If Blazers can continue that defensive success, their offense should be able to guide them to a victory. Unfortunately, it was too little too late, as Dame had gone cold and shot 2-of-9 in the second half. Portland did make half-time adjustments and held Denver to 42.2% shooting in the second half. Denver dominated inside, leading to a 65.9% shooting percentage overall, including 75% from inside the arc. Portland could not convert Lillard’s hot hand into team success, though, as it still entered the half down 12. If Porter gets back to hitting his shots, Denver will have a better chance of keeping pace with Portland when it inevitably gets hot.ĭamian Lillard did his best to keep up with Denver’s fast start, scoring 32 first-half points.

Porter is averaging 21.5 points but shooting just 25% from 3 despite being the Nuggets' best shooter in the regular season. The Nuggets will need to get more from Michael Porter Jr. This should start with Jokic, but even an MVP can't shoot 75% from the floor each night. In Game 3, Denver should look to replicate its offensive success from Game 2. If Denver does not find a way to slow down the Blazers’ guards, it will be playing with fire all series. Even with Denver’s excellent offensive play in Game 2, Portland fought back to make things close in the second. The Trail Blazers' ability to turn it on at any moment makes trying to outscore them a dangerous game. McCollum and Damian Lillard combined for 55 in Game 1 and 63 in Game 2. Missing Jamal Murray and Will Barton has it playing undermanned, and the Portland backcourt has noticed. Where Denver needs to start answering questions is on the defensive side of the court. Forcing the issue inside helped open the floor for the Nuggets' shooters, who shot 42.9% from the outside. He would put up 25 points in the first half and shot 10-of-12 from the floor. Making these changes helped Jokic find room to create and get going early.

They even utilized a unique offense in which their guards stood in the corners while the frontcourt played 3-on-3. The Nuggets entered Game 2 determined to utilize their superior size and attack inside. Let’s take a deep dive to see if they can defend home-court and keep control of the series.Ĭlaim Offers Now Nuggets Need to Step Up Against Lillard & McCollum With their first chance to play at home, the Blazers opened as 3.5-point favorites. The Blazers already struggle defensively, so giving up easy points is not something they can afford. Portland allowed 21 turnovers, and Denver turned those into 16 transition points. To keep home-court, though, they will need to control the ball better. On the road now, the Nuggets will need similar success from their star to pull an upset and win back home-court.Īs Denver did before Game 2, Portland needs to go back to the drawing board to turn things around in Game 3.įortunately for the Blazers, it stole home-court in Game 1. Feeding Jokic was clearly an adjustment Denver made after its Game 1 loss to take advantage of its distinct height advantage. Nikola Jokic did the heavy lifting in the victory, scoring 38 points on 75% shooting. In Game 2, the Nuggets avoided an 0-2 start with a forceful 128-109 win over the Trail Blazers. Odds as of Wednesday evening and via FanDuel.

Blazers vs nuggets game 3