The postgame interviews finally ended, and Goodwin secretly reveled in his triumph, thinking of giving Jordan a call to tease him properly.
However, when he eagerly dialed that familiar number, he found that Jordan's phone was switched off!
That rather disappointed Goodwin. If time had allowed, he might really have rushed over to Jordan and mercilessly mocked him to his face!
See that, Michael? I've got a better eye for talent than you do!
(Jordan: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻)
With no other choice, Goodwin temporarily put the matter aside and boarded the team plane to Portland with his teammates.
Their next opponent was the formidable Portland Trail Blazers.
The Portland Trail Blazers this season were downright terrifying!
So far, they had compiled an impressive 7-2 record.
And the reason behind their rapid rise was actually quite simple.
During the offseason, the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Sacramento Kings completed a three-team trade, successfully bringing in the rugged interior player Robin Lopez.
Last season, Robin Lopez had averaged 11.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.
His arrival undoubtedly strengthened the Portland Trail Blazers' interior presence considerably, while also freeing up team centerpiece LaMarcus Aldridge to a certain extent.
LaMarcus Aldridge was performing at the height of his powers this season, averaging an astonishing 25.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.
On top of that, the Portland Trail Blazers had their three sharpshooters on the perimeter—Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews, and Damian Lillard, who had won Rookie of the Year last season.
All those factors combined had propelled the Portland Trail Blazers into becoming a powerful force in the Western Conference.
After careful consideration, Coach Jack decided to start Andre Drummond at center for this game.
That way, Andre Drummond and the experienced Marc Gasol would