I’m no fan of no fans at Moda, and neither is Damian Lillard
Derrick Jones Jr. readies for a slam in Portland’s 116-113 victory over New York Sunday night at Moda Center. Jones finished with 14 points and five rebounds (Source: Bruce Ely/Portland Trail Blazers)
Having left the newspaper business in April after 45 years, I’d not been to a Trail Blazer game at Moda Center until Sunday’s date with the New York Knicks.
Portland PR honchos Jim Taylor and Jake Gifford were good enough to credential me and allow me to experience first-hand what it’s like to be in an NBA arena without fans due to COVID-19.
Let me start with the positives.
Traffic outside Moda Center was virtually non-existent. Parking was easy. I left home much later than I normally would to cover a game and got to my seat — which was located in section 216 on the club level, right at half court — in plenty of time. The noise level during the game was loud, but nothing close to the din that scares young children and causes hearing loss during a regular season.
That’s about it for the good stuff.
Prior to the game, I downloaded an app and filled out a “CLEAR” health pass form, which becomes basically a virtual ID code on your cell phone. That gets you inside the arena, where you are issued a media pass along with a tiny beeper that is programmed to go off if you get too close to someone for too long (it’s all about social distancing). Mine went off when I chatted briefly with former cohort Dwight Jaynes on the concourse at halftime. I high-tailed it out of there before security could apprehend me.
I stopped by the press room, which provided working space and little else. I headed to my seat, dropped off my laptop and stopped by the media dining area, which provided a boxed dinner of beef brisket, baked beans and coleslaw.
I asked Jamie Hudson of NBC Sports Northwest how it was to watch a Blazer game without fans.
“I thought I’d get used to it, but I really haven’t,” she said. “It’s … kind of eerie.”
Section 216 was the “media” section, and it wasn’t exactly a throng of reporters. In my row were Jaynes and Hudson. Behind me were A.J. McCord and Travis Teich of KOIN-TV and Nick Krupke of KPTV-TV.
In the booths below us were the radio crew — Travis Demers, Michael Holton and Jay Allen — on one side and TV broadcasters Jordan Kent and Lamar Hurd on the other. Five or six camera operators worked between them.
And that’s it.
The atmosphere wasn’t quite as dead as it must have been in the “Bubble” in Orlando last summer, but it was darn close. And those games were held in much smaller venues, not in monoliths like Moda.
There were absolutely no people on the concourse, save the security people checking passes and bags when you enter the building. The only people in the club level other than media were a couple of custodial workers sanitizing seemingly already sanitized areas.
There were a few people scattered inside the lower bowl as the game began — socially distanced, of course.
There were the 26 players and 10 coaches from the teams, and maybe another dozen trainers and support staff courtside. And, of course the three referees.
A dozen or so people — possibly team employees — were spread out and sitting in one end zone adjacent the Trail Blazers’ bench. One lone soul sat in the other end zone.
About a dozen people were seated in the first two rows courtside between the teams’ benches, keeping stats, working the clock, etc. And maybe a couple of scouts. And public-address announcer Mark Mason, calling the game as if there were a sellout crowd of 20,000 on hand — loud and proud.
There were about 10 people sitting in the first two rows of the stands on the opposite side.
Oh yes, there were the cardboard cutouts, which extended about 20 rows in the end zones and six rows in the section behind the teams’ benches. There were several hundred cutouts in all. They seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Most sections of the lower bowl, and the entire upper section, were tarped off.
I figure there were probably 150 people total inside Moda Center, total. Indeed, it WAS kind of eerie.
Mason operated as if the fans were jammed with Blazer partisans.
“You’re the Sixth Man, and the Moda Center is OUR house!” he bellowed as he announced the starting lineups — perhaps to provide the appearance of normalcy in a situation that was anything but. The national anthem was played, with the singer via video shown on The Jumbotron.
Throughout the game, Mason read public-service announcements regarding COVID, reminding folks — whomever — to “wear a mask, wash your hands, stay six feet apart.” I’m pretty sure by now, the players don’t need to be reminded.
Entertainment for timeouts went on as normal, although there were no Blazer Dancers or live acts.
During one timeout, video of a “throwback game” between the Blazers and the Knicks when Carmelo Anthony was with them was shown on the Jumbotron.
A couple of other timeouts were filled with Brooke Olzendam’s “get to know Robert Covington” segments.
Music played before the game and at halftime and occasionally during timeouts. There were also a Black Lives Matter-themed video featuring Blazer players and a video segment of top 10 plays from the previous day’s NBA action.
Artificial noise was piped into the arena at — I suppose — appropriate times through the game.
“Defense! Defense!” played when the Blazers were on defense. “Let’s go Blazers!” when they were on offense.
Applause was provided when the Blazers made a basket, or when Melo pulled down a defensive rebound, or when the Knicks’ Nerlens Noel couldn’t finish off a lob pass.
And, of course, Mason was in full throttle.
“D.J. from Downtown! From Dame.”
