They started lining up as early as 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, a good 90 minutes before the doors opened, and cruised into the Moda Center sporting red Damian Lillard No. 0s, black Scoot Henderson No. 00s and white Deni Avdija No. 8s.

One woman even wore an old LaMarcus Aldridge No. 12.

When the clock finally struck 1 p.m. and Portland Trail Blazers fans made it through security, they bolted down the concourse toward a rare sight: A sea of empty seats.

“No running!” an usher shouted. “Walk! No running!”

But the warning did not deter the fans as they scurried away, chasing a rare opportunity to score courtside seats for the Blazers’ annual Fan Fest scrimmage.

“This is the most optimistic I have been about the team in a while,” Charlene Brandt, a long-time season-ticket holder fro

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