Game Thread PLAYOFFS: ROUND 1, GAME 1: BLAZERS @ NUGGETS - MAY 22, 2021 - SATURDAY, 7:30, ESPN

[Darkwebs]

2020-21 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
42 - 30
(22-14 Road)
DENVER NUGGETS
47 - 25
(25-11 Home)

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[WHEN: 7:30 PM (PDT), SATURDAY, 5/22/2021

WHERE: BALL ARENA, DENVER, CO

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

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--------------BENCH--------------
-- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS --

SIMONS , BLEVINS , ELLEBY

LITTLE , HOLLIS-JEFFERSON , JONES Jr.

ANTHONY , LEAF

GILES III , KANTER


---- DENVER NUGGETS ----

MORRIS , HOWARD , DOZIER

RIVERS , HARRISON , CANCAR

GREEN , MILLSAP , NNAJI

McGEE , BOL




INJURIES
TRAIL BLAZERS
Zach Collins (left ankle stress fracture): OUT
NUGGETS
Will Barton (right hamstring strain): QUESTIONABLE
P.J. Dozier (strained right adductor): QUESTIONABLE
Jamal Murray (torn left ACL): OUT




HEAD COACHES

- VS –

TERRY STOTTS --- MICHAEL MALONE

OFFICIAL NUGGETS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

​

 

[Darkwebs]

Seemingly an annual tradition, the Blazers once again closed out the regular season strong, winning 10 of their last 12 games. They blew out the Nuggets as a must-watch season finale episode, and coincidentally enough, Denver is also slated to be their opponent in the 1st round of the NBA Playoffs.

This will be the first time Nurk has faced the Nuggets in the Playoffs, so I'm curious to how he will fare in this series. Will he raise his game, or wilt under the pressure of proving Denver made a mistake of trading him?

In addition, Melo will be returning to the city that drafted him.

Blazers may have lost the season series to Denver 1-2, but both those Portland losses were on the 2nd night of a back-to-back. Denver will be missing the services of their starting point guard, Jamal Murray, which is obviously a big blow.

These teams will have at least 5 days off before they meet again, so each team's coaching staff will have plenty of time to prepare and plan for their opponent. Let's hope Terry Stotts comes up with something special.

 

[Darkwebs]

NBA 2021 PLAYOFFS BRACKET

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[AldoTrapani]

Let’s go Blazers I got us in 6!

 

[THE HCP]

FIRE STOTTS!
























The above post was for comedic purposes only and does not reflect my own opinions. @THE HCP needs new tires on his ride. Please don't sent this to the team to get me fired.

I have Denver winning in six for the record.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

I picked Blazers in 5. If Blazers win Game 1, we may sweep. Need to rest up for Warriors in Round 2. Dame vs Steph will be major hyped by the league and ESPN/TNT.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

FIRE STOTTS!
























The above post was for comedic purposes only and does not reflect my own opinions. @THE HCP needs new tires on his ride. Please don't sent this to the team to get me fired.

I have Denver winning in six for the record.

Why Denver in 6? We have a better roster with more experience. I would imagine we're favored in this series.

 

[blazerkor]

I've got the Nuggets in 6. I just think they're a better team than us. I think they're not as good as we are on offense but that's not a huge advantage for us while on defense they do have a huge advantage over us. I also think they have a deeper bench. Mostly I just think the Nuggets are the more well rounded team and will come out on top.

I was tempted to wait for the odds to come out but I'm quite sure even though they haven't put them up yet that Vegas will have Denver as a decisive betting favorite in this series. There's a reason why they're the number 3 team in the West and we're number 6 and it has nothing to do with injuries. Since the trade deadline we're 15-12 and they're 21-7.

Knowing the way we've exited the playoffs in the past, even coming off of scorching hot endings to the season, I might have my homer goggles on when I give us two wins in the series.

 

[AldoTrapani]

I've got the Nuggets in 6. I just think they're a better team than us. I think they're not as good as we are on offense but that's not a huge advantage for us while on defense they do have a huge advantage over us. I also think they have a deeper bench. Mostly I just think the Nuggets are the more well rounded team and will come out on top.

I was tempted to wait for the odds to come out but I'm quite sure even though they haven't put them up yet that Vegas will have Denver as a decisive betting favorite in this series. There's a reason why they're the number 3 team in the West and we're number 6 and it has nothing to do with injuries. Since the trade deadline we're 15-12 and they're 21-7.

Knowing the way we've exited the playoffs in the past, even coming off of scorching hot endings to the season, I might have my homer goggles on when I give us two wins in the series.

Oh man now you got me thinking

 

[GDiama]

Considering Murray is out i think this is the best matchup we get. I hope we don't try to matchup Porter with Powell though as Porter can shoot over his head the whole night. RoCo seems a much better matchup since Porter is not very good dribbling the ball so he can keep up with him. Powell can work on Gordon because although he lacks in size Gordon is not very skilled offensively to take advantage of that.

 

[Labinot41]

remember when Denver traded for Gordon at the Deadline?

 

[stampedehero]

I picked we win 4-2. I hope we do not get horrendous ref crews in this series.
The NBA should do their best to put competent fair minded objective individuals out there as I see close games and no blowouts..

 

[crandc]

Blazers are better than they were two years ago. They didn't have Nurk, and both Dame and Lantern had nagging injuries.
As shooters, Melo and Ant vs Seth and Hood off the bench, maybe a wash but don't discount veteran experience.

No one will roll over and play dead but I feel OK.

