Game Thread GAME# 72: NUGGETS @ BLAZERS - MAY 16, 2021 - SUNDAY, 6:00, NBCSNW

[Darkwebs]

2020-21 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
DENVER NUGGETS
46 - 24
(21-13 Road)
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
41 - 30
(19-16 Home)


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---------PROBABLE STARTERS---------

PG

FACUNDO CAMPAZZO VS DAMIAN LILLARD

SG

AUSTIN RIVERS VS C.J. McCOLLUM

SF

MICHAEL PORTER Jr. VS NORMAN POWELL

PF

AARON GORDON VS ROBERT COVINGTON

C

NIKOLA JOKIC VS JUSUF NURKIC

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------- JERSEYS -------

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WHEN: 6:00 PM (PDT), SUNDAY, 5/16/2021

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

​

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--------------BENCH--------------

- DENVER NUGGETS-

MORRIS , HOWARD , DOZIER

HARRISON , CANCAR , GREEN

MILLSAP , NNAJI

McGEE , BOL

-- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS --

SIMONS , BLEVINS , ELLEBY

LITTLE , HOLLIS-JEFFERSON , JONES Jr.

ANTHONY , LEAF

GILES III , KANTER




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



HEAD COACHES

- VS –

MICHAEL MALONE--- TERRY STOTTS


OFFICIAL NUGGETS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• The Trail Blazers May 16 game against the Nuggets will be the third meeting between the two teams. Denver leads the season series, 2-0.

• LAST GAME: Denver narrowly defeated Portland, 106-105, on April 21 at Moda Center. Damian Lillard led Portland with 22 points (9-23 FG, 2-10 3-PT, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, five assists and two steals. Nikola Jokic paced the Nuggets with 25 points (9-18 FG, 1-6 3-PT, 6-7 FT), nine rebounds and five assists.

• Norman Powell finished with 17 points (4-10 FG, 1-4 3-PT, 8-8 FT), two rebounds, two assists and two steals against the Nuggets on April 21.

• CJ McCollum added 14 points (6-13 FG, 2-7 3-PT) and matched a season-high with nine rebounds to go with five assists and two steals against Denver on April 21.

• Michael Porter recorded 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting (1-4 3-PT), five rebounds and two assists against Portland on April 21.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 99-87
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 69-24
AT THE NUGGETS: Nuggets lead, 63-30

 

[Darkwebs]

Blazers failed to secure a ticket straight into the Playoffs, but they'll have another crack at it here, the season finale. This will also be the home closer, so I hope Portland fans can cheer the Blazers to an emphatic victory to end the season.

If Portland loses, the Lakers will have an opportunity to pounce, stealing the 6th seed from the Blazers. We can't afford to lose this!

PLAYOFF SEEDING RACE

​

Looking at the standings, it's likely the Blazers will be playing the Clippers in the first round of the Playoffs. But there's still a very outside chance for Dallas to fumble both of their final games away.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Looking forward to this game!

 

[blazerkor]

If the Lakers beat the Pacers on Saturday morning, this game becomes a do or die game. If we lose a second must win in a row, I don't know what that does to the morale on this team. Will the guys be able to get up to beat the Warriors? If they can't beat the Warriors will they be beaten down so much that the Grizz beat them?

We could very easily still miss the playoffs.

 

[Strenuus]

People are saying to lose to the Nuggets to go into the play in. Logic from them is that if you can win one game against the Warriors you can get the Suns instead of winning and getting the Clippers.

Agree or disagree?

 

[B-Roy]

People are saying to lose to the Nuggets to go into the play in. Logic from them is that if you can win one game against the Warriors you can get the Suns instead of winning and getting the Clippers.

Agree or disagree?

Whatever. At least with the Clippers we can bow out early and fire Terry immediately.

 

[blazerkor]

People are saying to lose to the Nuggets to go into the play in. Logic from them is that if you can win one game against the Warriors you can get the Suns instead of winning and getting the Clippers.

Agree or disagree?

Disagree, if you get a chance to be locked into the playoffs, you do it. If we can beat the Nuggets we have to. We can still definitely miss the playoffs (the Warriors tend to beat us and we're 1-2 against the Grizz).

 

[Scalma]

Nuggets might be resting guys no?

 

[wizenheimer]

People are saying to lose to the Nuggets to go into the play in. Logic from them is that if you can win one game against the Warriors you can get the Suns instead of winning and getting the Clippers.

Agree or disagree?

disagree; the championship likely goes thru the Clippers. Portland would have to beat them to get a ring. Why delay the challenge. Besides that, there are plenty of posters here who say this year's team has solved the puzzle of playoff defenses selling out to stop Dame. Time to test if that's true. The Clippers will be a great test

besides, if the Blazers are going to get curb-stomped by the Clippers, make it in the first round so Olshey and Stotts won't have any cover for them failing at their jobs

and of course, maybe the biggest flaw with that suggestion is the idea of Portland beating the Warriors. I would not like Portland's chances in that game

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

I think we beat Clippers 4-3

If we play Denver....we win 4-2 (without Murray)

if we advance and face PHX, we win 4-3
or if it’s Utah, we win 4-2

if we play the Lakers for the WCF... we win 4-2

and go on to play the Nets, winning it 4-3 in a game 7, overtime thriller with Melo hitting a shot at the buzzer for the victory!

 

[Strenuus]

I think we beat Clippers 4-3

If we play Denver....we win 4-2 (without Murray)

if we advance and face PHX, we win 4-3
or if it’s Utah, we win 4-2

if we play the Lakers for the WCF... we win 4-2

and go on to play the Nets, winning it 4-3 in a game 7, overtime thriller with Melo hitting a shot at the buzzer for the victory!

