"So what's the big deal, I mastered the art of the tiny fist pump in 8 days? Oh you're more impressed by the knee thing. Makes sense I guess." (Source: YardBarker.com)

There’s a lot on the line tonight. The story will be which team comes out and plays like it.

It’s amazing how much simpler things get when you reach a Game 5. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Game 5′s are just like booty calls. Why? Because you know exactly what you’re going to get out of them.

By Game 5, both teams know each other. The majority of the questions have been answered. Generally speaking, the key adjustments have been made. And if they haven’t…you’re probably not in the best of positions to compete in the series. Both teams know what to expect from each other. By Game 5, neither team cares what the others middle name is, it’s just time to throw down. This is where the cliches start kicking in: it’s about who wants it more. About which team can impose their will on the other. I’ll stop there.

Phoenix, obviously will be looking to be more aggressive than they were on Saturday. From reading and hearing the comments from the Suns, they are coming in with a high level of confidence. Honestly at this point, it’s almost bordering on a little bit of arrogance. A little bit of ‘If we do what we do they can’t beat us’ type feel. Despite it being a 2-2 series, they feel as if the reason they have lost is because they missed shots. And they have said it multiple times. One of Phoenix’s main objectives for tonight is improving offensively. You hold a team like Phoenix to 87 points and you expect them to want to rectify that.

(Sidenote, I like how this becoming a real playoff series. In my eyes, as a fan, it’s not a playoff series until guys from the other team start bugging you. That started happening for me in Game 4. Clearly Amare has embraced the role of lead villain, but the rest of the Suns are starting to wear on my nerves. Especially that damn Robin Lopez…and he’s not even playing! Come on Jarron Collins scoring doesn’t bug you?!?! Liars.)

A major key coming into this one is Portland’s ability to stop Phoenix’s transition game. Last night on TNT they put up a great stat showing Phoenix’s fast-break points and how it’s correlated to winning. In Games 1 and 4 they only scored 4 fast break points, both games they lost. In Games 2 and 3 they recorded double-digits in fast break points, both games they won. Phoenix is a completely different team when they can score in transition and Portland has got to take care of that from the start.

On the flip side, for Portland they have to continue to find ways to get offensive rebounds. Now that’s a slippery slope because you can’t just recklessly crash the boards. If you do and you don’t get it Phoenix is scoring on you on the other end. I’ll take more tapouts from Marcus Camby and Juwan Howard please.

Another key to this one is how good of a start the Blazers get off too. It’s been simple, when Portland gets off to a good start in this series they are right there all game. When they don’t they get run off the court. Phoenix and their crowd realize the importance of this game and there should be a ton of energy coming from the home team. The Blazers have to be ready to match that to start and go from there. If not, as we’ve seen before, things could get ugly.

If Portland wants a victory, they really need to know where Jason Richardson is at all times. We all know what Nash and Amare can do when they get rolling. But the key to the Suns really playing well is Richardson. On the series, he’s averaging 25 points a game, shooting 54% from the field and 51% from behind the arc. In this series he’s proven that he is an impact player. In Phoenix’s two losses he’s shot 10-for-28 from the field (35.7%) and 4-for-14 from behind the arc (28.5%). If he’s able to knock down shots, Portland will be in trouble. If he’s not they have a chance.

Offensively, Portland has to keep executing. A major key to getting off to a good start is finding ways to put the ball in the basket early. One of the underrated stories about Game 4 was Portland’s balance offensively. Seven players scored 8 or more points and five were in double figures. That’s big, because if Portland can score that in itself helps stunt Phoenix’s transition game. I’m interested to see how Phoenix play LaMarcus Aldridge tonight. I’m also interested to see how Andre Miller responds in Game 2 with Roy back. The one thing about Roy’s return is for the first time it really spread out Phoenix’s defense. Roy’s return has made life easier on everyone else, let’s see what Phoenix has up their sleeve tonight.

My favorite part about this game? Almost any result is realistic. I don’t know about you but I can imagine Portland pulling a close one out about as much as I can imagine them losing by 27. There’s a lot on the line here. The loser gets put on the brink of elimination. Phoenix recognizes the importance of this game and I know they do not want to go to Portland down 3-2. A lot of the pressure coming into this one lies on their shoulders. Portland on the other hand is going to have to find a way to get themselves ready to play. They won’t have the Rose Garden crowd, they won’t have the fuel of two embarrassing blowouts, they won’t have Brandon Roy’s comeback. They have to do whatever it takes to be ready for this one.

I think the good thing about this series is generally speaking you can tell how it’s going to end up relatively quick. Portland sticks around in the first quarter, you know it’s a game. They don’t…you know the rest. Which means if Portland doesn’t show up in the desert, I’ll be watching Pamela Anderson on Dancing With The Stars a little earlier than I had wanted.

