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Fixture - LA Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers, Game 1, West Playoffs
Date & Time - August 18th, 9 PM ET (August 19th, 6:30 AM IST)
Where - AdventHealth Arena (WWOS), Orlando, Florida
The Portland Trail Blazers secured their playoff berth with an exciting win over the Memphis Grizzlies in a first-of-its-kind play-in game. They will be raring to have a go at the LA Lakers to follow up their Western Conference Finals appearance last season.
The LA Lakers have only met the Portland Trail Blazers once in this century (2000 Western Conference Finals), and that series went to 7 games. There's a possibility that this series could go to those lengths as well, based on the Blazers' form.
LA Lakers Preview
The LA Lakers did not have a good run in the seeding games, dropping 5 of them. But they have been able to give game time to their end-of-rotation guys and figure out lineups, and that's what counts the most for the top seed in the Conference. The LA Lakers were a top-3 defensive team this past season, and that may be their biggest strength in the playoffs.
LA Lakers - Key Player
LeBron James is by far the best player of the past decade, and his return to the playoffs only means bad news for his opponents. The 4-time MVP will be the playmaker for the LA Lakers and playing 40-odd minutes. There's still no player in the game who can combine scoring and playmaking in the manner that he's capable of doing, and there's precious little any team has been able to do to contain him.
LA Lakers Predicted Lineup
LeBron James, Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee
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Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers will be hoping to carry their form into the playoffs. They arrive at this juncture on the back of a 4-game winning streak. The reason they're seeded so low is that they missed crucial starters for a majority of the year, and they're quite capable of packing a mean punch on the offensive end. The likes of Carmelo Anthony, Gary Trent Jr and Jusuf Nurkic can all get buckets.
Portland Trail Blazers - Key Player
In a feel-out game like this one, the role of the playmaker is paramount in helping to get his teammates in tone. Lillard is a shoo-in to score 20+ points on the night, but he will have to be equally responsible for making the right pass out of the many hard traps that the LA Lakers will doubtless throw at him.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Gary Trent Jr, Carmelo Anthony, Jusuf Nurkic
LA Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers Match Prediction
The LA Lakers are clear favourites heading into this game. They have the ability to stifle the Portland Trail Blazers' swingmen and prevent them from getting open looks and easy buckets. Moreover, the Blazers have no answer for the LeBron-AD pick-and-roll, which the Lakers haven't even rolled out during the regular season.
Expect the Portland Trail Blazers to be held to a score lower than 105 and the LA Lakers to come away with a double-digit victory.
LA Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers - Where to Watch
Viewers in the USA can catch this game on ESPN. This game will also be telecast on Spectrum SportsNet LA. Indian viewers can watch the game on Sony Six. International viewers can stream the game on NBA League Pass.
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