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Portland Trail Blazers: Top 10 moments of the 2018-19 NBA season

By Raymond Simms

PORTLAND, OREGON - APRIL 23: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers waves goodbye to the Oklahoma City Thunder after hitting a last second 37 foot game winner to end Game Five of the Western Conference quarterfinals during the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center on April 23, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. The Blazers won 118-115. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - APRIL 23: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers waves goodbye to the Oklahoma City Thunder after hitting a last second 37 foot game winner to end Game Five of the Western Conference quarterfinals during the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center on April 23, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. The Blazers won 118-115. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Blazers advance to conference finals for first time in 19 years

Game 3 of the conference semifinals was an epic game in its own right. However, the Trail Blazers had their share of trouble following up that performance. They lost Game 4 at home and Game 5 in Denver, giving the Nuggets the 3-2 lead entering Game 6.

Portland managed to stave off elimination 119-108 at the Moda Center, forcing a Game 7. If the Blazers were going to advance to the next round, they would have to do it at altitude in Colorado. The team was 1-4 at the Pepsi Center in 2018-19 — season and playoffs — and 3-8 dating back to the 2015-16 season.

Things started out just as bleak in Game 7, as the Nuggets jumped out to a 39-22 lead halfway through the second quarter. However, after a much-needed timeout, the Blazers began to slowly chip away at the lead.

A Zach Collins 3-pointer with 11:12 to go in the fourth gave Portland the lead for good, 74-72. From there it was a matter of playing keep-away. The team pushed its lead to seven with 2:57 to go, but the Nuggets pushed back, getting the deficit down to one with 30 seconds remaining.

That’s when CJ McCollum came in and closed the door on Denver. His pull-up jumper with 12 seconds left put his team up 98-95. It was his third made shot from the left elbow within the final three minutes, so by that point it was automatic. Portland would secure the 100-96 win and its first trip to the conference finals since 2000.

Advancing to the conference finals was huge for this team. It automatically puts them in rare air among some of the other great Blazers teams in the franchise’s rich history. It is particularly sweet for this group considering most pundits didn’t expect them to make it past the first round.

Speaking of that first round…

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