

He is an efficient scorer, so he isn’t expected to struggle two games in a row. The 2019 NBA Champion was a team-low -5 in the victory.Īs the Nuggets continue to focus their defense on Portland’s star backcourt, Powell needs to be more effective. In Game 1 Powell posted 10 points, four assists, and three rebounds on three of 11 shooting from the field. When the Portland Trail Blazers acquired guard Norman Powell from the Toronto Raptors, he was expected to bring consistency and a championship pedigree to the Trail Blazers’ title run. In his #NBAPlayoffs debut with Portland, Norman Powell finished with 10 PTS, 4 AST & 3 REB! /XTfEDl6jDu Trail Blazers Key Player: (G-F) Norman Powell

With the variation in their scoring and playmaking ability, Portland should continue to run through their star guards.

Their pace and trickiness in the pick-and-roll is causing issues for the Nuggets, especially with Jokic as the target of attack. The backcourt duo of Lillard and McCollum combined to contribute 55 points, 16 assists, and eight rebounds on 18 of 45 shooting from the field. However, in their last game against the Nuggets, Portland was able to take advantage of their excellent perimeter attack. The Blazers have a good chance to steal one on the road and even up this series.The Portland Trail Blazers are comically looked at as a one-way side. McCollum is shooting 42.2 percent from three-point range in the playoffs. Denver's point guard has been inconsistent this postseason, and he could be on track for another poor shooting night. The odds of Murray outplaying McCollum again aren't nearly as high. Don't be surprised if he scores another 39 points Wednesday night. Lillard cemented his spot as a top-10 NBA player with an incredible first round. But it might be the two backcourts that ultimately decide Game 2. You can count on Jokic having another big night, especially when a banged-up Enes Kanter will be logging most of Portland's minutes at center. Portland is a four-point underdog, according to the betting line at OddsShark. CJ McCollum scored just 16 points on 17 shots. Jamal Murray added 23 points and eight assists on 15 field-goal attempts.ĭenver survived a 39-point barrage from Damian Lillard. Nikola Jokic continued to put up MVP-caliber numbers with 37 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks in the team’s 121-113 win. Still, the Nuggets are the West’s No.2 seed for a reason, proving to be a difficult matchup for Portland in Game 1. The playoff inexperience of Denver showed last round when they needed seven games to defeat the San Antonio Spurs. That’s in large part because Portland cruised past the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, needing just five games to eliminate Russell Westbrook and Co.
#Blazers vs nuggets predictions series
The Nuggets entered the series as slight favorites, though the Blazers were given a better chance to pull off the upset than any underdog in the second round. Game 2 is scheduled to start Wednesday night at 9 p.m. The Nuggets will look to maintain home-court advantage when they host the Blazers in Game 2. The second-round series between the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets hasn’t gotten much attention during the conference semifinals, but it will take center stage Wednesday when the two teams meet in the only NBA playoff game of the night.ĭenver has a 1-0 series lead after defeating Portland in the opener Monday.
