The Portland Trail Blazers will square off with the Denver Nuggets for a winner-takes-all Game 7 on Sunday night, and guard CJ McCollum expects an all-out war with no friendly atmosphere.
Portland and Denver are fighting for the right to play the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, so as it has been all series long, their do-or-die showdown in Pepsi Center is expected to be a highly physical affair.
Even if McCollum didn't issue that statement, it is clear that there's no love lost between both teams. Minor altercations, verbal jabs, cheap shots and middle fingers have been thrown by players from both squads in an attempt to get under their opponents' skins.
Make no mistake though, this series isn't devoid of competitiveness. Both the Blazers and the Nuggets have shown that they can bounce back after every loss and that they are capable of beating each other during pressure situations.
The Blazers are not only on the verge of pulling off an upset against the second-seeded Nuggets, but they are also close to reaching the conference finals for the first time since 2000. McCollum and All-Star guard Damian Lillard are expected to play at their best on Sunday.