Game Thread PLAYOFFS: ROUND 2, GAME 1: BLAZERS @ NUGGETS - APRIL 29, 2019 - MONDAY, 7:30 PM, TNT

[Darkwebs]

2018-19 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
53 - 29
(21-20 Road)
DENVER NUGGETS
54 - 28
(34-7 Home)

--------------------------------------------------------------
_____________________________
---------PROBABLE STARTERS---------

POINT GUARD
DAMIAN LILLARD VS JAMAL MURRAY

SHOOTING GUARD
CJ McCOLLUM VS GARY HARRIS

SMALL FORWARD
MOE HARKLESS VS TORREY CRAIG

POWER FORWARD
AL-FAROUQ AMINU VS PAUL MILLSAP

CENTER
ENES KANTER VS NIKOLA JOKIC

------------------------------------------------------


WHEN: 7:30 PM (PDT), MONDAY, 4/29/2019

WHERE: PEPSI CENTER, DENVER, CO

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

------------------------------------------------------


--------------BENCH--------------
-- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS --

CURRY , SIMONS , HOOD

TURNER , TRENT Jr. , LAYMAN

LABISSIERE , COLLINS , LEONARD


---- DENVER NUGGETS ----

THOMAS , MORRIS

BEASLEY , BARTON , VANDERBILT

HERNANGOMEZ , LYDON , LYLES

PLUMLEE , WELSH

INJURIES
TRAIL BLAZERS
Enes Kanter (separated left shoulder): QUESTIONABLE
Jusuf Nurkic (left leg injury): OUT
NUGGETS
Michael Porter Jr. (low back surgery): OUT




HEAD COACHES

- VS –

TERRY STOTTS --- MICHAEL MALONE

OFFICIAL NUGGETS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

​

 

[Darkwebs]

NBA PLAYOFFS BRACKET

As of 4/21/2019

​

 

[Wizard Mentor]

No Cinderella's here:
Top 4 seeds in the West made it to the 2nd round.
Top 4 seeds in the East made it to the 2nd round.

 

[joeBlazers]

Enes has been confirmed fit to play?

 

[SIeepwalker]

Easy dub

 

[TBpup]

Joker will be a load no matter who we have. Will really miss Nurk this series but Dame is still the best player on the floor.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

I'd sit Enes until he is healed up better. Hell we might win without him tomorrow and control this series. Seen a lot of games where guys try to push through playing hurt and end up being a negative on the court. Better to wait until he will have a positive impact.

I'll be curious how Meyers does, he looked good defending Gasol, Cousins, Drummond, types in the past if they don't have the foot speed to get around him. Not sure if we see some of that or confused Meyers 2 steps behind the play.

If Jokic schools Meyers then we probably have to play Aminu/Mo some at center with Jake/Turner sliding to PF.

Winning game 1 is our best shot of stealing a road win, with them fatigued from the last round. If we lose its going to be a tough grind to get back in the series.

Go Blazers!

 

[SheedSoNasty]

CJ Harris looks weird.

 

[kjironman1]

Lets hope they come out ready to play and have a good game.
Very tough to win in Denver in the first place.
Even tougher without a big man capable of guarding their franchise center.
Not sure how i feel about playing Kanter at this point? If keeping him out of games 1 and 2 can get him healed up a bit then i would do that. You don't lose much by taking a couple losses on the road then coming back and trying to hold serve in Portland. The other side of that coin is if he will not get any better by then anyway and will be playing through pain no matter what? Kind of a slippery slope in my opinion here.
Lets hope they have a good showing.
Go Blazers!

Kjironman is a fan!!!

 

[Dougnsalem]

I never thought I'd be saying this, but we sure could use him; whether he starts, or not....

COME ON MEYERS! That 3 point shot is CAKE for you! You can do it!!! Remember???





Go Blazers!!!

 

[James lamphear]

Jokic going be load against any our big man and that includes Nurk if he was healthy. But the one thing that Zach and Skals if plays both of them can take Jokic off the dribble. Leonard can take him outside and Kanter is pretty strong he can back him down. Jokic will get his on offensive but we need go right at him to get him in foul trouble.

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't think I have ever heard Shaq say something intelligent.

 

[Hoopguru]

Jokic going be load against any our big man and that includes Nurk if he was healthy. But the one thing that Zach and Skals if plays both of them can take Jokic off the dribble. Leonard can take him outside and Kanter is pretty strong he can back him down. Jokic will get his on offensive but we need go right at him to get him in foul trouble.

agree, I would go right at him with our two bigs that can take him off the dribble. He reaches a lot!

 

[e_blazer]

I don't think I have ever heard Shaq say something intelligent.

Well, I guess from here he has three ways to go:
He can say something about equally smart, he can say something absolutely brilliant, or he can say something stupid.

My money is on three.

 

[LayneStaley]

I’m pretty sure Shaq hates the Blazers and will never pick them to win anything.

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

I don't think I have ever heard Shaq say something intelligent.

Reminds me of my favorite scene in Blue Chips.

 

[Wade Garrett]

Lets hope they come out ready to play and have a good game.
Very tough to win in Denver in the first place.
Even tougher without a big man capable of guarding their franchise center.
Not sure how i feel about playing Kanter at this point? If keeping him out of games 1 and 2 can get him healed up a bit then i would do that. You don't lose much by taking a couple losses on the road then coming back and trying to hold serve in Portland. The other side of that coin is if he will not get any better by then anyway and will be playing through pain no matter what? Kind of a slippery slope in my opinion here.
Lets hope they have a good showing.
Go Blazers!

Kjironman is a fan!!!

Resting Kanter won't help.
His injury still takes a month to heal.

 

[crandc]

Just have to let Kanter and Blazers medical stuff decide if they can safely patch him up short term or not. Cross fingers.

 

[DDolla]

Just Win Baby!

 

[kjironman1]

Resting Kanter won't help.
His injury still takes a month to heal.

The other side of the coin does exist for sure.

 

[riverman]

I think the "team" concept on both ends of the court is really starting to click...we looked sharp against OKC...I expect even more focus in this round. Bench just needs to hold a lead or build on one

 

[kjironman1]

 

[Bruno_Sabino]

They are tired... game 7 is stressful. Let’s get it!

 

[Eastoff]

The rest of these games all have just one day of rest. I think that helps the blazers. I think we have the conditioning.

 

[Strenuus]

The rest of these games all have just one day of rest. I think that helps the blazers. I think we have the conditioning.

We have LILLARD. Enough said.

 

[THE HCP]

The rest of these games all have just one day of rest. I think that helps the blazers. I think we have the conditioning.

How can this help us, when our backup center.....errrrr....starting center is injured and will need rest more than anybody else in the series?

 

[BBert]

The rest of these games all have just one day of rest. I think that helps the blazers. I think we have the conditioning.

I'd like to agree, but Denver has the altitude working in their favor.

 

[riverman]

How can this help us, when our backup center.....errrrr....starting center is injured and will need rest more than anybody else in the series?

Low miles, fresh legs, hungry guys building a brand, hell what do I know? At least we still have 3 7ft backups and some small ball roster guys. Meyers and Zach both need to beast...Skal is foul trouble insurance. Enes will be better if he sits this series out probably

 

[Further]

Blazers will Sweep