PORTLAND — Had it just been one voice, Chris Johnson may have interpreted it as a particularly cruel case of rookie hazing.
But when three different people began shouting his initials Thursday night — each telling the Trail Blazers backup center to check into the game — that’s when he knew it was really happening.
Just more than a month ago, Johnson had signed with Portland as an insurance big man after spending most of the year in the NBA Development League. Now he was being thrown into a playoff game with 32 seconds left in the third quarter and the score tied 72-72.
Standing 6-foot-11 and weighing just 210 pounds, it doesn’t appear that the 25-year-old’s stomach is ever very full. But in this case, that just left plenty of room for butterflies.
“I was a little nervous, but you just have to go out there and play your game,” said Johnson, who came in to give LaMarcus Aldridge a breather while Marcus Camby sat with four fouls. “The crowd really helped a lot, helped with great energy.”
And then he gave that energy level an extra shot of Red Bull.
Within 20 seconds of entering the game, Johnson swatted away Dallas guard J.J. Barea’s lay-up attempt. He’d later do the same to Dirk Nowitzki, and over the course of five and a half minutes, compiled three rebounds and helped the Blazers establish an eight-point lead.
Johnson was finally subbed out with 6:56 remaining in the game, far later than he figured he would be. In fact, Camby had to make sure Johnson was paying attention to Blazers coach Nate McMillan between the third and fourth quarter because he assumed he was done for the night.
He wasn’t. And doesn’t appear to be done for the series, either.
“We’ll certainly look at that opportunity to get him out there because I thought he was active on the defensive end of the floor and he had some big rebounds and a big block,” said McMillan, who had considered using Johnson before the game based on his activity in Portland’s final regular-season game against the Mavericks. “I thought his few minutes on the floor really changed the game.”
It seemed to have changed his status, too.
Looking on as the media encircled Johnson at practice Friday, Aldridge quipped, “Yeah, that’s what I like to see, CJ.”
Aldridge later said that he would have given Johnson the game ball had he not already taken home a couple of Spaldings for himself this year.
Gerald Wallace also praised his lanky teammate, but it seemed Brandon Roy was most enthusiastic in acclaiming the rookie, who may have needed the spotlight to finally become visible.
“I’m just thinking about that run we went on, when somebody went to the basket and he’s flying, and I’m like ‘I know that ain’t LaMarcus, and Camby’s on the bench. Who is that?’ And then he gets the board and he looks at me and it’s CJ!” Roy said. “I was like ‘keep him in there.’ I was just happy with the way that he was ready. He wasn’t nervous-looking or intimidated. He was attacking guys.”
Then again, shine as he might in the game, Johnson can’t possibly match the stature he has had in practice lately. Wearing a special red jersey while playing with the second unit, this year’s NBDL Defensive Player of the Year has been the designated Nowitzki for the Blazers throughout the series.
Portland forward Nicolas Batum said Johnson has legitimate moves, while McMillan joked that the center has been trying to shoot fadeaway jumpers off of one foot like Dirk, but has yet to master them.
“If he would have, he would have been out there a lot sooner,” McMillan said.
Johnson, an LSU product who spent a couple seasons playing in Turkey and Poland, doesn’t anticipate Thursday’s performance will ease his anxiety going forward. He said the butterflies will still be there, as will his reluctance to believe that his name is actually being called.
And if he is able to put forth another effort like he did in Game 3, he might ask teammates for a pinch on the arm before a high-five or a fist bump.
“This is unreal to me right now,” said Johnson, who entered the playoffs with only 14 career NBA games to his credit. “Last couple years, I never would have seen this coming. So it’s huge.”
In case you’re worried, Johnson’s far from going Hollywood just yet. After the biggest night of his career, Portland’s newest celebrity enjoyed a quiet post-game meal with his wife and brother … at the International House of Pancakes.
“It was about 20 minutes away,” he said.
Johnson can tell you — certain things are worth the wait.
Matt Calkins can be contacted at 360-735-4528 or matt.calkins@columbian.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/blazerbanter
