The Portland Trail Blazers will play in the most important game of their season on Tuesday when they take on the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of their first-round series matchup. With the series tied at 2-2 and their season virtually on the line, Damian Lillard has sent a rousing rally cry for his teammates.

Lillard knows what's at stake for the Blazers in Game 5 and he wants to make sure that the rest of the squad are on the same page:

“This is the one,” Lillard said, per Jason Quick of The Athletic. “This is the game right here.”

Article Continues Below

Portland is coming off an impressive 115-95 win over the Nuggets in Game 4. The Blazers were clicking all night long as they blew out Denver in what was a dominant display from Lillard and Co. Portland came into that matchup in dire need of a win after losing Game 3 on their home floor, and they did a tremendous job stepping up to the challenge.

Game 5 now becomes even more crucial with the winner of that matchup just one victory away from securing a spot in the second round. The series will head to Denver for Game 5, so the Blazers will need to be even more focused as they concede home-court advantage to MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets.

Lillard is no stranger to big moments, and he is making sure here that the Blazers come into Game 5 with a sense of urgency. There will be very little room for mistakes, and Portland will need to be at their very best in what should be another high-octane matchup.