Portland Trail Blazers: One Day, Four Teams, Dame Time
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers.
Refuse to Lose
Damian Lillard showed up in Orlando with one goal. He was determined to stay in the bubble for an extended period, not only for the two weeks of seeding games. At times, it’s looked like Dame carried his team to victory by his determination to win.
He has been a force of nature the past seven games, averaging 37.0 points, 9.3 assists, 4.4 rebounds per game. Lillard became the first player Portland Trail Blazers history to score 50 or more in back-to-back games. It hasn’t been entirely a one-man show. CJ McCollum (19.4, 5.0, 5.6), Jusuf Nurkic (17.3, 4.1, 10.3), and sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr. (17.0, 1.4, 1.6) have also performed well.
The other player who stands out is Carmelo Anthony. In the bubble, he’s played like vintage Melo (17.6, 0.7, 6.9). When the Blazers get cold from three-point range, he’s been able to take his man to the low-post and nail a clutch shot.
After defeating Dallas on Tuesday night, Lillard was interviewed on the court. He said Thursday’s matchup for the Trail Blazers was the most important game of their careers.
Thursday’s Schedule
1:00 pm PDT – Dallas vs. Phoenix
1:00 pm PDT – Milwaukee vs. Memphis
3:30 pm PDT – San Antonio vs. Utah
6:00 pm PDT – Portland vs. Brooklyn
Aside from the teams contending for the play-in series, only Houston is playing for a better seed. The other three have locked themselves into their respective playoffs spots.
Do you think the Portland Trail Blazers will claim a spot in the play-in round? If so, will it be as the eighth or ninth-place team in the Western Conference? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.