I've now seen the Blazers lose twice as many games already this season, as I did over the previous two seasons combined. In 2007-08, at games I attended the Blazers went 12-1. I saw them win 12 times in a row before finally losing to Houston in the last game I attended that season . In 2008-9, I watched them win 13 of 14. The only loss being the double OT loss to the Clippers in December. This year started well - with the Blazers winning the first three games I attended. They have now lost the last four I've witnessed in person. I hate seeing them lose period, but it's especially frustrating to see them lose games they games they should have won (tonight, Memphis). I hope they turn it around soon. The next game I have tickets for is the Lakers on February 6. I'd hate to see that streak end. BNM
I'm 0-4 this year too. But last night may have been the worst regular season loss I've ever been to. It was such an emotional game. We get down 24-8 in the 1st and it looked like we might lose by 30. Then they came storming back to take the lead at halftime! They played well to stay with the Horners from halftime until about the 6 minute mark in the game when we went on a run to make it a 9 point lead. The crowd was going crazy after that flagrant foul on Rudy, which pushed it back to an 8 point lead with 3+ minutes left. Ballgame. Right? The RG was just pumping . . . "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy". We all know how the last 3:26 went. The whole RG was silent - everybody looked like they just got punched in the gut. It felt like we were leaving a funeral. Losing undermanned is to be expected. But when you have an 8 point lead at home with just over 3 minutes left and you are in the bonus, you have to close out that game. Just a shot to the gut last night, especially considering the next 9 games before the break. One thing I can say is that this team has bounced back from some pretty bad losses this year. There have been a couple of losses where you go "Is THIS where we fall apart?" A couple that come to mind are the OT loss in Milwaukee in the first full game w/o Joel, and the bad calls in that game. They came home to win a touch game against Sac after that. Also, similar to last night we blew an 8 point lead with 3+ minutes against Memphis a few weeks ago. Came back a few nights later to beat the Lakers in our best game of the season. I said I would take 5-5 in these last 10 before the break. I'm starting to think I'd take 4-6. I'm really afraid it could be 2-8 or something. We just can't finish games w/o Roy. We blew a late lead at Washington, had several chances to beat the Celtics, and barely hung on against Detroit (Charlie V and Stuckey missed open 3's thank goodness) I don't blame our guys, and I'm not going to say they "choked". They just don't have playmakers and almost everything is coming from the perimeter right now. Tough to close out games that way.
I'm 28-1 over the last 2 1/2 years....the Charlotte loss on my wife's birthday (where I upgraded to seats so close she could see Jack almost start crying) being the lone defeat. Then again, I've only been able to go to two games this year (her pregnancy and inability to make 7hr round-trips might have something to do with that).
I've had streaks. First a 2 year win streak. For a while, in the mid 90s, they lost every game I went to - LA, Oakland, Sacramento, Portland, did not matter, they lost. Then in the latter part of the decade they won every game for about 3 years. Unfortunately the loss that broke the string was Game 7 of the WCF in LA.
Prior to the 4 recent losses, I was on a 28-2 streak. My best streak was 40 in a row starting with the 1989-90 season opener against Sacramento. I think that was also the night they retired Bill Walton's jersey. It was either that game, or the preseason home opener that year. I still have the posters from that night. BNM
