Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard isn't taking anything for granted as the team prepares for a first-round meeting with the Denver Nuggets.
Despite beating Nikola Jokic and co. on the final day of the regular season, Dame knows that in the playoffs, literally, anything is possible, per Bleacher Report's Sean Highkin:
Damian Lillard: "I think this is a 50/50 series. They're coming in saying, 'We can win this series, we should win it.' And we're coming in saying we should win it. What happened in the regular season doesn't matter. I'm not thinking about those games."
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) May 19, 2021
This Blazers-Nuggets matchup could arguably be one of the most entertaining of the lot. While Denver would likely be favorites if Jamal Murray was in their backcourt, without him, they lack depth.
Even with this year's likely MVP in Jokic, Lillard is also capable of brilliance. The Blazers guard is one of the most clutch players in the league and he voiced recently just how motivated he is to win a title in the city of Portland.
A huge key for Terry Stotts' squad will be playing lockdown defense. They ranked 29th in the league in that category during the 2020-21 campaign. But, the Blazers do roll into the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the association, winning 10 of their last 12 games.
While Dame has more offensive weapons around him, it will come down to containing the Joker. If they can do that, a berth in the second round could be possible.
Nevertheless, expect it to be a fun-filled series.
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