Look where I got to go on St. Patrick's Day! Third Quarter

Pre-second-quarter torture. That's six-foot-eleven-inch Marcus Camby continuing to be the human pretzel.


LaMarcus dunks!


These white things make a lot more noise than you'd think they would. I wonder if they really distract the guy at the free throw line?


Gerald blocks the ball.


Nic goes around the Cavalier. He passed the ball a second later.


Six-foot-five-ince Wesley Matthews drives. Did he pass it to the ever-ready-and-waiting Andre Miller, there on the baseline? Or did he shoot? He shot, but that photo's too blurry. It didn't go in and stay in, drat it.


Gerald takes the charge for the Blazers. See him there on the far left?


Gerald went to the floor. How they do this and jump right up and keep on playing, I'll never understand.


Time out in the third quarter. Time for on-court entertainment! Break dancing, if I remember right.

Score at the end of the third quarter, Blazers 89, Cavaliers 45.

Look where I got to go on St. Patrick's Day! Second Quarter

A bit blurry, but here's what's happening. Six-foot-two-inch Cleveland Cavalier Daniel Gibson puts his hand in the face of six-foot-inch Portland Trail Blazer Patrick "Patty" Mills. Patty's the one who originated the the three goggles nickname. He's also He is one of the first Indigenous Australians to play basketball in the NBA. We love him here in Portland!


Patty's the three goggles!


Time out. Blazer Dancer. Can't remember the song.






Blaze comes into the crowd.


LaMarcus scores! I know because in the next shot caught the net moving just after the ball fell through it!


Rudy steals the ball! Rudy steals the ball!


Rudy gets away from the Cleveland guy!


Rudy's almost there!


Rudy goes up for his shot!


Made basket! Rudy's on the way back to play defense. Yea, Blazers!


Stunt Team.




Everyone landed safely!


Hilarious shot of one of the Blazers TV guys, Mike Rice! Believe it or not, the other guy is Mike Barrett. Mike 'n' Mike!


The dreaded in ...


... and out shot. Drat! Better luck next time, six-foot-eight Nicolas Batum.


Six-foot-seven inch Gerald Wallace flies! He's our newest Blazer!


Gerald and the ball land on the floor at about the same second, it looks like. There we have another example of those blooming shorts.

The score at half time--Blazers 64, Cavaliers 34.

Come back tomorrow for the third quarter.

Look where I got to go on St. Patrick's Day! Tip-off and First Quarter

Go, LaMarcus Aldridge! Go, Blazers!


I always want LaMarcus right here, in the driver's seat.


What happens in a split second totally amazes me. Somehow--I think they're born knowing how--LaMarcus knows exactly when to pivot and shoot. He's just about there in this shot.


LaMarcus shoots! To tell you the truth, I cannot remember if it went in or not. So much happened so quickly, and I am just glad that I got this shot. Who would have ever dreamed that he had jumped up enough to cause his uniform shorts to blossom like that on his way down? Love that serendipity!


I adore Andre Miller; he's a skilled, determined competitor. Here he's certain of his shot--you can just see the ball in the net, there at the bottom rim of the backboard.


Andre's on the way! He'll either shoot or pass--there's very little that the other team can do about him.


Rudy Fernandez ran off the court after the ball. It took him a few seconds to get turned around and headed back the other way. It also took that man in the corner whose head you cannot see--just his blue-jeaned legs and left arm are visible--a few more seconds to get upright again. Seems like the man in the black shirt is about to help him.


Rudy for three!


I know that three-pointer was good! Rudy flashes the three goggles!


End of the first quarter, Blazers 37, Cavaliers 12.

Tomorrow, the second quarter.

Look where I got to go on St. Patrick's Day! Before the game.

The Rose Garden. The Portland Trail Blazers vs the Cleveland Cavaliers. We won, 111-70! Lamont took this photo of me during halftime.

Naturally I took lots and lots of photos of all sorts of action on and off the court. Here are a few that I like the best!


The announcer fully explained the code of conduct as this appeared on the scoreboard. I had no idea the Blazers had this policy, but it certainly makes sense today, considering how some folks lose control.


Pre-game, necessary torture.


The game ball made its way through the stands, from up above my left shoulder down to the floor. The boy with the green T-shirt underneath his Blazers' jersey has the ball and is about to pass it to the next row. The boy on his right is flashing the three goggles! The boy with the jacket and glasses got the ball and passed it off again, as it continued on its way.


This tricked-out boy reminds me of ex-Blazer Steve Blake. The man in the black pants and sleeveless shirt is part of the Trail Blazers Stunt Team, as are the girls in the short skirts and green T-shirts. You'll see more of them as I continue to post photos of the event.


There's a little girl in the middle of the photo, between the two stunt team members--she got to carry to ball to the refs. I am pretty sure that is Marcus Camby there on the floor, the human pretzel.


There goes the little girl. A job well done.


Time for the national anthem. The man from Idaho, I think it was, sang it beautifully!


Blaze runs across the floor, flag flying.


Lights swirled as Blaze stopped at center court, swirling the flag about his head.


Team introductions completed, the Blazer Dancers and Stunt Team took to the floor. All of those young women were safely caught by the young men!

Come back tomorrow for tip-off and the first quarter.