3-1 Deficits are Hard to Overcome – But Trail Blazers Have Plenty of Motivation

April 30, 2009 by AlexV

Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, the anchors of Portlands team, aim to bring the series back to Portland for a decisive game seven tonight in Houston at 9:30pm on TNT.

Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, the anchors of Portland's team, aim to bring the series back to Oregon for a decisive game seven tonight in Houston at 9:30pm on TNT.

In NBA playoff history, only eight teams have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit. There have been plenty of times where the team facing elimination has forced games sixes and even games sevens, but it is just that hard to beat a team three straight times. The Portland Trail Blazers face that same dilemma and have already closed the deficit to 3-2. But what kind of motivation does this team have to win the series… it’s quite simple

The Trail Blazers seem to be a team suffering from the playoff willies. They’re young. However, they should convert that youthful inexperience into youthful enthusiasm to try and beat the Rockets tonight in Houston with the lingering thought in the back of their minds that if they can pull it off, they go back to Portland for game seven. They need to use this to remember that the pressure is on Houston as they definitely want no part of a game seven on the road.

I definitely think the Blazers can pick up the win as they were one of the hottest teams going into the playoffs, and in the final week of the regular season they beat Denver and L.A. who are the top two seeds in the west. So don’t be surprised if Portland becomes the ninth team in NBA history to win a series after being down 3-1.