He was dejected, and admittedly emotional. His team had just dropped their second postseason game and was preparing to return to Portland down 0-2 to the Dallas Mavericks. He had played just eight minutes and did not score a point, something that was hard to imagine for a player the caliber of Brandon Roy.

“I thought I’d get more of a chance coming back, but at the same time I’m never going to complain,” Roy told Yahoo!‘s Marc J. Spears. “I’m going to try to work and just try to play. … I’m not going to lie: It’s hard. My pride is a little scarred. It’s difficult sitting on the bench.”

The talk the following day revolved around Roy, with pundits asking if he was doing the right thing by distracting his team with talk of his own role when they were fighting for their playoff lives. As it turns out, Roy was doing exactly the right thing.

Blazers head coach Nate McMillan went to Roy early in Game 3 on Thursday night, with just over two minutes left in the first quarter. The Rose Garden crowd came to their feet to give their struggling hero a standing ovation, and feeding off of that energy Roy turned in easily his best game of the series. He dropped in a clutch two as the first quarter wound down, but would then go on a scoring spree that had Blazers fans turning back the clock. From dropping a big three to a cross-over drive and lay-up in which he left three Mavericks in the dust, Roy looked more like his old self. He had nine points when McMillan pulled him from the game with 1:30 left in the second quarter, having connected on four-of-five from the field.

The crowd gave him another standing ovation.

"Wanting to play more, for me, isn’t pressure; I feel like I’m just trying to help this team," said Roy after the game. "It was a lot of emotion, but I just wanted to go out there and play within myself. I wasn’t nervous because the fans were really supportive. They were cheering for me before I even went into the game, and that was big for me because we’ve been through a lot together. To know that they still have my back was great for me."

When the dust settled, Roy had 16 points, four assists, a steal and a rebound and the Blazers had beaten the Mavericks, 97-92.

Like their persistent star guard, the Blazers are now back in this series with the Mavericks, and it’s likely that it will take more performances like the one Roy turned in on Thursday for the Blazers to have any hope of upsetting the Mavericks. Whether or not he can deliver remains to be seen, but it was certainly exciting to see Brandon Roy looking more like the old Brandon Roy, even if it was for just one night.  

Left Behind Part II: Grant Hill

Last week Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash talked with HOOPSWORLD about the difficulty of being one of the last men standing from the Suns team that made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals a year ago. Now we talk with Grant Hill, the other veteran still on the squad, about watching the team implode around him, facing free agency and the possibility of moving at this stage of his life and career, and more in this HOOPSWORLD exclusive:

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First Look At Tonight’s Action:

The first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs continues, and tonight two teams who lost home court advantage will look to regain it on the road.

Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks – Game 3 – Boston Leads 2-0

{AUTHOR_BOX}The New York Knicks may not be the deepest team in the playoffs, having given up a lot of that depth to acquire Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, but they gave the Celtics all they could handle nonetheless. Can they now make it a series as the teams meet for two games in New York? It’s certainly an uphill climb for the 0-2 Knicks, particularly since Chauncey Billups (knee) is unlikely to play tonight and Amar’e Stoudemire (back) is listed as a gametime decision. The Celtics look very beatable, but it’s unlikely Carmelo Anthony call pull that off without either of his All-Star teammates to help carry the load. This game is on ESPN, and will tip off at 7:00 PM Eastern.

Orlando Magic @ Atlanta Hawks – Game 3 – Series Tied 1-1

The Hawks did the unlikely in Game 1, handing the favored Magic a series-opening loss on their home court. Can they now do the even more unlikely and take the lead in the series as it shifts to Atlanta? Dwight Howard has looked very much like Superman in the first two games, averaging 39.5 points and 19 rebounds, but he’s going to need more help if the Magic are going to regain home court in the series. It helps that many of the Magic players have had their way with the Hawks in their own building. Last year they beat the Hawks so badly that many of the Atlanta faithful began cheering for the Magic before the series ended. This game is on ESPN2, and will get started at 8:00 PM Eastern.

Los Angeles Lakers @ New Orleans Hornets – Game 3 – Series Tied 1-1

The Hornets did the improbably in Game 1, beating the defending champions on their own home court despite the absence of All-Star power forward David West. The Lakers took care of business in Game 2, as Kobe Bryant spent a great deal of time trying to limit Chris Paul’s effectiveness, and now look to regain home court with a win in New Orleans. As HOOPSWORLD’s Coach Anthony Macri wrote, Lakers center Andrew Bynum was one of the real differences in Game 2, and it may well be that Bynum will be the difference-maker in this series, particularly if Paul and Bryant cancel each other out. On the Hornets’ side, Carl Landry has been a real godsend for New Orleans, and he’s kept Pau Gasol from being a factor thus far. This is Game 2 of ESPN’s double-header coverage, starting immediately following the Celtics/Knicks game – at or around 9:30 PM Eastern.

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NBA Chats: There are two NBA Chats today starting with Alex Kennedy who will host his weekly NBA Chat at 3pm EST, so get your questions in early. Larry Coon will host another Salary Cap Chat at 8pm EST. Larry’s chat fill up fast, so getting in early always helps your odds. Susan Bible will host her weekly NBA Chat tomorrow at 11am, if you want to get an early start. You can always find the next chat here: Upcoming NBA Chats.