PORTLAND – Maybe Brandon Roy was right. He did need a little more time on the floor. He certainly needed more than eight minutes to help the Trail Blazers scratch in their playoff series with the Dallas Mavericks.
He got his eight minutes, and then some, in Game 3 Thursday night at the Rose Garden. And what the Blazers got was vintage Roy, including clutch jumpers, sick bounce off the dribble and an All-Star level performance from a three-time All-Star.
And it only took Roy roughly 24 minutes to get it all done. He finished with 16 points and four assists, two of those during a critical fourth-quarter stretch where the Blazers put the game away, off the bench.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle warned everyone Sunday about overlooking Roy. “You can never underestimate greatness,” he said of Roy. His words seemed prophetic late Thursday night.
The game was the emotional result of a wild three days for Roy. After the Blazers’ Game 2 loss Tuesday night in Dallas he vented about his role, and the eight minutes he played in that game. Wednesday basketball fans and observers from coast to coast and around the globe spent all their time examining every word he said. Blazers coach Nate McMillan had to deal with the fallout as well. Thursday morning Roy apologized for venting and vowed to do whatever the team needed him to do, in however many minutes McMillan handed out.
Thursday night Roy unleashed on the Mavericks, going to work from the moment he hit the floor — he entered the game to a standing ovation with 2:17 to play in the first quarter. He had nine points by halftime and had set the tone for the night.
“It all clicked for me. I just played tonight. I was in go-mode,” Roy said after the game. “I didn’t worry about nothing else. I didn’t worry about playing time or who was playing. I just said, ‘when it’s my time I’m going with it.’ And that’s the kind of mentality I have to stick with.”
The Blazers fed off of Roy’s emotionally charged performance in Game 3. Wesley Matthews went off from the start. He had 16 points in the first quarter, the most for the franchise in the postseason since Bonzi Wells scored 18 in the first quarter against the Mavericks on April 23, 2004. Matthews finished his night with a playoff career-high 25 points on 8-for-12 shooting.
“It’s been emotional for everybody,” Matthews said of Roy’s saga this season, and particularly the past few days. “You look at Brandon Roy and the first thing you think about is “All-Star. He’s had to sacrifice more than anybody and he’s a true professional about it. For him to have the game that he did at this moment was huge for us. We all fed off of it and everybody had a big night tonight.”
No one’s night was bigger or more emotionally charged than Roy’s.
He said he had 30 text messages alone from family, and many more calls and messages from friends and supporters, telling him to keep his head up. “Everybody — from the people in the parking lot to the ushers at the front door — have been saying the same thing, he said. They told me to, ‘play like Brandon Roy.”
Suddenly that seems like a great place to start!
This was a very big step for Brandon Roy in a very crucial game and win for Portland.
I hope you continue playing like you did in Game 3.
Gotta love seeing this. I watched this game, it was amazing to see Brandon Roy playing like he used to. It also goes to show that he needs more minutes for the rest of this series.
Go Brandon Roy! Play like an All-star
Haha Roy is back in business baby!
L.A is gonna have their hands full guarding Roy, Aldridge, Miller, Matthews and Wallace, Roy is back and ready to lead the Blazers once again.
blazers kicked their butt!! go blazers!! i love brandon roy!!!
There’s no one on Dallas than can guard Roy, and he showed last night that he’s got his legs back. Portland should not overplay him but he definatley needs to be in the game during crunch time and needs to start.
And suddenly Portland fans loves Roy again. Guys, you must cheer him through ups and downs. Not only in the better days.
i agree with you!!!!!!!!!!
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Maybe Brandon Roy was right. He did need a little more time on the floor. He certainly needed more than eight minutes to help the Trail Blazers scratch in their playoff series with the Dallas Mavericks.
He got his eight minutes, and then some, in Game 3…
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Sekou Smith, You are so full of it. Cut the team media kiss-up and fan spin. It is pathetic.
