Portland 4th Quarter Collapse in Golden State Was the Franchise's Worst in the Postseason Since Shaq & Kobe

Things were going so well for Portland in the third quarter Tuesday night that Moe Harkless – a 4th year pro out of St. John’s – was talking trash to Klay Thompson. Let that sink in for a minute.

Then the 4th quarter happened, and the Warriors went on a 34-12 blitzkrieg to not only beat the Blazers, but incredibly cover the 9-point spread. Portland led Golden State 95-94 with 5:20 left, trailed by one a minute later, and didn’t cover.

This was my favorite moment of the rally: Draymond Green (17 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, four blocks) told Portland it was time to get a TO, baby.

Green’s timeout signal immediately reminded me of another epic Portland collapse – this one in Game 7 against the Lakers in the 2000 playoffs.

Game 2 vs Golden State: Portland led by 11 going into the 4th
Game 7 vs the Lakers: Portland led by 13 going into the 4th

In that game, Shaq and Kobe had one of the 10-or-so signature moments in NBA history (yes, really), an alley-oop that ushered in their 3-year dynasty:

I still remember precisely where I was watching that game. Kobe had arrived. Shaq was returning to the Finals. The Lakers dynasty was back, thanks to an epic comeback.

Draymond’s timeout doesn’t come close to Kobe-to-Shaq, but it’s Portland, a 4th quarter collapse/comeback, and a sea of yellow bedlam.

Game three is Saturday night in Portland.