Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets, WCSF, game 5, 1977 highlights)

[@dmichael100]

The Issel/Bobby Jones Nugget teams were my favorite teams of all time! Love seeing these Nugget games from this era! Keep them coming.

[@barrye5376]

Amen should have taken a championship

[@Philippe1613]

This is GREAT basketball!

[@pudman31]

11:55 That's 6'2" Johnny Davis. Man, that guy can fly.

[@master-kq3nw]

great highlights

[@chrisuncleahmad]

Denver really blew this series when they dropped their home game given Portland's home playoff awesomeness. I sometimes wonder if they'd have fared any better against the Lakers/Sixers.

[@dmichael100]

Chris Kreager It was much closer than most people know now. Maurice Lucas hit the game winner in Game 1 in the lane with about 10 seconds left with Denver ahead by one point. Then the Nuggets ran past Portland in Game 2 when Issel scored 36 points on Walton. The whole complexion of the series changed with the one-point loss in Game 1 at home for the Nuggets who had the homecourt advantage.I think Denver certainly gets by the Lakers in the West Final and we could have had the Championship Series CBS was hoping for :Philadelphia vs Denver with Erving vs David Thompson. But take nothing away from Portland- they came together at just that right time and we got a classic Final with Portland and Philly.

[@odi97thegreat]

LOL no free throw line yet until 1979

[@Tubewings]

I think you mean "three point line".

[@Dignan1409]

David Thompson was such a great ball player. He was Jordan before Jordan. That Nuggets team was great to watch until they traded Bobby Jones for McGinnis and the wheels fell off. Also, that Portland team is highly overrated by basketball historians.

[@jimmccoy8947]

Marquis De Suave Overrated? How?

[@dmichael100]

Marquis De Suave You're right about the Bobby Jones trade being disastrous for that Nugget team. General Manager Carl Scheer admits as much to this day. If Denver had kept Bobby Jones with Issel and David Thompson they could have contended for the next several seasons. You're right- one of the best teams of that era to watch play.But that Portland team was hardly overrated. They were 50-10 the next season until Walton got injured. Every evidence says that IF Walton could have stayed healthy, Portland was the HEAVY favorite for the 78 and 79 titles and we were robbed of an epic Portland/Los Angeles West Final when Magic arrived in 1980.

[@acornsucks2111]

+Marquis De Suave Portland team was awesome. They were 50-10 in 78 before Walton got hurt. They would have won a few more if he remained healthy.

[@Dignan1409]

+acorn sucks True, but a great team shouldn't play under .500 ball if their star player got hurt. Walton had possibly one of the worst supporting casts for a team that won a world championship. Outside of Lucas, who is very underrated, there weren't any great players on that Portland team. Really, it was a bunch of role players who played their roles to perfection, at least until Walton got hurt. Then they were exposed for the exact type of players they were. Don't get me wrong, I dig players like Gross and Hollins for what they brought to the team, but without Walton they really weren't all that special.

[@acornsucks2111]

Marquis De Suave I concur. Walton made that team. It was a 38 win team without Bill.

[@grousemoriarty]

wlaton shot too little coach let scrub guards shoot too much