Worst moment in each NBA franchise’s history
By Brad Rowland
Portland Trail Blazers – Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals
The three-peat produced by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in Los Angeles almost did not take place.
The Portland Trail Blazers held a 16-point lead in the final seconds of the third quarter of Game 7 in the 2000 Western Conference Finals, and only a banked-in three-pointer from Brian Shaw in the closing seconds of that period kept Portland’s advantage under 15 points. Even then, the Blazers pushed their cushion back to as many as 15 points with approximately 10 minutes remaining, but as you may guess, things went south in a hurry.
Portland shot just 22% from the field in the final period, imploding in every possible way in route to a five-point defeat. The lasting image from the fourth quarter remains an alley-oop from Bryant to O’Neal that led to a famous celebration between the two players in joyful exuberance, while the Blazers simply shrunk back to their bench with the realization that things were unraveling.
At the time, there was optimism that the Blazers would be able to enact revenge at some point in the near future, but that moment never materialized. Portland has not reached the Western Conference Finals since 2000, and the franchise has been snake-bitten by severe injury issues to players like Brandon Roy and former number one overall pick Greg Oden.
NBA fans who aren’t new to the league will remember this famous Sunday afternoon contest, and if they don’t, Blazers fans will unhappily remind them of the festivities.
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