Kawhi’s shot was great, but that was at home in Toronto in a game in which I think most thought the Raptors would win.
To me, the storyline on Mother’s Day from an NBA viewpoint was CJ McCollum basically putting his Portland team on his back on the road against the favored Denver Nuggets and leading them with a 37 point performance in a Game 7 win by a 100-96 count.
Not many teams win on the road in Game 7’s, but this is one of those performances you can’t overlook especially after the way CJ toyed with the overpaid, overhyped, underachieving Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
Consider that Nurkic didn’t play, Lillard had a subpar scoring game with 13 points, and Rodney Hood left the game with a knee injury. The Fox broadcast for the Thunder would use those three excuses for explaining away why the Thunder haven’t won anything of note since Kevin Durant left. For the Michael Cages and Little Nick Gallos of the delusional Fox world that’s enough alibis for a decade let alone a season.
CJ McCollum apparently isn’t into excuses. He’s into winning in this post season. Consider this—in these first two rounds with eight playoff wins—these Blazers have doubled the Thunder’s total post season win total since Durant left for Oakland three years ago. Pretty sure that won’t be on a Little Nick Gallo Bolt or on a Low Energy Royce Young hot take anytime soon as in this is the time of year they need to be in full Thunder spin mode to help with Thunder season ticket sales.
Royce Young…I believe gets to continue covering the Blazers for ESPN in as his beat team the Thunder is off for the summer after exhausting themselves with another lightening quick choke-exit from the playoffs. This will be good for Royce Young and might help him grow up as a writer as he’ll get to witness real NBA players and a real NBA head coach up close and personal. I’m almost certain all the Portland players will answer his questions and not play the punk Marshawn Lynch bullshit game in the postgame pressers. Royce Young should invite Tramel to join him as well and maybe they’ll feel absolved from the Thunder season of abuse.
But, anyway, I can’t wait for the Western Conference Finals if for no other reason than to witness the two best backcourts in the NBA currently go at it with a trip to the NBA Finals at stake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KtPe2RLiqs
Not exactly sure what Cupcake’s status is and quite frankly I don’t care. Rodney Hood is another matter. Portland needs him and hopefully the MRI will turn out okay and he’ll be available for the real NBA head coach named Terry Stotts.
In closing, I have no idea if Sam Presti has ever happened upon my rogue Thunder blog, but in the event he ever does this is for him.Dear Sam Presti…this is what a real NBA head coach looks like after they’ve coached under Rick Carlisle on a NBA championship team
Let’s Go Blazers!
Bonus coverage. One of my readers in Florida sent me this from Mar a Largo today as he played in the group in front of Donald Trump on Mother’s Day.