'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets host Damian Lillard's Portland Trail Blazers at the Ball Arena on Saturday in Game 1 of Round One of the 2021 NBA playoffs.
The Portland Trail Blazers' win over the Denver Nuggets on the last day of the regular season set up this enticing encounter. Terry Stotts' side finished in sixth place in the West in the 2020/21 season.
The two sides last met in the playoffs in 2019 in the Western Conference semi-finals, with the Portland Trail Blazers prevailing over the Denver Nuggets in seven games.
Match Details
Fixture: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets | Game 1, 2021 NBA Playoffs
Date & Time: Saturday, May 22nd; 10:30 PM ET (Sunday, 23rd May; 8:00 AM IST)
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers had a tumultuous run in the regular season due to injury problems to key starters CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. However, they managed to finish it on a strong note, ensuring the team didn't have to go through the ordeal of playing in the Play-In tournament.
The Portland Trail Blazers finished second in offensive rating in the league (117.8). They are also a strong offensive rebounding team, averaging 10.6 boards on that end of the floor.
Damian Lillard and co. are a top 10 three-point shooting side in the league and ranked as the third-best free-throw shooting team at the end of the regular season.
Carmelo Anthony (13 points) and Enes Kanter (11 points and 11 rebounds) are expected to play crucial roles for the Portland Trail Blazers off the bench.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard has had an extremely productive year with the Portland Trail Blazers, to an extent where he was getting MVP shouts at one point. Lillard averaged 28.8 points, 7.5 assists and 4 rebounds on a 45-39-92 shooting split. He essentially carried the Portland Trail Blazers offense for the majority of the campaign.
There is a chance that Will Barton might not feature in Game 1, leaving the Denver Nuggets without any quality perimeter defenders. Hence, Lillard will have a great opportunity at his hands to give his team an early advantage in the series.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Damian Lillard | Shooting Guard - CJ McCollum | Small Forward - Norman Powell | Power Forward - Robert Covington | Center - Jusuf Nurkic
Denver Nuggets Preview
The Denver Nuggets finished their regular season in third spot, courtesy of an impressive 47-24 record. The Nuggets were balanced throughout the campaign, finishing seventh and 12th in offensive and defensive ratings.
Fluid ball movement was an integral feature of Mike Malone's team during the regular season, as the Denver Nuggets finished sixth in assists per game (26.8). Offensive rebounding was also their strong suit, as frontcourt players like Nikola Jokic, Paul Millsap and JaMychal Green dominated the offensive glass.
With Jamal Murray ruled out, Michael Porter Jr. will have to shoulder the responsibility of being the team's secondary scorer. He has been in fine form so far, tallying 19 points and 7 rebounds per contest.
Key Player - Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is one of the three finalists for the MVP award and is certainly a firm favorite to win the Maurice Podoloff trophy. The Serbian big has put up video game numbers this year - 26 points, 8 assists and 10.8 rebounds per game.
Jokic has shot 56% from the field and close to 39% percent from downtown, which is a staggering number for a center. On the defensive end, he has racked up 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks.
The Denver Nuggets' hopes of making a deep playoff run are dependent on how Nikola Jokic performs. He will certainly be looking to help his team cross the hurdles of the Western Conference finals this time around.
Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Facundo Campazzo | Shooting Guard - Austin Rivers | Small Forward - Michael Porter Jr. | Power Forward - Aaron Gordon | Center - Nikola Jokic
Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Prediction
The Portland Trail Blazers have a vulnerable defense, which the Denver Nuggets will likely dominate. Nikola Jokic is also coming up against a relatively weak matchup in Jusuf Nurkic, meaning the Denver Nuggets are favorites to win Game 1 of the series.
Where to Watch Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets
The Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets playoff matchup will be televised nationally on ESPN. Local coverage will be available on NBCS North West and ALT Network. The match can also be streamed live on the NBA League Pass.
Also Read: Who has the most game-winners in NBA history?
