So long as everyone is healthy, the Blazers should close games with Lillard, McCollum, Powell, Covington and Nurkic. Five-man units with Jokic and Porter but without Murray own a tamer +1.8 net rating in 1,649 non-garbage possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. Dozier are all capable of filling in around Jokic and Porter to more mild success than Denver's dream lineup.
Blazers vs nuggets game 6 full#
Murray is out, Gordon has not gained full trust in the clutch from coach Mike Malone and Barton missed the final 13 games of the regular season with a hamstring strain.Ĭampazzo, Green, Rivers, Paul Millsap, Monte Morris and P.J. What was thought to be a rock-solid closing lineup of Jokic, Murray, Porter, Gordon and Will Barton - a group that outscored opponents by 16.8 points per 100 possessions in their limited time together - now only has two locks in Jokic and Porter. Just for fun, the per-36 numbers for Jokic and Lillard in their three meetings: Denver's other win came with Murray against a Portland team missing both McCollum and Nurkic, and the Nuggets pulled their starters early in Sunday's regular-season finale loss to the Blazers. However, only the narrow 106-105 Nuggets victory on April 21 reflected the rosters both teams will field in the first round.
Blazers vs nuggets game 6 series#
(Steve Dykes/Getty Images) Head to headĭenver won the season series against Portland, 2-1. Nikola Jokic may be the NBA MVP favorite, but Damian Lillard isn't far behind. Their +12.9 net rating since late April easily tops the league, followed by No. Enes Kanter also returned as protection against Nurkic's growing injury history at the center spot.Īn April malaise nearly forced Portland into the play-in tournament, but the group finally coalesced over the final month of the season, winning 10 of their last 12 games and losing only a pair of back-to-backs. The offseason acquisition of Robert Covington took aim at addressing Portland's defensive woes, and a midseason trade for Norman Powell packed more offensive punch. It didn't matter, because Damian Lillard was phenomenal, averaging a 29-4-8 on 45/39/93 shooting splits.Īs they always do, the Blazers tinkered around Lillard, McCollum and Nurkic, forever trying to find the wing mix that can propel their core into true contention. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic missed two months each with a fractured left foot and right wrist, respectively. The Blazers did what they always do, overcoming adversity to enter the playoffs as a sleeper threat. The additions of JaMychal Green, Facu Campazzo, Austin Rivers and JaVale McGee helped shore up the depth lost by the departures of 2020 playoff contributors Jerami Grant, Gary Harris, Torrey Craig and Mason Plumlee, and the Nuggets actually improved to the third seed in the aftermath of Murray's injury. The second-year forward fully realized his scoring prowess over the final month of the season, averaging 25.4 points on ridiculous 58/51/85 splits. Only, Jokic kept trucking, and up stepped Michael Porter Jr. Then, starting point guard Jamal Murray tore his left ACL late in a mid-April game against the Golden State Warriors, and the wind should have been taken from Denver's sail. The Nuggets won seven straight with Gordon in the lineup and looked to be bona fide contenders, if not on the short list of championship favorites. His remarkable performance led Denver to pull the trigger on a win-now deal for longtime miscast Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon. He averaged a 26-11-8 on 57/39/87 shooting splits as a lumbering 6-foot-11, 284-pound center. Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is hands down the MVP of the 2020-21 regular season. More Yahoo Sports NBA first-round playoff previews:
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