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The Denver Nuggets advanced to the second round by eliminating the Portland Trail Blazers from the 2021 NBA Playoffs with a 126-115 victory at Moda Center. Game 6 was almost as exciting as the Game 5 thriller that ended with the Nuggets winning 147-140 in double overtime.
However, there were no pyrotechnics from Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard. The six-time All-Star was content with letting his teammates get more of the spotlight, but it was a losing formula after their offense stagnated in the end.
In contrast, 2021 MVP nominee Nikola Jokic had a stellar performance with 36 points, eight rebounds and six assists. He was at his best in the third quarter, but the Denver Nuggets stepped up in the fourth, as they took the lead and never looked back.
Here, we take a look at 5 talking points from Game 6 of the exciting opening-round matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers:
#1 Michael Porter Jr. sets career-high in the first quarter vs Portland Trail Blazers
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. came out smoking hot in the first quarter, draining a career-high six three-pointers and 22 points in that period.
He scored just four points the rest of the way but did his part in keeping the Denver Nuggets as engaged as possible in the first half.
#2 First team to play defense wins
The first half was a shootout between the Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trail Blazers, with both teams shooting above 50 percent. The Nuggets shot 52.3 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three, while the Trail Blazers made 59.5 percent of their attempts from the floor and 57.9 from the arc.
Both teams were on pace and scored more than 120 points for the game, with the Portland Trail Blazers leading 68-61 at the half.
In the end, it was the Denver Nuggets who clamped down on defense and forced their opponent into 16 turnovers for the game. They also made defensive stops in the fourth quarter that limited the Portland Trail Blazers to just 14 points. The Trail Blazers scored more than 30 points in each of the first three quarters.
#3 Damian Lillard’s follow up to 55
After Lillard erupted for 55 points in a Game 5 loss, many were wondering if the Portland Trail Blazers star would go berzerk with all guns blazing to force a Game 7. Rather than take matters into his own hands, however, Dame let his teammates shine.
The plan worked for a while when the Trail Blazers were running the Denver Nuggets out of the building in the third quarter.
However, Lillard went cold in the second half, shooting a frigid 1-of-9 from the field, including 1-of-6 in the crucial fourth quarter. The lack of touches in the third period may have cooled him down, and it prevented Dame Time from happening in the end. He had 28 points but shot just 8-of-20 from the field against the Denver Nuggets.
#4 Nikola Jokic gets going in the third
Nikola Jokic had a 20-point third quarter through a variety of offensive attacks, including several free-throw attempts that kept the Denver Nuggets within striking distance of the Portland Trail Blazers. The home team took a 14-point lead in the quarter, but it was Jokic’s constant challenging of the defense that brought them back.
The All-Star center scored seven points in the fourth quarter, including a couple of key baskets down the stretch. Additionally, he got Jusuf Nurkic into foul trouble with five fouls, which gave the Denver Nuggets big man to do his work inside.
#5 Monte Morris imitates Denver Nuggets' injured star
Monte Morris looked like Jamal Murray on many occasions in the game. He was red-hot in the third quarter and made key shots in the fourth to put the Portland Trail Blazers away for good.
Morris scored 22 points on the night, but it was his timely shooting in the second half that kept the Denver Nuggets going after the Portland Trail Blazers took a 14-point lead. He refused to give up in the final seconds of the third quarter and made a three at the buzzer to bring them to within two points.
