The Portland Trail Blazers’ Never-Say-Die Attitude

For the second time in a week, the Portland Trail Blazers used a double-digit-to-zero run in the fourth quarter to steal a game they probably should have lost.

Last Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Trail Blazers faced an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter and stormed back to secure a 3-point win over the Thunder in regulation.

On Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Trail Blazers trailed 85-75 with 2:56 remaining in regulation. They closed the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to force overtime, and then did just enough to survive in overtime to win a game they had no business winning in the first place.

Against the Clippers, the Trail Blazers’ two offensive-load carriers, Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge combined for only 34 points on 13-of-43 shooting from the field. A few key stretches from other pieces kept Portland in the game.

Kudos to Justin Russo of Clipsnation.com for catching a few stats that tell the story of the game pretty nicely.

"Portland finished nearly every quarter on a run. They ended the first quarter on a 6-0 run in just 60 seconds. They ended the third quarter on an 11-2 run and they ended the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run. Hell, they even ended overtime on a 5-0 run. That’s 32 points in just 6:06 of time. The Clippers did not finish quarters well whatsoever. The Blazers scored 32.7 percent of their points in only 11.5 percent of actual game time just by having great ends to the quarter."

There’s the game right there.

At the end of the first, third, and fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers outscored the Clippers 27-4. In overtime, the Trail Blazers scored the last five points of the game, outscoring the Clippers 32-4 in just over six minutes of game play. That’s ridiculous!

To me, a person who is always looking for symbols, metaphors, and all of that other crap that we try to pretend means something, Portland is interested in finishing the race. At this point, the big picture is no longer the focus like it was last season. This is all about now, right now, and that’s the way Portland is playing on a nightly basis.

March 4, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) grabs a rebound against the Los Angeles Clippers during the overtime period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

It’s incredibly frustrating to watch at times. The Trail Blazers have the talent to beat any team in the league in a seven-game series. So, when they fall behind double-digits to the Thunder or the Clippers, it makes me wonder if they’re actually for real… And, then, they do things like they did to the Clippers and close out the game.

The Clippers should obviously feel bad about dropping that game. With three minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers’ high-flying offense had only scored 75 points in the game. The Clippers are not the only team Portland has been doing this to all season.

This season, Portland has won 18 games where they have trailed at some point in the fourth quarter. 18 games! That’s truly remarkable, especially considering that the Trail Blazers only have one loss this season by less than three points. That never-say-die mentality is becoming part of Portland’s DNA, and that’s exactly what championship teams need.