PORTLAND — For as off LaMarcus Aldridge was in Monday’s game, the final moment was spot on.
With 0.6 seconds left in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 99-92 Game 4 win over Memphis, Nicolas Batum put up a meaningless free throw.
It rimmed out, only to be tapped in by Aldridge before the horn. Streamers fell from the ceiling and “L-Traaaaaiiiinnnn” once more echoed throughout the Moda Center.
The tip-in capped an otherwise forgettable game in a bad playoff series for Aldridge, who is shooting less than 34 percent from the field. He finished 6 for 22, including 1 for 11 in the second half.
But that final play could end up being a lasting memory.
The feel-good ending Monday for the Blazers and Aldridge can’t wash away two looming issues.
One, Portland will be a longshot to keep its season alive in Game 5 Wednesday in Memphis.
Two, assuming Portland doesn’t win Wednesday, Aldridge’s tip-in might have been his last moment in the Moda Center as a Blazer.
The writing wasn’t just on the wall, it was on the mind of many in the arena Monday. Amid the fan-made signs reading “Let’s Make History” and “I Believe” were some that read “Stay LA.”
Nobody knows whether Monday was Aldridge’s final game here in a Blazers uniform. He himself might not know.
When asked Saturday by ESPN’s Chris Broussard if Portland was his No. 1 choice headed into free agency this summer, Aldridge replied “we’ll see.”
Portland can offer him more money and years on his next contract, but those don’t carry the most weight for Aldridge, who has earned more than $81 million in his nine seasons. San Antonio is reportedly the strongest contender to lure Aldridge out of Portland because of his Texas roots and the chance to contend for an NBA championship right away.
Could you blame him? The only reason to begrudge Aldridge would be that he’d contradict his preseason statement that he intended to sign a long-term deal after this season and become “the best Blazer ever.”
But if he does leave, I hope we have the proper appreciation for what Aldridge’s time here has meant to the Blazers.
Aldridge’s number deserves a spot in Moda Center rafters, but not just because his scoring and rebounding numbers rank among the best in franchise history. Just remember how far the franchise has come in his nine seasons in Portland.
As a rookie, Aldridge joined a team still emerging from the shadow the Jail Blazers era. The previous season, Portland hobbled to a 21-61 record in Nate McMillian’s first year as coach.
Aldridge was a quiet, steady foundation in that rebuilding effort, which culminated with a return to the playoffs in 2009. Brandon Roy got much of the attention, but all Aldridge did was quietly become a perennial all-star.
After Roy’s Portland career abruptly ended in 2011, Aldridge again led a rebuilding effort that saw the Blazers end a 14-year playoff losing streak.
The spotlight gravitated to Damian Lillard and fans latched on to the affability of Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez. All the while, there was Aldridge paving the way. No drama. No trouble. Just a steady diet of double-doubles.
His time in Portland hasn’t been flashy. But when it does end, sooner or later, Aldridge should be given his proper due as one of the best Portland Trail Blazers.
That’s why that meaningless tip-in at the end of Monday’s game will be a nice moment, should it be Aldridge’s last in Portland as a Blazer.