“Dame Dolla for 3! Ring it up.”
“All right fans, wherever you may be. It’s time for Blazer defense!”
And toward the end, a couple of times: “The Blazers’ next game is tomorrow vs the Oklahoma City Thunder at Moda Center. Tip-off is at 7. Be here.”
Even so, it was quiet enough that you sometimes could hear the Blazer coaches (notably assistants Nate Tibbetts and Jim Moran) yelling instructions to the players. That’s something you NEVER experience during a game at Moda.
Damian Lillard slaps hands with Derrick Jones Jr. Three days after his fiancé delivered twins, Lillard went for 39 points in 35 minutes in win over Knicks. (Source: Bruce Ely/Portland Trail Blazers)
It was clear from the onset that Damian Lillard was having one of those games (with CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic both missing, that’s always a good thing). It’s a shame there wasn’t a full house on hand to appreciate it.
I’m not sure what had Dame inspired more, me visiting the arena for the first time since last season or Thursday’s birth of his twins, Kali (daughter) and Kalii (son). Three minutes into the third quarter, he finally missed a shot. To that point, he was 8 for 8 from the field, 4 for 4 from 3-point range and 5 for 5 from the free-throw line. Lillard finally missed a short jumper, but the Blazers rebounded and he immediately scored on a running left-handed bank shot from the key. Wow.
The Blazers hit 9 of their first 10 shots from the field, were 13 for 19 in the first quarter and led 57-35 midway through the second quarter. The difference was 70-50 at the half, and a blowout seemed in the offing.
This was surprising, since New York entered the night first in the NBA in opponents’ scoring (102.8) and opponents’ field-goal percentage (.430) and third in defensive efficiency (the Blazers came in 28th in the latter category).
Portland cooled off considerably after that, though, and the Knicks — playing their third game in four nights, all on the road — whittled the deficit to 106-102 on three Immanuel Quickley free throws with 1:33 left.
With Coach Terry Stotts’ heart going up through his throat, the Blazers hung on and won by going 10 for 10 from the line the rest of the way. The Knicks helped out by continuing to take 2-point shots when 3-pointers were necessary inside the final minute, including Quickley’s layup with .9 of a second left. That made the final score 116-113 — and pleased gamblers who had taken the Knicks plus four points, the betting line for the game.
Lillard’s finished with 39 points and eight assists with one turnover in 35 minutes, making 11 of 17 shots from the field, 6 of 10 from beyond the arc and 11 of 11 from the line. In the process he broke his own franchise record for consecutive free throws, which now stands at 66. That’s nothing short of astonishing.
The Blazers are 1-0 since Lillard became the father of three. He didn’t look tired at all for a guy who spent more time at a hospital with fiancé Kay’la Hanson the last few days than at home.
“It’s been an awful lot of joy,” he said after the game while being interviewed via Zoom. “I’ve had Dame Jr. for almost three years now. The thing I enjoy the most is being his dad, going home to him every night and being around him every day. I think that has allowed me to be a better player. I don’t take wins and losses home anymore. He brings me that happiness and peace.
“Bringing (the twins) into the world is a different feeling. Having a daughter and another son — I’m a real dad now. I’m a ‘daddy daddy’ now. It’s been a great week and I’ve been in a really happy place, even though it’s been draining.”
Ever the curmudgeon, I asked Blazer guard Anferee Simons if he likes all the canned sound during the game.
“I don’t even notice it,” Simons said. “Sometimes I do when I’m out of the game, but when I’m in, I’m locked into the game. I don’t pay attention to the outside noise.”
I asked Stotts if there was anything better about the games in a virtually empty gym.
“It’s always going to be better with fans, but once the game tips off and you’re competing, it becomes a game,” he said. “The juices start flowing for the players and coaches and referees. It’s nothing like having fans there, but we’re all trying to do a job and competing and trying to win a game.”
The Blazers have one of the biggest home-court advantages in the NBA. I figure Lillard has to loath the virtual silence that greets his wizardry.
“I’m not a fan of it,” he said. “When we played in the ‘Bubble’ (in Orlando), the environment was set up for it to feel different. We played in smaller venues. They had screens up. You had team personnel and a bunch of media. You felt some energy inside the building. It didn’t feel like we were in a big arena.
“(At Moda Center) it feels empty and dry. It’s almost like a scrimmage type of vibe until you get into the action. I miss the fans. I can’t wait until we have them back. You’re going to get some of the best basketball we’ve had in a long time because of the energy that’s going to be pumped back into the building and into the games.
“The energy fans bring is unbelievable. I’ve always known that, but after having to play these games without fans in empty arenas, I’ve never felt it more than I do now. I’m sure the other players feel the same way.”
I do, too. I’d just as soon watch the game at home, with my feet up on my La-Z Boy recliner, watching the TV with an adult beverage.
And that’s just what I’ll do, until the world returns to at least semi-normal.
Readers: do you miss attending games at the Moda Center? What do you miss most about not being there in person? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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