Bravo, Portland.
Bravo.
Doing the right thing isn’t easy in the NBA, where patience is a rare virtue. The Trail Blazers were swept in the first round of the 2017 playoffs. They got swept again in the first round last season. Portland had lost 10 consecutive playoff games going into this year. Ordinarily, that’s a recipe for firings, trade demands and roster dismantling.
Instead, the Blazers stayed the course.
And their reward is a trip to the Western Conference final, starting Tuesday against two-time defending champion Golden State.
“It speaks to the character of our organization and what we’ve become,” All-Star guard Damian Lillard said.
The Blazers have become a model of consistency.
They could have gone the other way. A lot of teams have gone the other way.