It was almost perfect. So much so that Chauncey Billups called what the Trail Blazers did on Saturday “beautiful.”
They shared the ball. For long stretches, it seemed they couldn’t miss. And on defense — oh my. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a Blazers team rotate, recover, and help like they did against Phoenix, the reigning Western Conference champions.
“There were times out there,” Billups said, trying to contain a smile, “when it looked like we may have had six guys on the floor. People were giving just so many multiple efforts defensively.”
It would have been a perfect night had Norman Powell not suffered a left knee injury midway through the second quarter; an injury that doesn’t look serious after initial imaging. And for Billups, it would have been closer to perfect if the team hadn’t used such cold water to douse him in celebration of his first NBA coaching win.
“They couldn’t find room-temperature water?” Billups asked after being forced to change into what looked like his weekend comfy clothes.
The final on Saturday was Portland 134, Phoenix 105, and it wasn’t so much that the Blazers won in a rout, it was how they did it. They showed teamwork in how they helped on defense. They showed communication in how they rotated on defense. And they were unselfish in how they moved and shared the ball.
It was everything Billups wants the Blazers to become, and everything he has been preaching and drilling into this team since training camp began last month.
