the better team won, i thought it was a great series, and the blazers learnt some things about themselves that they can go into summer thinking about.

hopefully u guys can smash the lakers, best of luck

All of the ref drama aside, you guys were the better team. I’m glad to see the Rockets finally get out of the first, it just pains me that its against my Blazers.

Do us a favor and destroy the Lakers.

on a well played series. Best of luck aginst the Lakers.

Rox>LA

Second Round, and all without T-Mac.

I hope the Blazers can learn a thing or two from the Rockets; mainly, the value of consistent role players. Good luck against the Lakers.

I called it all the way this morning!!!!!

We got this! I’m sure we are closing this out tonight guys. I predict the Rockets will clamp down on D and get a big lead on them early breaking their will. Blazers will not shoot the way they did in game 5.

The refs were horrible on both ends most nights. There was some seriously physical play going on. For every time Yao was the benefactor of bad officiating, there was another time where he was getting the living crapped kicked out of him while positioning for offense. It was just bad both ways. I really wish there was a way to fix it.

Anyway, you guys have a great young team, a good bench – and probably the loudest building in the league with the possible exception of Utah – but unlike Utah, you’re not horrible people. :D

I think we’ll be seeing you guys again starting next year perhaps.

It just feels good to be in the second round. Finally, some friggin progress! Too bad T-mac wasnt a part of it.

Love a bunch of your players, so it’ll be particularly easy to cheer for the Rockets in the next round. Do go and kick ass.

Thank-you for a great series and for showing our young future what teamwork, heart, struggle, and defense means. I can’t say enough how impressed I was with your guys and how they treated the game. From Artest to Yao, the Rockets have a team that believes in playing good basketball (even when Artest tries to be an offensive star).

I’ve finally gotten off the floor after mourning my Blazer’s loss to you and I can say that I am proud of my team and what they have done. And that I’m proud we got to play you guys.

Will be rooting for you and believing you will beat LA in 6. All the best.

My Blazers still have a lot of potential, but there are plenty of potential, but also some major issues that must be worked out in order to take the next step.

Congrats Houston and good luck in round 2.

With a 7 game series you can pretty easily declare that the better team wins, congratulations. IMO our inexperience cost a game 1 and home court advantage, and to your credit you held serve. You guys were our least wanted match up, but you play who you’re seeded against no complaints here.

Hopefully what I saw from Yao this series, namely his ability to bend an entire opponents defense, is a preview of Greg in a couple years (can you imagine Roy w/ driving lanes from players sagging!). Although I hope if he ever gets to that level our guys do a better job getting him the ball (sorry I couldn’t resist LOL). I also enjoy the class and composure that Yao plays with, although his locking Przy’s arm and holding him down this game was total bush-league and below him.

Watching the joy of the fans in Houston actually took the sting off the loss. They were classy (ignoring the ‘Portland Sucks!" chant from previous game here) in terms of being “yay Rockets” and not “Portland sucks” at the end there. No looking ahead to LA, just genuinely savoring a type of moment that hasn’t occured in 12 yrs. I guess if we were going to lose the series it was better to send Houston fans home happy then Blazer fans home depressed.

Good luck against the L*kers, I think I will find myself rooting for you guys (don’t think this has ever happened w/ a team that eliminated mine before). Now comes the warnings as I doubt theres a team that has met the L*kers more in the playoffs than us, so these are from fan experience:
1) If you think Joel is a “dirty flopper” wait till you see Gasol, Odom, Fisher, Vujacic and Kobe in action. Sometime its looks like their playing on roller-skates!
2) You can’t treat Kobe like you did Roy, not allowed, end of story. Yao better stop bumping guys going to the hoop if they wear #24. Doesn’t matter if his arms are straight beckwards, its now a foul.
3) Phil is going to whine 10x harder than seems physically possible (especially for someone in his condition) between games, and the worst part is it WILL have an affect on the officials.
4) If/When you beat them, according to all of L*kerdom you either a) cheated or b) they beat themselves. Don’t expect bedgers to be coming over here talking about late game execution, good game, and “good luck, but not too much.”

and the endless flopping is unbelieveable, i find myself wanting to throw something at sasha vujacic and im not a violent person.

but i think u guys are in with a good chance, home court could be the difference though

Go pound the lakers.

I have not seen a greater more respectful opposition fan base then you portland fans.
But a big Congrats on a great season to the Blazers fans and Good luck next season guys, you’se will dominate like the spurs if you’se keep it up.
Roy is a SUPERSTAR and he will only learn from this…..
LMA will too and once he gets a post game look out…
Oden is only a rookie but he’s coming along quickly, 1 full season should help hi out!!
and Rudy, well he’s a freak….
Thanks again for a great series guys (if only we didn’t lose the last game of the season so we didn’t have to match up so early)

There is no doubt that the better team won this series!

Now there is only one thing left to say: Please Pound the &%$#*&% Lakers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!!

I guess. Nuggets are lame. Lakers are stupid. Mavs are meh.

Congrats on moving on. The better team won and it’s good to see Yao and company make it out of the first round. You can believe that all of Blazer nation is behind you against the evil Laker empire.

Do to the Lakers what Biggie did to 2-pac or what 2-pac did to Biggie. Or something. Kill them!

You guys play great D. Go Beat LA!!! Best of luck, see you next year.

The Rockets deserved to win, they are the better team. I knew that after game one the Rockets wanted it more.

Hope to keep the rivalry intact and friendly between blogs, you guys are good sports.

One last request—- Please, please BEAT LA!!!

And good luck to you in the next series!

The Blazer’s aren’t going to forget what happened in this series. “Portland SUCKS!!!,” Artest Flexing on us. Good luck with the Lakers your going to need it. I hope to God we see you in the playoffs next year.