NBA Playoffs 2018-19: 3 talking points from Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers

Denver Nuggets, quite unexpectedly, took seven games to send the San Antonio Spurs packing in the very first round of the playoffs this year. Now, they have another cracker of a Game 7 to deal with if they are to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2009.

"I thought our Game 6 here in Portland was better than our Game 6 in San Antonio," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "Now we go home and have the best home-court advantage in the NBA."

Damian Lillard and his troops rallied in Game 6 to seal a comprehensive 119-108 win as they refused to see their season come to an end in front of their home crowd. Tied at 3-apiece, the series now heads back to Denver for the decider.

On that note, let's draw some key takeaways from this thrilling encounter between two of the most talented Western Conference teams.

#1 Trail Blazers' backcourt duo come to the rescue - yet again

Lillard & McCollum score and assist in over 70% of Portland's buckets.

In a series where his outside shot has been pressed and his penetration cut off, Dame took the challenge on himself to come through when his team's season was on the line. He scored a game-high total of 32 points (17 of which came in the third period alone) and provided some much-needed separation in the second half.

"I think over the course of the series, at least after Game 1, I just haven't seen the ball go in consistently enough," Lillard said. "My job is to stay aggressive, keep doing what I do, and tonight, shots fell."

At 11-of-23 from the field and 6-of-13 from downtown, this might not be the most efficient Dame has ever been but that certainly didn't stop him from being aggressive on every possession.

His backcourt mate and Lehigh product, CJ McCollum, ended with 30 points of his own - which included some tough contested shots down the stretch - and six rebounds on a 50% shooting night. CJ is averaging over 24 points per game in the playoffs so far.

#2 Murray & Jokic combine for 53 but Nuggets come up short

Jamal Murray averaged over 18 ppg during the regular season

In the first half, the Nikola Jokic led all scorers with 16 points, finishing the game with an impressive statline of 29 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists on a highly efficient 10-of-15 shooting night from the floor.

On the other hand, Jamal Murray contributed 24 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in what was another headstrong performance despite the circumstances.

"We'll go back home, regroup, like we did for San Antonio, come back with energy and just be ready to play," Murray said.

Jokic fueled his team to an early 10-point lead in the first quarter but Portland responded with an 11-4 run to kickoff the second period to which the Nuggets had no answer.

On an unrelated note, Jokic expressed genuine emotion towards the Bosnian Beast Jusuf Nurkic who was on the sidelines,

"I just want to say something: I'm really happy to see Nurk back. I know he had a tough injury, and yes, he was with us and we are rivals, but it's so good to see him walking by himself after such a short period," Jokic said.

#3 Playoff Rodney Hood a whole different beast

Rodney Hood was traded to the Blazers in February.

Rodney Hood has been the X-factor that has made all the difference in tipping the scales for this Portland team. Courtesy of Hood's blazing 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, the Blazers finished the game with an eye-popping 46.1% conversion from the floor.

He came off the bench and dropped a playoff career-high total of 25 points in 32 minutes, including some clutch shots to keep his team afloat when the game hung in the balance.

“The talent has always been there,” said Hood. “It’s just God and the patience. It’s patience – everything isn’t going to happen how you want it to happen. I’m just grateful. I didn’t give up on myself and I just kept plugging at it. There’s a lot more basketball to play and I’m happy about that.”

The 26-year-old's postgame interview was drowned by chants of "Rodney! Rodney!" from the pumped up crowd at the Moda Center.