Damian Lillard‘s forced, yet bold prediction of his Portland Trail Blazers winning their first-round matchup against the Golden State Warriors in six games, is actually quite far apart from what the numbers show.
According to ESPN's BPI metrics, Rip City has less than a 1 percent chance to come out of the series, making it one of the most lopsided NBA playoff matchups in recent history.
The percentages point closer to this being a four-game sweep for the Warriors (45 percent chance), with the odds slimming down as it gets close to a seven-game series.
Damian Lillard’s prediction for first round: Blazers in six https://t.co/nEVcESLHGE. ESPN’s BPI views the series quite a bit differently. pic.twitter.com/oqJAcSpyFb
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 13, 2017
The Warriors have won 10 of their last 11 regular season matchups against the Blazers dating back to the 2014-15 season, with the one loss coming after a 51-point explosion by Lillard in a spectacular display of deep range artillery.
Golden State handled Portland in a 4-1 series loss last season, with reigning MVP Stephen Curry sidelined with injury for the first three games of the series, including the one loss.
As the Warriors enter the postseason with nearly all horses (except Matt Barnes) ready to go, the Blazers will have to dig deep for big performances down the stretch to try and force a Game 7, where it becomes a winner-takes-all game and all the odds go out the window.
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