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Blazers destroy Nuggets, eye Houston in playoffs

Reserves key rout as Portland gains fourth seed in West

By Kerry Eggers

The Portland Tribune, Apr 16, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

SAM FORENCICH / GETTY IMAGES

Brandon Roy and Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen celebrate Wednesday night's big victory over Denver — and Portland's homecourt advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

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Little more than an hour before his Denver Nuggets were to take the floor to face the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden Wednesday night, coach George Karl was asked how he would approach the matchup.

The Nuggets had already clinched the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and a share of the Northwest Division title, so might he rest his starters with little on the line?

“I’m going to play the game to win, with shorter minutes for the starters,” said Karl, resting in the coaches office inside the visitors’ locker room. “I’m not going to play anybody 40 minutes to win.

“The Blazers have been playing great. They’ve been destroying people. I don’t think we have to have any type of weakened mindset. We have to just go play.”

The Nuggets didn’t. Boy, though, did the Trail Blazers.

With homecourt advantage in the first round at stake, Portland destroyed Denver 104-76, earning a share of the Northwest Division championship with the Nuggets.

The victory gained Portland (54-28) the No. 4 seed in the West playoffs. The Blazers will face Houston in the first round, with the first two games at the Garden on Saturday and next Tuesday.

It was the fifth division title or co-title in franchise history and the first since the 1998-99 season for the Blazers, who closed out the regular season with 10 wins in their last 11 games.

“I’m happy for this group of guys,” Portland coach Nate McMillan said. “They’ve worked hard all season long. We were playing for a lot of things tonight — to be co-champion of the division, for homecourt advantage and just keeping our rhythm.

“It’s been an unbelievable season by the guys. They’re excited, but they’re ready to move to the next season.”

To exemplify the extraordinary West playoff race, three teams — Denver, San Antonio and Portland — tied for the second-best regular-season record, all finishing at 54-28. The Nuggets earned the No. 2 seed because of a 2-1 edge in season series with the Spurs and the second tie-breaker with Portland — more division wins.

As the Blazers took the court Wednesday night, San Antonio had just beaten New Orleans in overtime while Dallas was taking care of Houston, which finished at 53-29. That meant the Blazers would be facing the Rockets in the first round. The Blazers knew if they beat Houston, they’d play own homecourt advantage. Lose, and homecourt was the Rockets’.

Portland threw a dominant performance at the Nuggets, shooting .527 from the field — including a scintillating .591 (13 for 22) from 3-point range — while outscoring the visitors 30-12 in the second quarter and 33-16 in the fourth period.

And the Blazers did it despite a combined 14 points from their two stars, Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge.

For the first time all season, in fact, no Portland starter scored in double figures. The Blazers reserves came through with a season-high 72 points, including 21 from Travis Outlaw and 18 from Rudy Fernandez.

Fernandez — taking dead aim at the NBA rookie record for 3-pointers in a season — got it by making 6 of 9 from beyond the arc. The 6-5 guard from Spain finished with 159 treys, one more than the previous record-holder, New Jersey’s Kerry Kittles.

Sergio Rodriguez dished out a career-high 12 assists in 18 minutes, Channing Frye contributed 12 points, four rebounds and three assists and Greg Oden powered for 10 points and four boards.

“Our bench was unbelievable,” McMillan said. “We’ve needed both units to play well all season. The first unit played OK tonight, but the bench came in and gave us a lift and took control of that game.”

Karl seemed to play his starters regular minutes until Portland had built a 30-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. Then he pulled the last of his starters and waved the white flag.

Denver shot .337 from the field — second-lowest mark by a Portland opponent all season and had 16 turnovers that produced 29 Blazer points. Carmelo Anthony managed only 12 points on 3-of-18 shooting.

How much of the Nuggets’ performance can be attributed to lack of motivation?

“I hope a lot,” Karl said. “It was a weird game for us. Our energy ... there was just too much thinking and not enough playing.

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