A number of teams owned serious bragging rights over the Trail Blazers coming into the 2008-09 season. Despite improvements over the last three years, going from 21 wins in ’05-’06 to 32 wins in ’06-’07 to 41 wins in ’07-’08, there were still some teams that, for whatever reason, the Trail Blazers couldn’t overcome. Games against the Spurs, the Suns, the Celtics the Pacers always seemed to end in losses.
But this season, the losing streaks stop. One by one, all of the foes that asserted dominance against the Trail Blazers found things wouldn’t no longer be so easy. A 12-game losing streak to the Spurs; snapped on the first home game of the season back on Halloween night. An 11-game slid against the Suns; extinguished on Dec. 18 thanks to Brandon Roy's 52 point explosion. Seven-games of futility against the Celtics; stopped a few days before the New Year on Dec. 30. Five-straight losses to the Rockets; busted Nov. 6 thanks to the now-legendary Brandon Roy buzzer-beater. And of course, there were nine ineffective games against the Pacers that ended a few weeks back on March 4.
All told, the Trail Blazers have snapped 10 losing streaks of three games or more this season. Most of those streak-snappers took place at the Rose Garden, so there are a number of away losing streaks that are still in place, including six years of misses at Conseco Field House (Blazers last won in Indy back on March 17, 2003), but maybe that falls tonight. Hopefully.
Of course, there’s really only one streak that matters, that being the six years without a postseason. But if the Trail Blazers keep up the habit of righting old wrongs, we’re likely to see an end to that postseason drought.
Reclaiming past pain and disappointment is another accomplishment The Blazers 08-09 team can have bragging rights to.
ReplyDeleteI hope past home games with LA Lakers don't end.
Although I don't hate Utah, they sure seem to give us a bad time each year. Denver is still a good team but they will be falling fast. We are definitely getting better fast. With Denver's lack of serious D it won't be long until we completely dominate them.
I don't mind losing to Denver other than being a division contender. I do hate having our nose rubbed in it(The Birdman and J R Smith). I actually think that will become their demise.
Not only does the losing streak stop here, now the winning streaks start here.
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