Don't bring that weak mess in here, Amare (Source: YardBarker.com)

Let’s dive right into this one. You know the scenario. Portland enters into today’s Game 4 down 2-1, with their backs against the wall. Make no mistake about it, this is a must-win situation. Just to illustrate how quickly momentum can swing in a series or how intense the highs and lows of the playoffs are, remember how you felt after Game 1? Now think about how long ago that feels? Crazy right. The two beatdowns that the Blazers have received have had some fans thinking it’s over. Well a loss today will change things from ‘if’ the Blazers get eliminated to ‘when’

Make no mistake about it, there’s still a lot of basketball to be played and Portland still has a shot at this. It’s not a big shot, but it definitely is. We’re like that guy who asks a girl on a date and she says ‘I’ll think about it’ (still got a shot). It’s not looking good and we might look a little foolish for believing…but there’s still a chance.

For Portland to have success they are going to have to figure out how to adjust to Phoenix’s gameplan. First they have to come out with aggression, determination and just an unreal energy. There is no excuse not too. The Blazers *need* to get off to a good start. This Blazer team without Brandon Roy and with Batum not at 100% has no room for errors. Portland cannot afford to fall behind early because as we have seen the past two games, a slow start turns into an avalanche real quick. So what I mean by ‘no room for errors’ is the Blazers can’t afford early turnovers or early fouls. This is a team that can’t afford for anyone to pick up two quick ones, lets alone LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Fernandez and Andre Miller all doing it in the first quarter. If those guys can stay in the game that gives Portland a much better chance than in Game 3.

Offensively they have to figure out the Suns puzzle. It sounds simple but Portland just has to find ways to put the ball in the bucket. That right there slows Phoenix’s transition game, which is half of Portland’s problems. The rest of Portland’s offensive problems have not changed from Game 2 or 3. The Blazers need aggression and quick decisions. When the Blazers are taking shots late in the shot clock…it’s ugly. LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Miller are going to get all of the attention from Phoenix’s defense. The Blazers need one of these guys to go off and figure out how to make Phoenix pay for it. They need help though, they need help from Rudy Fernandez, Martell Webster and Jerryd Bayless. One of those guys has to make Phoenix guard them if Portland wants LMA and Andre Miller to be freed. It’s simple, if they don’t Portland will more than likely continue struggling.

Defensively, the Blazers have to figure out the pick and roll. Phoenix’s little tweaks have worked out well because now there is more of a pick-your-poison aspect to it. You’ve got Nash attacking, Amare rolling forcing you to help, Hill sometimes and then shooters on the weakside. It’s not easy but if Portland can corral it things will get better. Also, Portland has to get back to the little things. Everything has looked a step slow over the past two games, whether it be getting back in transition, boxing out or closing out to shooters. Be sharp, do the little things right and be solid.

Obviously whatever you do, you cannot leave Jason Richardson open. Can’t. Do. It. There’s a reason Phoenix is 28-3 on the season when he scores 20+ and 10-1 when he scores 25 or more. Portland has to find a way to cool him down because when he’s going as a viable third option, Phoenix morphs into a completely different team. When he’s not, this is a team that can be had.

Only a couple hours away from Game 4. Time to see if the Blazers can wiggle their big toe, or end up in the back of an obscenely named pickup truck paralyzed from the waist down.

"I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure you guys know you can't guard me. PS, rawr. (Source: YardBarker.com)

It’s been said time and time again that a playoff series does not truly start until a team loses on it’s home court. If that is true (which I believe it is) than this Phoenix/Portland series is on like Donkey Kong. Game 1 is in the books and by virtue of a 105-100 victory, Portland now boasts a 1-0 series lead and (wait for it, wait for it)…home court advantage (explosion). Last night was a joyous occasion for Blazer fans, watching their Red & Black Attack defeat the Suns on the road without their best player. That is over and unfortunately this is not like the NCAA Tournament, every win can not be celebrated like there is no tomorrow. The big question is now what? What does Game 1 mean? Where does everyone go from here?

It would be impossible to properly put this game in perspective because there is simply too much basketball left to be played. A Phoenix win in Game 2 does not render this useless, but a Phoenix win in Game 3 takes this down a notch. It’s a dangerous thing to put too much emphasis on one win (no matter how great it is) because momentum can swing in the playoffs faster than a stripper comes to you if you look like you have money. Remember when LeBron hit that big winner and everyone fawned over it and ESPN had the nerve to call it one of the ‘biggest shots in playoff history’….and then they lost. So I understand the jubilation and elation surrounding the Blazer Nation (OMG WALT FRAZIER) but just know that there is a lot of hoops to be played.

