According to Mark Stein "we" are the problem

You mean it made them overconfident? That's possible, I guess, but it doesn't seem likely to me. The Blazers have been beaten by enough lousy teams this year to know that they have to bring their A game every night--especially against a team like Houston that won the season series against them.

I think the Rockets were just hungrier in Game 1. They outhustled the Blazers and played with a sense of determination for 48 minutes. They've flamed out in the first round for several consecutive years, and they want to end that losing streak this season.

Now, however, the shoe is on the other foot. The Blazers are desperate for a win, and they're going to come out with a sense of purpose tonight. . . . I hope.

 

Sell.

How many other teams in the NBA had a rally to celebrate their team making the playoffs? This Portland team hasn't gotten booed by the home crowd more then once all season (I think they did in the Christmas Day Massacre). There aren't very many fans that expect them to go all the way. Most Portland fans know that most teams need to lose a couple of times in the playoffs before breaking through.

Stein isn't a moron. What he is is a guy who hasn't been to a game in Portland all year and probably has seen the team play a handful of times.