There was a time when David Robinson threatened to be defined not by 2 rings, but by his numerous playoff flops. Even the addition of Tim Duncan in ‘98 didn’t get The Spurs deep into the playoffs. So when they faced the Trail Blazers in the ‘99 Western Conference finals, the Spurs were... I don’t want to say desperate that feels mean, but, they were... [synonym for desperate] to prove themselves. But it wasn’t like Portland was gonna be compassionate to their struggle, lie down, and allow the Spurs to pass. Portland had struggles of their own. Nicknamed the Jail Blazers they came late to practices, yelled at refs, got caught with weed, and on one occasion JR Rider spit on a fan who may or may not have deserved it. Worst of all, they hadn’t advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs in the previous 6 years. So, they had some desperation in ‘em too. The result of two teams vying to shed unflattering reputations and grasp glory in their fists, was a game 2 that came down to a miracle. Written and Produced by: Clara Morris Edited and Directed by: Joe Ali

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