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How did it come to this? A mid-season meeting against the near-expansion Oklahoma City Thunder, where the relocated remnants once known as the Seattle SuperSonics are actually ranked higher in the Northwest Division standings than the Portland Trail Blazers. If the season ended on Wednesday morning, February 10, the Blazers would barely secure the final Western Conference playoff spot, with an ominous first round matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. So how did the Blazers dream season derail 54 games into the year?
Well, injuries, of course.
You hate to pin the Blazers' inconsistencies on the team's unprecedented streak of shredded knee ligaments, mangled hamstrings, and broken metatarsals, but it's hard to ignore the fact that the dusty 37-year-old bones of Juwan Howard are one of the few healthy options this team has had throughout the year. While you might need an abacus (ask Juwan for one) to add up all the games missed due to ailments, the team arrives at the All-Star break...