Gan Guoyang's comments after the game sounded like the wry jokes of someone resigned to a loss.
Down 1:2, with two crushing defeats and one hard-won overtime victory at home.
The Nuggets truly had a stifling effect on the Trail Blazers in terms of lineup and play style, plunging the entire team's morale into a trough at once.
After the third game ended, Ramsay wandered the streets of Denver alone until two in the morning before returning to the hotel.
Rick Adelman had been waiting in the hotel lobby for Ramsay and only when he saw that Ramsay was unharmed did he say, "Jack, you really have us worried, you hardly ever roam around after a loss these days."
Jack Ramsay had indeed greatly changed that habit this season, but the main reason was that the Trail Blazers seldom lost.
Games as frustrating as the loss to the Nuggets were even rarer.
Ramsay said, "Don't worry, Denver's public security is much better than Los Angeles or Chicago; it's just a bit cold at night."
