Portland Trail Blazers: The greatest Opening Day games in franchise history (Pt. 1)

No. 9: Darius Miles

Date: November 2nd, 2005 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Statistics: 32 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks, 13-of-24 from the field

It often goes forgotten these days, but when health allowed him to succeed, high-flying forward Darius Miles had the ability to stuff the stat sheet and impact the game in a major way.

A few months after his 47-point game against Carmelo Anthony’s Denver Nuggets, it appeared he was poised to do that on a more regular basis in 2005-06.

In a duel with “The Big Ticket,” Miles put in a Kevin Garnett-esque performance that nearly gave Nate McMillan a chance to win in his Blazers coaching debut.

Perhaps what’s most alluring about Miles’ Opening Day game on Nov. 2 was in how consistent it was from quarter-to-quarter.

He finished the game shooting 13-of-24, but he was 8-of-14 in the second half, using his athleticism, deceptive range from inside the arm, and explosiveness in the open floor.

To best describe Miles’ impact, here were his numbers over the first 14 games of the season, before cartilage damage in his right knee sidelined him: 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 49.1 percent shooting from the field.

He rode that wave to a game-winner a few weeks later, too.

Though the Blazers weren’t winners often in Miles’ tenure, he played a role in contributing to give them a chance, especially with this Nov. 2 game.