The Portland Trail Blazers were recently dealt a difficult hand: a seven-game road trip following the All-Star Break. The stakes were only made higher by their tight position in the upper tier of the Western Conference standings, only games separating them between a second- and eighth-seed. Tension only rose when one is reminded that the club was only 10-15 in their previous 25 away games before the trip.
The stretch was a pivotal point in their season – almost acting as a gauge of how seriously those around the league should take this Portland squad.
The Blazers responded in a major way, going 5-2 over these two travel-filled weeks.