We need to talk about trap games. The term is used far too often to convey the general idea of “It’ll be an upset if my team loses tonight.” In reality, trap games refer to contests that could easily be overlooked because of the proximity to a much more interesting or competitive game. Basically a warning to players not to focus so intensely on the BIG game that they come out flat in the run-of-the-mill game in close proximity.
To put it bluntly, the Blazers, coming off a heartbreaking 115-111 loss to the Rockets on Tuesday, saw the Celtics set the cheese directly on the mouse trap tonight, decided to snatch the snack anyway, and were then surprised when the lever snapped and caught them.