After the dust had settled following their season-ending defeat in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, the Portland Trail Blazers can now reflect on their season that was.
Blazers GM Neil Olshey opened up about their first round victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He said that their dominant 4-1 series win over the Thunder gave them some much needed validation and vindication that their embarrassing playoff exit last year was a fluke, per Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune.
Neil Olshey on @trailblazers
winning OKC series: “It was validation and vindication for keeping the group together. We were an underdog going into that series, & Dame had a historic performance. It proved that last year’s playoffs were the fluke, not last year’s regular season."— Kerry Eggers (@kerryeggers) May 21, 2019
To recall, Portland got swept last season by the New Orleans Pelicans despite having home court advantage.
Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and the rest of the Blazers heard just about every criticism during the summer on whether they are just a regular season team. Many also suggested the team to blow it up and argued that Lillard and McCollum as a backcourt duo could not get it done.
But the Blazers did not let the chatter affect them and put together another magnificent regular season in 2018-19, finishing with the third seed for the second consecutive year.
Of course, with last year's shameful exit in peoples' minds, many doubted Portland heading into the 2019 playoffs. Experts picked them to lose once again in the first round against the star tandem of Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
Lillard, especially, was spectacular in the series and completely dominated Thunder star Russell Westbrook. He finished off the Thunder with one of the greatest walk off buzzer beating three-pointers to send Oklahoma City packing, capping off a 50-point night.
After dispatching the Thunder in five, many still didn't believe Portland can win two series in a single playoff run. But they proved the naysayers once again, knocking out the no. 2 seed Denver Nuggets and did so with a win on the road in Game 7.
Of course, the Blazers eventually succumbed to the defending champion Golden State Warriors in dissappointing fashion, losing via sweep. Nonetheless, this is still a successful season for the Blazers in the grand scheme of things, considering everything they went through last season and this season.
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