The beauty of Game 1′s is that after all of the talk, hype, build-up and questions that go into them, afterwards you are either seeing those questions answered or about 10-20 more have been created. For example, I would firmly put a series like Los Angeles/Oklahoma City in the first category. OKC may be able to steal a game at home, but we now know they do not have enough manpower to overwhelm LA unless they get bored. I’d also put a Boston/Miami series into the first category in that we wondered if D-Wade could get enough help and found out Miami simply does not have enough guys who can consistently produce for 48 minutes to beat Boston in a 7-game series. The majority of the other series, including this one, go into the latter category.

Game 1′s are always enjoyable because X-Factor’s and keys to winning become that clearer. Still, many more things need to be answered. Coming out of last night’s game there are two schools of thought that can apply. People can say Phoenix lost this game or Portland just went out and won it. Both sides have valid points. Now obviously, Portland down the stretch did more than enough to win and deserved to get their hand raised. They consistently had an answer for everything Phoenix threw at them and produced down the stretch. They essentially followed the blueprint for how to win in the playoffs. Let’s not lie to ourselves though, Phoenix can easily say ‘we missed good looks in our flow’ (which they did) ‘Amare struggled’ (which he did) and ‘we didn’t get to the free throw line easy enough’ (which they didn’t) to make themselves feel good going into Game 2. Both Jason Richardson and Amare were rendered ineffective. Richardson had 14 points on 12 shots and Amare had 18 points on 19 shots. Expect a lot more from them. Also we needed Andre Miller to play the best game he has ever played in the playoffs to win. Can we expect to get that from him every night, especially now that Phoenix’s antennas are raised? No. This is where adjustments come into play and how well Portland can make adjustments will tell you if they win this series.Losing shows what you need to do more than winning does so Phoenix has an advantage there.

There was a lot of good for Portland last night. We saw that either Portland just gives Phoenix fits or our Marcus Camby-improved defense is just legit. Phoenix has failed to score more than 102 points against us in 5 games. You also have to like Portland playing the role of the aggressor. Getting to the free throw line 31 times — inflated during the endgame — without Brandon Roy gets a thumbs up from me, especially when you consider on the season the average per game was about 24. If you remember the Houston series last year, being aggressive is key to success.

Also good for Portland was Jerryd Bayless’ 18 points. With his ability to penetrate and create offense (even if it’s mainly for himself), combined with the fact that Dragic/Nash cannot really guard him makes him a big part of what Portland needs to do. As this series progresses, a key for him is going to be that pullup jumper. As Coup stated in his re-thoughts, he fell in love with his jumper and bad things happened. At the same time, if he can prove to Phoenix that he can hit that it will make it easier for him to attack and get to the line or find an open man. Where he has to do much better is on the defensive end. There were a couple times where Portland was not switching and he just died on screens (common for him throughout the year). That can’t happen because once you let the Suns penetrate you are at their will.

One thing I think that is being overlooked is Portland not fouling. People want to complain about Phoenix not getting to the line enough…Portland had something to do with that. Not just with the solid defense but they played defense without fouling — for example look at Webster blocks and see how he is jumping backwards to avoid body contact. I mean Steve Nash only shot 2 free throws and Amare Stoudemire only shot 3. It will be interesting to see if that is able to continue.

Onto areas where Portland is going to have to make adjustments. The Blazers are going to have to try and avoid the lulls where they end up stagnated for 20 seconds and have to force up a bad shot late. When this happens, bad things usually follow. Against Phoenix, the bad things are fast breaks. Also, Portland is going to have to find a way to match the energy that Phoenix’s bench brings late in the first quarter and early in the second. In Game 1 they did a good job of sticking around and answering the surge but PHX’s bench sparked a 9-2 run with relative ease.

It’s an interesting contrast because when Phoenix’s bench comes in, particularly with Amundson, you can tell the energy ticks upwards a little bit. When Portland’s bench comes in there’s more of a ‘Hey, we’re close let’s hope this doesn’t get screwed up’ type of feel. Blazers have got to be ready for Phoenix to turn up the intensity level a little bit and not be shocked by it. Also, Nic Batum, Martell Webster and Rudy Fernandez are all going to have to be ready to make open shots. Phoenix will most definitely be keying in on LaMarcus and Andre Miller, so those guys are going to have to be ready. Last night they went 5-for-17 from beyond the arc, and while Batum and Webster had big shots (Martell’s near-3) they missed good looks as well.

Speaking of Rudy Fernandez…I think the reason why people are being harsh with his struggles is that a) we need him to produce big time and b) he kind of played super shy in last year’s playoffs too. I think he just needs to loosen up it looks as if he’s putting a bit too much pressure on himself to perform. I won’t be so hard on him because he was cheering like a mad man when the Blazers went on their run in the fourth and his ‘Rudy Shuffle’ after Batum’s big three brought him back into my good graces.

Game 1 is done and before we all know it Game 2 will be upon us. The questions are all out there and both teams know what they need to do to improve. There is only one question that cannot be answered: what would we have done if Jared Dudley had made that three after Camby’s missed dunk? Thank goodness that like the # of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, the world will never know…