Now we can all get at least one decent night's sleep.
It was tough to tell just what kind of team we were after Saturday's game. Was the regular season a farce? Is playoff basketball really that different than what we had become accustomed to from October to April? Who were we? Where were we going? Did we even belong in the postseason?
All those questions were answered Tuesday night during Portland's 107-103 victory against the Rockets in Game Two. Game One, while repeatable, was an anomaly. And the Portland Trail Blazers, though still young and learning on the fly, are capable of playing tough in pressure situations.
LaMarcus Aldridge returned to form. Brandon Roy elevated his game to an entirely different level. Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden played Yao beautifully while sharing the court for only the second time this season. Steve Blake got comfortable again. Thanks to those things and more, the Trail Blazers got their first playoff win in six years. They also found some much needed confidence in the process.
There will be much more to go over in the days before Game Three on Friday, but in the mean time, look and listen to the postgame audio and video.
AUDIO
• Nate McMillan Postgame (3.7 MB)
• Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge Postgame (4.7 MB)
• Rick Adelman Postgame
• Yao Ming Postgame (6.9 MB)
VIDEO
Media availability is a little different during the playoffs, making the usual locker room interviews a little tougher to capture. Luckily, Rebecca Haarlow was kind enough to stick around for a one-on-one interview with Travis Outlaw, which you can view here.
We need one on the road and two at home.
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