Trail Blazers' best pitch to free agents: Culture and Damian Lillard: The Portland Trail Blazers got a firsthand view of the best team in NBA during the Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors. And after losing a hard-fought and entertaining series that Warriors guard Klay Thompson called "the closest five-game series of all-time," the Blazers feel like they are close to becoming a perennial contender. -- The Oregonian