The Western Conference Semifinal series between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers promises to be one of the more entertaining and intriguing matchups in the 2019 NBA Playoffs. Nikola Jokic carried his Nuggets team past the pesky San Antonio Spurs, who took them to the limit in the first round. Denver narrowly got the job done but escaped with a 4-3 series win.
Meanwhile, Damian Lillard led the Blazers to a surprising five-game series win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The hotly contested battle ultimately became a one-sided affair after Lillard took matters into his own hands and put OKC away with a 50-point Game 5 thriller, which included a down-to-the-wire finish. It culminated in a 37-foot buzzer-beater from Portland’s fearless leader to silence the Thunder.
Now, these two championship hopefuls face off for the right to advance to the Western Conference Finals to take on either the Golden State Warriors or Houston Rockets.
The regular-season series between the two teams resulted in a 3-1 domination by the Nuggets. That lone win by Portland was essentially a giveaway by Denver after it rested three starters late in the season. If the Blazers had failed to secure that win, that would have dropped them from the third to the fourth seed in the West. Rather than the Nuggets, the Warriors would have awaited them in the second round assuming they defeated the Utah Jazz in the first round.
Here's the series schedule for the Nuggets-Blazers series, as well as the the key things to watch:
All times Eastern
Game 1 (at Denver): Monday, Apr. 29, 10:30 p.m.
Game 2 (at Denver): Wednesday, May 1, 9 p.m.
Game 3 (at Portland): Friday, May 3, 10:30 p.m.
Game 4 (at Portland): Sunday, May 5, 7 p.m.
Game 5* (at Denver): Tuesday, May 7, TBD
Game 6* (at Portland): Thursday, May 9, TDB
Game 7* (at Denver): Sunday, May 12, TBD
*If necessary
3. Can the Nuggets recover from their grueling series vs. the Spurs?
That first-round series the Nuggets endured versus the Spurs was the best thing that could have happened to them. Despite the physical and emotional wear-and-tear that comes with a seven-game series, the pounding they took should benefit them more than anyone thinks.
Denver was one of the best teams in the regular season, but after missing the playoffs last season, the young squad entered the 2019 postseason as raw as any title contender could possibly be. The tussle with the Spurs served to toughen them up for the next round. They can only hope their series against the Blazers does the same for them, assuming they make it past this test. A six- or seven-game series would be good for them if they want to be a Cinderella team that celebrates its first NBA championship at the end.
2. Will the Blazers be able to contain Nikola Jokic?
Jokic is one of the most versatile big man in recent memory.
Jokic averaged 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists in the regular season, and then he upped those stats to 23.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game against San Antonio. The all-around game he displays on a nightly basis continues to be a head-scratcher for other big men trying to contain him.
During their first-round matchup, the Spurs nearly upset the second-seeded Nuggets by refusing to double-team him to make him a shooter and less of a facilitator. Just the fact they extended the series to a seventh and deciding game shows there’s a chance the strategy could work for the Blazers as well.
The loss of Jusuf Nurkic to a season-ending injury limits Portland’s options in guarding Jokic. Enes Kanter (if he plays), Meyers Leonard and Zach Collins will have to take turns trying to bottle up The Joker. It’s not impossible, but it's going to be tough.
1. Can Damian Lillard carry the Blazers on his shoulders again?
The Blazers were counted out by many critics who believed Nurkic’s loss doomed their chances of advancing past the first round. Lillard took this personally after he was doubted all season long because of last year’s playoff failure.
Instead of succumbing to the pressure of having to carry a short-handed team, Dame flourished and showed the world why he’s one of the best point guards in the league. Against the Thunder, he put up 33.0 points, 6.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game. He also shot 48.1 percent from 3-point range, including a perfect 5-of-5 from 30 feet and beyond. If he can keep this up, Lillard will give his team a chance against the Nuggets.
If there’s even the slightest letdown in his game, the series could be over more quickly than Portland dispatched OKC. With a deep team like the Nuggets, Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum will have to give Lillard all the help he can give.
Denver’s guard corps of Monte Morris, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Malik Beasley and Will Barton will have their hands full against Lillard and McCollum, but they will give Portland’s backcourt different looks on the defensive end.
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