NBA
Portland Trail Blazers Surge Past Thunder
The Portland Trail Blazers entered their first-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder as an underdog. Yes, for the second year in a row, they managed to finish as a top-three team in the West. Portland closed out the regular season with a 53-29 record and held home-court advantage in the first round. Yet and still, the 6-seeded Thunder was looked at as the favorite.
Thankfully, for the Rip City faithful, the Portland Trail Blazers had other plans. They were not going to allow late-season injuries to derail their playoff push. Behind the lethal back-court combination of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the Trail Blazers were able to finish off the Oklahoma City Thunder four games to one. The series concluded with Tuesday night’s thrilling 118-115 victory at the Moda Center.
Short and Sweet
While short-lived, the series was by far the best first-round match up the playoffs. You had the stellar duel between Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook — two of the most electric players in the NBA battling it out for point guard supremacy. Westbrook was the stat sheet “stuffer” fans have come to love, averaging 22.8 points, 10.6 assists, and 8.8 rebounds per game. Not to be outdone, Lillard put up 33 points, 6 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 45% from the field and a blistering 47% from 3 point range.
Then there is the trash talk and stories within the story that has fueled this rivalry throughout the entire season. For example, Enes Kanter was a former player for Billy Donovan’s Oklahoma City Thunder. The same Billy Donovan who was caught on camera telling his assistant coach that he “can’t play Kanter” during last year’s Thunder versus Rockets playoff series. Looked at as a depth/rotational piece at his initial signing, Kanter was forced into a starting role due to an injury to star big man Jusuf Nurkic. Kanter delivered in a major way averaging 13.2 points per game and leading the team with over 10 rebounds per game. Not too bad for a player deemed “unplayable” just the season prior.
More Than Analytics
The underrated shooting guard matchup between Paul George and CJ McCollum was also intriguing to watch. The mid-range game is a dying art form in today’s NBA. Analytic experts will throw out every number in the book to show you why it’s a “bad” shot. However, for players like CJ and Paul, that’s where they make their living. Watching them operate below the three-point line is a thing of beauty.
CJ McCollum
CJ McCollum has some of the best footwork you’ll ever see. He uses a variety of step backs, crossovers, and pump fakes to momentarily freeze the defender. Couple that with his ability to stop on a dime and hit an array of bank shots and floaters from 17 feet out, there’s little doubt he is one of the smoothest scorers in the NBA. The numbers back that sentiment up as McCollum was able to average 24.4 points and 6 assists per game in the series.
Paul George
Paul George uses every bit of his 6’9″ 220lb frame to abuse players on the offensive end. First, he’ll pin the defender on his backside. Afterward, he’ll face up to the basket from 17 feet out and proceed to hit the defender with multiple head fakes and jab steps. From there it’s either a blow by or one of his silky smooth jump shots. George is often either too big or too fast for his defensive counterpart. Paul was able to average 28 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for the series.
Logo Lillard
“Logo Lillard” might just be the most appropriate nickname in all of the NBA. Yes, it is only the first round of the playoffs but what Damian Lillard did over this five-game stretch is remarkable! He was simply unguardable.
The Thunder did everything in their power to stop the offensive onslaught but to no avail. First, it was putting Westbrook on him. Then, it was having a guard defend the center to allow for an easier switch on the pick and roll. Once the pick was set, the Thunder would send a double team to him just to get the ball out of his hands. Time and time again, Dame made them pay.
Dame, Set, Match
With the game tied at 115, Damian Lillard dribbled the ball over half court. Terry Stotts, head coach for the Blazers, had the option of calling a timeout. Instead, he decides to leave the ball in his star guard’s hands.
Dame sizes up Paul George, dribbling the ball from left to right as the remaining seconds of the game began to tick away. With 3.4 seconds left to go, Lillard calmly dribbles the ball between his legs as if he’s participating in a pre-game warm up. Then, Dame sets Paul up with a smooth right to left cross over immediately followed by a between the legs dribble. Knowing that George is an elite defender, Lillard wisely uses a side step gather to create just enough space to unleash a 37-foot DAGGER.
It was one of those moments where you could hear the whole arena gasp as if it was their last breath. The ball found nothing but the net. As Lillard said post-game: “There’s been a lot of back and forth, a lot of talk. That [shot] was the last word.”
What’s Next?
The Blazers will look to continue their winning ways against either the Denver Nuggets or San Antonio Spurs. With their recent play, it’s likely Portland will be considered the favorite heading into the next round. As fans, we can only hope that there are more excitement and fireworks left in store for what’s shaping up to be quite the postseason run!
Written by Joseph Osuna
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Photo Credit
@CJMcCollum via Twitter
