I'll admit I've been waiting some time for a chance to use that "Blazers Smoke Nuggets" headline, and now that time has finally come. Our hometown Blazers did indeed smoke some tasty Nuggets on an early Sunday night game at the Moda Center. It was a somewhat sloppy effort, to be honest, but a super dank 3rd quarter comeback helped the Blazers put away a team with which they shouldn't have had as many problems as they did. The final score was 112-105.
These two teams had already met earlier in the season during which the Blazers stole a loopy overtime victory in Denver. Ex-Blazer Will "The Thrill" Barton was out for this game with a sprained ankle, a tough break for Denver. Though he and Damian Lillard could be seen yukking it up on the sidelines before the game started.
Things began well for the Blazers but then went quickly downhill and the Nuggets led by as much as 17 during a woeful second quarter. The Blazers second unit still seems to be learning it's way out there. Evan Turner started slowly, again, but then began to pick up some steam. Lillard came back in to close out the half and the Blazers narrowed the gap to 50-57 at the break.
I happened to be sitting next to one of the Nuggets PR guys in the media row and asked him if he was aware that the Portland cannabis community had seized upon the "Blazers/Nuggets" matches as mini weed holidays. Last year former Blazer Cliff "Uncle Spliffy" Robinson hosted a suite with several cannabis related businesses during the Blazers/Nuggets game. The Nuggets guy said he wasn't aware of the hoopla. I told him to look into starting something over in weed-friendly Denver next time the Blazers come to town and he said he'd look into it. I wasn't convinced he would actually be doing that though.
Halftime is when I like to roam the hallways checking out fans sporting their Blazer-themed gear. Here's my favorites:
And there were even a few Nuggets fans scattered around. These guys live in Seattle, actually, but they used to live in Colorado.
The third quarter has been a harsh period for us this season. But not so tonight. The Blazers came out looking peppy and prepared and for a while it seemed like they might just blow the game wide open. Lillard, Harkless, and Turner, all started hitting shots, and soon enough the Blazers were up by 16 points. Things were tasty out there indeed.
Best fan-made signs:
"Flush the Nuggets"
"Let's Cook Nuggets!"
"Crustacean Nation" (with a picture of a "Crabbe")
It was nearly garbage time in the fourth, what with the game seemingly tucked away, and fan favorite rookie Jake Layman came out to take on Kenneth "Manimal" Faried. Layman didn't score, but he had a couple of nice blocks.
The Nuggets made a surprise run at the end of the game though and Coach Stotts had to put Lillard back in to seal the victory. It never got seriously close, but really, it shouldn't have gotten close at all. Still, it was a fine enough win, with all five of the Blazers starters scoring double digits, and don't look now, but the Trailblazers have won 5 of their last six games. The next one will be a good gut check though, as the legit Chicago Bulls come rolling into town on Tuesday. See you there!