Game Thread PLAYOFFS: ROUND 1, GAME 1: BLAZERS @ LAKERS - AUGUST 18, 2020, TUESDAY, 6:00, TNT & NBCSNW

It's never half. That would mean the cheers for the lakers are as loud as Blazers.

I agree Lakers draw more fans at Moda than any other opponent.... but it's not anywhere close to 50/50

 

I voted Lakers in 5.

LeBron and Davis are one of the best duos of this decade.

Lillard plays God mode in the regular season. None of these opponents spent days planning a strategy to contain him.

But Lillard really struggles against traps in the playoffs. OKC had an injured PG13 and Westbrick bailed us out every 4th quarter. Denver was too young last year, they played SAS in 7 games too. Last year we had a much better bench, and much more defense.

Lillard has played some great teams in GS and SAS, getting swept or losing in 5 every time.

If my life depended on it I'm picking LAL in 5.

What the Blazers need to do is keep 3pt shooters on the floor, and dare the LAL to shoot outside. Hope we can outshoot them. Lillard needs to pass when teaps come and others make shots. Davis and Lebron will dominate us inside.

I will be very happy to eat crow on my predicition, I do think we have a small chance but itll be hard!

Go Zers!

 

I dont think many "come up" just for the game. They sold their house in Cali and "come up" permanently.

 

Not in the playoffs my guy.

 

This is never even remotely true. Not even when the Lakers were contenders and we were playing Ha Seung-Jin legitimate minutes did they even approach 20% of the crowd.

 

Easy there crackerjack! Are you claiming that JinxSpeed is posting something that isn’t fact based?

 

I went to two Lakers games at Moda last season and there were a LOT of Lakers jerseys and a LOT of cheering for Lakers. It was annoying.

 

Emotionally, I never want to lose. Particularly to the Fakers and their ref accomplices!

Common sense says it would be a major upset for the Blazers to not get swept.

 

Portland actually has a few solutions to their issues. They can do more drop coverage, clogging the middle, and hope that LA doesn't get hot from outside for 4 games (which is a reasonable hope).

How does LA adjust to the Dame/Nurk pick and roll though? Howard or McGee just don't have the speed to hedge on the pick and then recover to guard the lane. Porzingas had the same problem, and he's more nimble than either of those guys. They don't have a deep team with both those guys playing, and if they decide both guys are unplayable and run AD at center, they get even more shallow. So Dame will get open threes, open twos, or a wide open cutting Nurk.

 

Lakers are:

-Favourites in this match
- have LBJ and AD

Lakers are not:

- alliens
- unbeatable

Lakers will:

Put some f.... g respect on Dame's name.

Mark my words.

Go Blazers, I trust in you!

 

Oh, no argument there - they are the most annoying people we ever have to deal with at Moda. They make themselves seem numerous by standing up and preening over every made free throw as if it was some Sportscenter Top 10 nominee. I'm just saying they never really have THAT many fans there. You want to see a home venue get taken over, go to a Mariners game when Toronto comes to town.

 

Can't really blame them. It's 1st seed vs 8th seed

 

I think your last point touched on it. They will play Davis at C, have him trap Dame in screens, then recover on a pass out to stop Nurk which Davis can do. He did it in the New Orleans series and we got swept.

How are we going to defend Lebron and Davis? Melo can't, Nurk and Whiteside are to slow, Collins is worthless on offense which would let them trap Dame even more, Trent is to short.

We are massive underdogs and for good reason.