 

[TBpup]

With Murray and Barton out, Portland should win this. If they lose with those 2 players not available for the Nuggets, there should be a massive overhaul as this is as favorable of an opponent draw as Portland could hope for.

From 2 years ago, Grant and Craig are gone and with Murray and Barton injured, this is a much depleted version of a team compared to the one that went 7 games against the Blazers 2 years ago.

 

[stampedehero]

NBA playoffs 2021 - Everything you need to know about the 20 teams in the mix (espn.com) Read this fellow members~

 

[Labinot41]

With Murray and Barton out, Portland should win this. If they lose with those 2 players not available for the Nuggets, there should be a massive overhaul as this is as favorable of an opponent draw as Portland could hope for.

From 2 years ago, Grant and Craig are gone and with Murray and Barton injured, this is a much depleted version of a team compared to the one that went 7 games against the Blazers 2 years ago.

Agree, if the Blazers can't beat Denver then there is no future for this group

 

[SharpesTriumph]

With Murray and Barton out, Portland should win this. If they lose with those 2 players not available for the Nuggets, there should be a massive overhaul as this is as favorable of an opponent draw as Portland could hope for.

From 2 years ago, Grant and Craig are gone and with Murray and Barton injured, this is a much depleted version of a team compared to the one that went 7 games against the Blazers 2 years ago.

Jokic is much better now than two years ago. They didn't have Porter Jr then.

Dame was exhausted at the end of that series and Turner actually had a huge game 7. We had Hood and Collins playing great on both offense and defense, plus Curry.

I like our chances and agree Denver might be the most favorable matchup of the top 4 west seeds... however Portland isn't a big favorite (if they are even a favorite at all)

 

[TBpup]

Jokic is much better now than two years ago. They didn't have Porter Jr then.

Dame was exhausted at the end of that series and Turner actually had a huge game 7. We had Hood and Collins playing great on both offense and defense, plus Curry.

I like our chances and agree Denver might be the most favorable matchup of the top 4 west seeds... however Portland isn't a big favorite (if they are even a favorite at all)

Of course there are roster changes, and Jokic is better, and they added a middle 1st round pick who has blossomed. (Seems like I've heard 1st round picks wouldn't help our roster but apparently they have helped Denvers.) Portland has added players as well.

To say "Hood and Collins were playing great on both offense and defense" would seem to be a bit of a stretch and some advanced numbers now have Ant doing what much of Curry was.

I'm just suggesting that if Denver can lose all those defensive players (Craig, Harris, Barton) and big offensive contributors in Murray and Grant from this year's version versus the one from 2 years ago, it would almost be a crime that we shouldn't be favored. Now maybe we won't be, but that then speaks volumes to how much we may overrate our own players, how poorly new players have been developed, and how bad player acquistion has been.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

This is anybody's series. I have it going to 7 games again. Game 7 on their court AGAIN. Anything can happen in a game 7.

 

[Chris Craig]

Blazers will win this series 4-2

 

[RipCityWarrior]

My homer take is the nuggets give the blazers a lot but that Portland takes it in 7!

 

[James lamphear]

I give it Denver in 6 or 7 games but if Nurk and the bench come to play we have really good chance to win.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

The Past has been Difficult.
The Future, Uncertain.
But, Today is a Great Day to Be a Blazer Fan!

Go, Blazers!!!

 

[illmatic99]

We might be overestimating our defensive improvement. Just two weeks ago, we were thinking we might not even make a play-in. There was tangible improvement in our focus that led to our solid finish, but was it just a mirage?

Jokic is gonna get Nurk in foul trouble early and we're gonna have to deal with Kanter playing him for 25+ mins. And Terry will make adjustments only in Game 4. I don't see us winning more than a game.

 

[Pinwheel1]

With Murray and Barton out, Portland should win this. If they lose with those 2 players not available for the Nuggets, there should be a massive overhaul as this is as favorable of an opponent draw as Portland could hope for.

From 2 years ago, Grant and Craig are gone and with Murray and Barton injured, this is a much depleted version of a team compared to the one that went 7 games against the Blazers 2 years ago.

Is Barton expected to be out? Hamstring strains are tricky, but it will 5 weeks since it happened. I bet he is already good to go.

 

[tlongII]

Anybody seen Zach Collins?

 

[Strenuus]

Now the real tests begin. The traps on Dame.

Stotts, your job is on the line. Are you finally, FINALLY going to implement a scheme to counter the trap? If he does, Blazers should win.

Having little faith in stotts as a coach to adjust to the ancient trap-dame-in-the-playoffs, I picked Denver in 6. Please prove me wrong, Stotts. Been waiting the entirety of dames prime to see an adjustment and not "Dame bail me out kthx love you". Not all teams can be OKC circa 2019.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

We might be overestimating our defensive improvement. Just two weeks ago, we were thinking we might not even make a play-in. There was tangible improvement in our focus that led to our solid finish, but was it just a mirage?

Jokic is gonna get Nurk in foul trouble early and we're gonna have to deal with Kanter playing him for 25+ mins. And Terry will make adjustments only in Game 4. I don't see us winning more than a game.

Thinking we were going to miss the play-in was stupid. Kanter beat Jokic with one arm in 2019. Nuggets should fear us. You’ve got to be kidding to think we’ll lose in 5. We have the better roster and the better coach. If anyone’s winning in 5, it’s us.

 

[Chris Craig]

When does the playoff schedule come out?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Let’s go Blazers I got us in 6!

Who is this and what have you done with the real Aldo?