We just played the world champions and they wanted this game... badly. They were celebrating like they just beat one of the best teams in the league. Our guys were not ready for that kind of intensity. LeBron wasn't there, but the Heat were bringing some serious defense in the second half. They shut down Lillard, and the team seemed lost at times. This was a great lesson to be learned. We got to see playoff caliber basketball from one of the best teams in the league. I hope our guys can take something from this. I watched our team get absolutely decimated in the first game of the playoffs against Houston a few years back. We weren't ready then, but I'm hoping our guys will be ready now. The level of intensity and defense changes in the playoffs. Our guys got a little taste of that tonight and I think they will be ready in the future.
Not ready for the intensity? We led most of the game and we were up 2 until a rainbow three went down at 0.5 secs left. AND our coach and players were good enough to execute a play that could've given us the win anyway! AND we've beaten OKC, Indiana, and San Antonio all of whom wanted to beat us badly. We beat the Clippers too. They were DESPERATE for a win. Give us a break. We also won in playoff atmosphere in Oakland after getting two players ejected. This team is absolutely ready for "the intensity." One 1 point loss and you're calling us out? Bringing up 2009?
What, exactly, did he call out? We're a young team that got a good learning experience, that's what I got out of it.
I just hope they learn to take care of the ball better. The team can throw some really lazy passes sometimes. Pet peeve.
I was surprised by how hard they played and how much they celebrated. Maybe they take us more seriously than we all think.
Miami was 7-6 without Lebron. They had zero reason to beat us. That's why they celebrated like they won the finals.
same here, someone else mentioned the "lazy" passes and that needs to be tightened up especially when high intensity playoff level D is being played. We have won a boat load of tight games , you are gonna lose some as well
Absolutely. Minus Lebron, on second night of a back to back, at our place... We ought to have run them out of the building. The fact that we didn't doesn't mean we are a bad team, but you'd better believe it shines a spotlight on some areas for improvement, whether or not Bosh hits that three.
4 things: 1) We made too many lazy passes that other teams don't contend and got burned repeatedly. It's a lesson learned. 2) The refs will and do give star treatment to world champs. We dealt with it well, but it's an 8-12 point swing every game. 3) Bosh has never hit 3 consecutive 3 pointers in a row. 4) Miami really gets back on defense well. And that's how we lost the game.
a preview of things to come. yes competition is better but our last 4-5 wins or games are nail biters and that says either level of comp is better or we are playing putrid defense and lack killer instinct
I don't know about "run them out of the building' but you make a good point. Portland had multiple advantages going for them and didn't take advantage. Yes, it came down to one last shot but a lot of games do. The goal is to build more of a cushion which Portland had the opportunity to do and didn't. Same thing with the Clippers who came in on the 2nd of a back to back and Portland couldn't build on a lead and the Clips kept coming back. If not for a late 3 by Nic and a wide open miss from Paul, they lost that game. It is one game but some of the things people have mentioned (and often times called out for) are either repeating, or haven't improved. As their 3-pt shooting starts to decline, the margin for error gets smaller and the deficiencies become more pronounced. Hopefully they can improve on those things.
Right. And don't get me wrong -- if we had to do those last two possessions over (the Bosh three and the LA miss), I like our odds overall. You repeat those same shots 10 times, and I think we come out on top in at least 7 of them. But we had so many missed opportunities leading up to those shots... And I don't like the whole "we didn't get beat, we gave this one away" mentality. Games are never "given away". Teams either play better than their opponent, or they don't. On this night, we definitely did not.
Good OP Nate. Win or lose that game, the Miami defense gave the Blazers a wake-up call and an opportunity to learn another valuable lesson that they will need for the playoffs.