Look, I know the loss was hard tonight... but I didn't think you hit the bottle that hard and quick!!

 

[Strenuus]

By the way, if you think we're stressing about this game... how about the guy who bet his house on 42 wins. How you think he feels tonight and how he's gonna feel Sunday. Yikes.

 

[wizenheimer]

Look, I know the loss was hard tonight... but I didn't think you hit the bottle that hard and quick!!

that looks a lot more like the results of peyote than booze

 

[Strenuus]

that looks a lot more like the results of peyote than booze

This is portland after all... I should have known better

 

[KSF-ERIC]

I think we beat Clippers 4-3

If we play Denver....we win 4-2 (without Murray)

if we advance and face PHX, we win 4-3
or if it’s Utah, we win 4-2

if we play the Lakers for the WCF... we win 4-2

and go on to play the Nets, winning it 4-3 in a game 7, overtime thriller with Melo hitting a shot at the buzzer for the victory!

This is the best post I’ve ever read. I hope everyone was taking notes! This is fandom. Enough is Enough!!!

 

[EGame]

This is the best post I’ve ever read. I hope everyone was taking notes! This is fandom. Enough is Enough!!!

We are going to win the Championship for the next 5 years!!

 

[HolyBackboard]

Denver will be resting everyone.

They would need to win out and LAC to lose out to get the 3rd seed. Also, if that scenario happened, by beating us it would likely cause a 3/6 Denver/Lakers matchup which the Nuggets want no part of. They'll rest and stay on Utah's side of the bracket.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Denver will be resting everyone.

They would need to win out and LAC to lose out to get the 3rd seed. Also, if that scenario happened, by beating us it would likely cause a 3/6 Denver/Lakers matchup which the Nuggets want no part of. They'll rest and stay on Utah's side of the bracket.

I would imagine this is true.

 

[Strenuus]

This is the best post I’ve ever read. I hope everyone was taking notes! This is fandom. Enough is Enough!!!

Lol. You tried so hard.

 

[Scalma]

Denver will be resting everyone.

They would need to win out and LAC to lose out to get the 3rd seed. Also, if that scenario happened, by beating us it would likely cause a 3/6 Denver/Lakers matchup which the Nuggets want no part of. They'll rest and stay on Utah's side of the bracket.

yeah if I’m Malone and I got my seed locked up I’m not playing anyone of value against a pissed off team fighting for their lives.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

yeah if I’m Malone and I got my seed locked up I’m not playing anyone of value against a pissed off team fighting for their lives.

Yep. They can’t afford a fluke injury in a meaningless game. I hope we’re prepared for Bol Bol.

 

[BlazerBeav]

If the Lakers beat the Pacers on Saturday morning, this game becomes a do or die game. If we lose a second must win in a row, I don't know what that does to the morale on this team. Will the guys be able to get up to beat the Warriors? If they can't beat the Warriors will they be beaten down so much that the Grizz beat them?

We could very easily still miss the playoffs.

Posting this over and over again doesn't make it true. Easily? Please.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Posting this over and over again doesn't make it true. Easily? Please.

Seriously. We have tiebreakers over both teams.

The team we saw tonight isn’t losing two play-in games.

 

[BBert]

I think we beat Clippers 4-3

If we play Denver....we win 4-2 (without Murray)

if we advance and face PHX, we win 4-3
or if it’s Utah, we win 4-2

if we play the Lakers for the WCF... we win 4-2

and go on to play the Nets, winning it 4-3 in a game 7, overtime thriller with Melo hitting a shot at the buzzer for the victory!

Does that pig have wings?

 

[BBert]

Poll answer: Nurkic

 

[blazerkor]

Posting this over and over again doesn't make it true. Easily? Please.

It is nothing but facts besides the word "Easily".

 

[stampedehero]

I think we beat Clippers 4-3

If we play Denver....we win 4-2 (without Murray)

if we advance and face PHX, we win 4-3
or if it’s Utah, we win 4-2

if we play the Lakers for the WCF... we win 4-2

and go on to play the Nets, winning it 4-3 in a game 7, overtime thriller with Melo hitting a shot at the buzzer for the victory!

You are filled with overflowing confidence and I appreciate that.

 

[Labinot41]

Gotta lose this game and go to the Play in. I dont care what anybody says, the Clippers are really bad bad matchup for our little guards, i'm not sure that Dame would even average 25 Points against that Defense. You rather Play a 36 year old Chris Paul and a inexperienced Phoenix team than Kawhi, Paul George, Rondo, Beverley, Ibaka, Cousins, Batum etc. The team put himself in this situation, and now they have to deal with it.

Play Blevins, Elleby, RHJ, Leaf and Giles for 48 minutes and lose. Prepare for the Warriors and beat them, we are the better team no matter if they have Steph or not and you are on the better side of the bracket. It’s that easy

 

[Chris Craig]

Poll answer: Nurkic

He's just terrible on the 2nd of back to backs. Just completely gassed.

 

[AldoTrapani]

Gotta lose this game and go to the Play in. I dont care what anybody says, the Clippers are really bad bad matchup for our little guards, i'm not sure that Dame would even average 25 Points against that Defense. You rather Play a 36 year old Chris Paul and a inexperienced Phoenix team than Kawhi, Paul George, Rondo, Beverley, Ibaka, Cousins, Batum etc. The team put himself in this situation, and now they have to deal with it.

Play Blevins, Elleby, RHJ, Leaf and Giles for 48 minutes and lose. Prepare for the Warriors and beat them, we are the better team no matter if they have Steph or not and you are on the better side of the bracket. It’s that easy

Been saying the same thing. That Phx loss was gigantically bad. Clippers will destroy us worse than the pelicans did. But I guess the good thing is major changes will come after