Blazer Game

Thanks to our friends, the Loverinks, for helping us score four tickets to last night's Blazers-Rockets game. Final score: 101 to 100, Blazers in overtime. Blazers won the game on a buzzer-beater shot on an inbound pass with 0.8 seconds to go.

From this morning's article in The Oregonian:

"It is, and maybe always will be, one of the greatest shots in Trail Blazers history.

"And it came after Brandon Roy was about to be a goat for at least 48 hours.

"I thought I lost the game," Roy said.

"In a stunning end to a grueling and sometimes ugly game, Roy swished a long three-pointer at the overtime buzzer on an inbound play that started with 0.8 seconds left that gave the Blazers a 101-99 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

"Wow. Unbelievable shot," Roy said. "I can't say I called it. It was a blessing from above."

"Roy's shot was the ultimate ending to a see-saw final two seconds that saw him make what many thought was a game winning shot with 1.9 seconds left, only to have it erased by a three-point play by 7-foot-6 center Yao Ming with 0.8 seconds left. Yao was awarded the go-ahead free throw after Roy reached in and fouled him while he made a baseline jumper."

The kids had a blast at a delightful game. I got to explain a bit about how basketball works to my lovely daughter; my son already gets the basics of the game, so he was right in it.

The thing they liked best? The blimp that flies around the stadium and drops coupons. Oh, they liked the T-shirt cannons, too.

It was Kevin Duckworth tribute night, so that was fun, if also a little bittersweet. Blazer alumni were there. Chris Dudley worked one of the T-shirt cannons. Somewhere in the fourth quarter, while the fancam was running on the arena jumbotron, the whole family suddenly popped up. The camera framed the four of us: M and I grooving to the music; R bopping around, all involved; C sitting stately and contemplative, yet clearly watching the game closely. The kids were thrilled. Everybody around us was excited for the kids.

We were up really late last night. The kids will probably be useless at school today. But they got to go, and they had a lot of fun.

Thanks again for the chance to go, Loverinks -- it was awesome!

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Oh, our second house is being shown today. Just a little thing, that...