazers lost a horribly officiated game down in Oakland back in November, and I’ve had trouble getting over it. I still have night terrors where Rudy Fernandez is getting tugged while going for a loose in-bounds pass and gets called for the foul. Just cold sweats. I was addicted to some sort of snortable seashell powder for a while because I heard it would control the outbursts, but honestly, it just made things worse. You know how if you put your ear up to a seashell, you can hear the ocean? Imagine that, but everywhere. I constantly felt like I was in the ocean, but I don’t even know how to swim! Hence, the night terrors become worse. Oh yeah, the five worst losses so far this season.
5. October 28th, 2008 - Blazers lose 96 to 76 in Los Angeles.
We’d been looking forward to the beginning of this season with a fervor unmatched by almost any other fanbase in the NBA. We had the Lakers, what some consider our chief rivals, and our number one draft pick, Greg Oden, was going to play his first regular season game. We were understandably excited. As soon as the game was tipped off, the Blazers got dominated early and thoroughly. They didn’t have a shot. And then Oden got injured. Just horrible due to an expected outcome that turned worse.
4. December 25th, 2008 - Blazers lose 102-94 to Dallas in Portland
It was Christmas, damn it! The fans trudged through the worst snow storm in decades to be at this game, and the Blazers laid an egg. Not to mention, this game had some personal disappointments associated with it too.
3. December 12th, 2008 - Blazers lose 120-112 in OT against the Clippers in Portland
The Steve Blake choke game. If he makes just one more free throw, the Blazers win the game. If Nate decides to foul Baron Davis, the Blazers win the game. Neither of these things happened, and the team fell apart in the OT period. Painful, but mostly in that steal defeat from the jaws of victory way. Ironic tidbit: Steve Blake had the highest +/- for the game.
2. November 18th, 2008 - Blazers lose 111-106 in Golden State
The loss I mentioned during the lead. A win that you give away in dramatic fashion, such as the Clippers game, is still not as painful as a win that’s taken away such as what happened in Oakland. The fact the refs took a point off the board due to a lane violation before the controversial call just seals it. If the Blazers miss the playoffs, it’s due to this badly managed game.
1. December 9th, 2008 - Blazers lose 109-108 to the Magic in Portland
Ugh. Hedo Turkoglu with a prayer straight on bank shot. I have never heard the Rose Garden be more quiet than the walk out that night. I wanted to burn my coupon for a free chalupa in fear that it was cursed like the game that begat it.
Hopefully this list exorcised some demons for the team and for us fans, and there will be a massive win at the Garden to match it. I mean, Golden State is bad.
