This isn’t the first time Nate McMillan has watched Jamal Crawford shake his team up.

When Crawford – a Seattle native – was just a lankly 16 year old kid at Rainier Beach High School he was known for practicing with McMillan’s Sonics a time or two. Over time, Crawford’s added a nice floater in the lane and that deep three. But even back then as a kid his crossover was cool, as McMillan’s teammate Detlef Schrempf found out during one practice.

Jamal put the Sonics guard on his backside with one single move. McMillan and company didn’t let Detlef here the end of it.

On Tuesday night at the Rose Garden, Crawford did McMillan and his boys dirty again.

The nine year veteran – former Chicago Bull, New York Knick and Golden State Warrior - and newest member of the Hawks came off the bench for 27 points in Atlanta’s 97-91 victory. He shook Portland up and they may be still shaking.

You had to know Jamal would come up big.

Not only was he making a return trip to the Pacific Northwest, but the game was yet another battle within a brotherhood between Crawford and Brandon Roy, who has long considered Jamal a mentor since they first met through a mutual friend back when Roy was a sophomore in high school.

The two talk and text daily. After nearly every game, Brandon knows there will be a message on his handheld from Crawford about how Roy played; what he saw, what he liked, what he didn’t. Brandon is quick to return the favor and message. They are close like that.

Back before Brandon decided to turn pro, Jamal was there to lend advice about the business, stressing the importance of managing finances. Roy – now a father of two – also learned about what it means to be a dad from Jamal, who has an 11 year old son, from a previous relationship. That’s what Brandon respects the most about Jamal. But on the court, they trash talk each other a little bit – mostly in the summer though. Roy’s said before he can’t help but actually laugh at times playing against Jamal because he’s such a character. In fact, one-upping each other is common place these days.

When Roy finished with 52 points against Phoenix two seasons ago, Crawford kept pace the following night with 50 versus Charlotte. It’s simply a sense of pride they share – one of many traits the two share together.

Roy was likely filled with mixed emotions on Tuesday night. Portland fell short. His boy did his thing. Brandon finished with 19 points in the loss, taking only three shots in the fourth quarter. Crawford was the difference maker for Atlanta scoring 17 points in the first half alone.

"He's a good player, man," Roy said of Crawford after the game. "He's a one-on-one guy. There were some (isolation) situations where he was able to create, especially when Joe was struggling early. Jamal kept them in the game.

“Good pickup for them."

Jamal Crawford is thinking the same thing.

photo: realhoop

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