Brandon got additional minutes because he was producing. Which he had not done in 26 minutes and entire 4th quarter of game 1. Which combined with 8 minutes of tentative play and no production in game 2 got him benched. It wasn’t the additional minutes that resulted in production but rather production that resulted in additional minutes.
L337… Portland fans have never doubted or didn’t love Roy, or any player for that matter. Portland fans aren’t like the Fakers (Laker Fans) who would ‘boo’ their own team. We always have our boys’ backs.
hahah ohhh yea!!! we aint fakers like the lakers!!!
WHAT WAS UP WITH THAT BOGUS CALL ON KIDD’S LAST 3? I’m no Dallas fan and I’m glad the Blazers won but even after watching the review video you can see it was a three. I guess the karma from all those bad calls in game one came back to haunt Dallas but I’m still shocked that they didn’t call that a 3.
Such a crap performance by the Refs. I know they are perfect, but this was a very poor output.
Tyson Chandler was basically prohibited from making any contact, he should have had 4 fouls, not 6.
Jason Kidd got hammered over the back by Camby when he was going for a rebound/block out late in the game, acting as stepping stool for him…
Gerald Wallace totally faked out that nose problem trying to grab his ORB, giving them the ball back with the lose ball foul on Dirk.
Such BS. Refs did this in game 2 also.
Blazers did play nice though, so even if Mavs werent getting the short end, still would have been tough.
Man I have to say I didn’t see this coming. If he can continue this he will prove a lot of people, including myself, wrong.
As for Blazer fans knocking on Roy, there will always be those guys who rag on their teams, every team has them. But standing ovation for Roy when he entered the game, after 2 horrible games shows where the heart of the real fans – ticket holders – are at. They support Roy, and I give credit to the Portland fans for doing so, great to see after all this guy has put out for this team.
Keep it up Roy!
Agreed, Im not a Portland fan, but I love Roy, even though he scored 2 and 0 in the first two games, he scored 16 and 23 the next games at home, that shows how much confidence the fans have on Roy, and how much confidence Roy has in himself, Roy averages 20+ the next few games, I have to say Portland is taking this series 4-2 or 4-3, and then L.A will have their hands full against Aldridge, Roy, Miller, Matthews, Camby and Wallace.
b.roy is the truth. dirk travels like nobodys bidness and dallas as a team flops through entire games.
Brandon Roy is the best player for me… I believe in his talents, skills, and capabilities as an ‘All-Star’! I will support him throughout his entire playing career, this is what I believe a fan can do to show his loyalty to his favorite team or player…
@Tony_Snow: Actually, I am The Truth.
“Roy lets his play do the talking this time”
Well, when given 58 minutes over 3 games, it’s no wonder he gained some confidence. How is it fair that someone who scores 2 points in 30+ minutes of playing time still continues to get chances to prove himself, when bench players such as Patty Mills and Chris Johnson ride the bench. Even after dissing his own teammates and whining about his playing time, his receives a standing ovation from the fans. If anything, Roy shouldn’t have received those extended minutes.
Hey! you gave me those minutes OLD man! i get the JOB done.
Shouldn’t receive minutes??? If you forgot WHO is the Portland’s Superstar, Oh yea that’s right Brandon Roy, who bails the Blazers out in the 4th that’s right Roy, who just scored 18 pts in the 4th and helped the Blazers make a huge comeback after being down by 23 today, Oh yea that is right BRANDON ROY, so I don’t why your putting players like Mills, and Johnson in the same place as Roy, when Roy is slowly starting to takeover the Series, and I HIGHLY doubt Johnson or Mills could drop 18 in the 4th after being taken out of the 1st half. Roy has already shown Nate McMillan what he is capable of doing, Aldridge has been the go-to guy when Roy was injured, but Roy is back and ready to average 20 a night again.
wow! where are those who dissed Roy on the other blog and said that he is down. hmmm they ate their words out. Good job B.Roy! show them what they are missing!