Moment #3: Miller Goes Off

Just a few weeks prior, Andre Miller had a heated exchange with Nate McMillan that called back memories of the Darius Miles era. Fans and radio hosts were calling for Miller to be shipped out, and Steve Blake had never been more popular. Then Miller had the best performance of his career.

The night was epitomized by a shot that Miller took in the fourth quarter. Andre, who shot 20% from the three point line for the season, went to the right of the key, and was left wide open. There, he was left wide open. He looked around furtively, saw no one was coming to him, then put up one of the ugliest three pointers ever. Swish. There was no stopping Andre Miller.

To be fair, that three-pointer was only a small percentage of his total output. Most of that output came from a series of lay-ups and runners. By the end of the game, his shot chart blacked out the paint with darkened spots. Miller put together one of the most impressive efforts in Blazer history.

Still, that game wasn't won by Miller alone. Indeed, he was supported again by Juwan Howard, who stepped up in the clutch. It was this game where Juwan cemented yet again how important he was to Blazer fans, at least in their minds. Of course, this was somewhat of a detriment as the season went on, as Dante Cunningham improved and Juwan started to break down under the rigors of the season. Still, he did more than we possibly could have imagined throughout the season.

The final verdict of the performance, though? Total change in the franchise. It wasn't simply that Miller took the starting spot for good: he made Steve Blake completely expendable. This game was the reason why Marcus Camby is currently a Blazer. It showed us that we have one of the top point guards in the game. Aren't we lucky? Too bad it took only twenty injuries to get to that point.