Portland Trail Blazers low point

Things are looking up if you are a Blazers fan, which I have been my entire life, a result of growing up in the Portland, Oregon area. But a question was asked today, which is the worst moment in franchise history?

Since I was too young to really claim to any memories of the 1970s, and I could write an entire blog on why the decision to pick Bowie over Jordan was historically wrong but not a bad decision at the time, the real answer is very obvious to me: The 1990-91 Western Conference Finals, which the Blazers lost 4-2 to the hated LA Lakers.

In 1990, the Blazers lost to a better Pistons team. In 1992, although they had a chance, the 1992 Bulls were better.

But in 1991, the Blazers were the best team in the NBA. They won 11 straight to start the season, started 19-1, and won 16 games straight at one point, finishing with a franchise record 63 wins in a season that had several championship-quality teams (unlike now, when only three teams are really capable of winning).

It was game 1 of the 1991 Western Conference Finals, and all was going well. Playing with home court advantage in the best of seven series, Portland had a 10-point lead over the Lakers heading into the fourth quarter and appeared headed to victory over a team they hadn't come close to defeating in their last three playoff meetings.

Then Adelman went completely nuts with his substitution patterns, sitting basically every starter at the beginning of the fourth (got to get Mark Bryant his minutes; can't have Walter Davis unhappy), and the Lakers won the game, and the series (thanks to some choking by Terry Porter and Cliff Robinson in game 6 in the closing moments).

1990-91 was the year the Blazers were to win the title, and the pressure for Jordan to win his first the following year may have led to a different result.

Sure, the collapse of 2000 was tough to take, but the Lakers were the better team, and many people forget the Blazers were down 3-1 in that series and no one gave them a shot to even make it to game 6.

Sure, drafting Bowie over Jordan looks bad historically, but no one argued with the pick at the time (see ESPN's "The Top 5 reasons you can't blame The Portland Trail Blazers for drafting Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan"). Sure, it would have been different if Sabas came over, but Portland can't control politics, and it has no control over injuries (Bowie, Walton) or coin flips (Olajawon).

But when you lose the game you are supposed to win, that hurts.