The NBA playoffs continue on Thursday evening with an exciting game three planned between the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets. The two sides are locked at 1-1 after the opening two games, and something will have to give when they meet in Portland on Thursday evening.
Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trail Blazers Schedule
- When: Thursday, May 27th
- Where: Moda Center, Portland
- How To Watch: NBA League Pass
Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trail Blazers Preview
Portland Looking To Bounce Back
The NBA series finally moves to the home of the Trail Blazers for the next two games, as Portland look to step up their performances to reach the next round of the playoffs. Portland started the series the stronger of the two, as they took game one in Denver. The Trail Blazers were excellent on opening night, as they shocked the Nuggets by taking a vital lead. Portland ran out 123-109 winners in the opening game, in what was a fascinating battle between the two franchises. The Trail Blazers started the stronger of the teams, as they raced ahead on the first quarter by outscoring the Nuggets 35-30.
The Nuggets came back in the second, before the Trail Blazers were able to see out the opening game by scoring more points in both the third and fourth quarters. It was an excellent performance by every single one of the Portland players, as they had a razor-thin roster for the opening game. Damian Lillard scored 34 points and 13 assists, while CJ McCollum had 21 and Carmelo Anthony scored 18. Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic and Norman Powell all scored at least ten points in the win.
Nuggets Responded In Game Two
Denver would have been aware that a response was needed in game two, and that was exactly what they got. The Nuggets started the game in excellent form, as they scored 31 points in the opening quarter, before adding 42 in the second. They didn’t let their momentum slip in the second half either, as they outscored the Trail Blazers in the final two quarters.
It was a dominant win for the Nuggets, as the 128-109 final score means that the series is no finely poised as we head to Portland. Unsurprisingly, it was Nikola Jokic who had a big say on the game, as he scored a remarkable 38 points, five assists and eight rebounds. Five other Denver players scored at least ten points, including Michael Porter Jr, Paul Millsap and Aaron Gordon.
Recent Meetings
Since the start of the 2019-20 regular season, the Nuggets have an excellent record against the Trail Blazers. They have won five of the seven meetings between the franchises. However, they have lost two of the past three meetings ahead of their trip to Portland.
Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trail Blazers Pick
Game three could be a tight affair, but the previous meetings in the series show that there will be a huge number of points. The Nuggets fought back excellently in the last game, and we expect them to take a series lead on Thursday evening.
