Post by SurferGirl on Apr 28, 2019 20:15:29 GMT -8
WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS:
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets
NOTE: The Blazers have won this series. We will produce a new thread for the Western Conference Finals between the Blazers and the Golden St. Warriors. That preview is forthcoming.
OVERVIEW
For the second round in a row, the Blazers face a division foe, the Denver Nuggets. The Blazers finished just a game behind the Nuggets, who won the Northwest Division title on the final day of the season. Portland is looking to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 when it lost to the Los Angels Lakers in seven games. Denver is seeking its First Finals appearance since 2009 when it lost to the Lakers in four games. While reaching the Conference Finals three times in their history, the Nuggets have failed to advance. The Blazers reached the Conference Finals four times in their history advancing three times to the NBA Finals. Portland competed in the Pacific Division and Denver in the Midwest Division until the 2004-05 season when the NBA switched to its six-division format. The result was that the Blazers and Nuggets, along with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz and Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder were lumped into a geographically expansive Northwest Division. The Nuggets won this year's season series, 3-1, taking the first three games before the Blazers won the second of a home-and-home in April. The Blazers and the Nuggets have met only once in the playoffs with the Blazers winning in six games in 1977 (see below).
The Blazers boast one of the National Basketball Association's most potent backcourts. Damian Lillard is second in the league in playoff points per game at 33.0 through games ending April 28. CJ McCollum ranks eighth in that category at 24.4. It's the backcourt which drives the Blazers' bus, but they will look for third and fourth possible options in forwards Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu for boosts. Starting center Jusef Nurkic, a former Nugget, is out for the remainder of the playoffs with a compound fracture in his left leg suffered on March 27. Enes Kanter, who was picked up off waivers in late February, has been starting in the place of Nurkic. Kanter is a stellar offensive rebounder, but he is nursing a shoulder injury and it is unsure what his status will be for the series, including game one. Nikola Jokic is among the best centers in the league, if not the best. He is 12th in playoff scoring at 23.1 points per game and third at 12.1 rebounds per game. Point guard Jamal Murray is averaging 19.0 points per game. The Nuggets are supported by guard Gary Harris and forward/center Mason Plumlee, a former Blazer. Another former face from Portland is Will Barton, is adept at providing a spark off the bench. Veteran forward Paul Millsap can affect things in the middle on the defensive game and on the boards. Reserve forward Michael Porter, Jr. is out for this series with a back injury. Pictured above are Blazers guard Damian Lillard (top left) and guard CJ McCollum (bottom left), and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (top right) and guard Jamal Murray (bottom right). SCtoC graphic created by David .
The Blazers were founded in 1970 and are the first of the 1970-71 expansion teams to win an NBA Championship, which they earned in 1977. They played in the NBA Finals again in 1990 and 1992, but were defeated by the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, respectively. The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first championship in 2015-16. The third expansion team from that year, the Buffalo Braves, relocated to San Diego and then to Los Angeles as the Clippers and have yet to win an NBA title. The Blazers have been located in Portland during their entire 49-year tenure in the NBA. Lillard is the fourth Blazer to have been awarded NBA Rookie of the Year honors, winning unanimously following the 2012-13 season. The other Blazers to have that honor are Geoff Petrie (1970-71), Sydney Wicks (1971-72) and Brandon Roy (2006-07). The Blazers have qualified for the playoffs in 34 of their 48 seasons, including a 21-year streak from 1977 to 1997. Portland is making its sixth consecutive playoff appearance and 35th as a franchise. The Blazers and Portland are nicknamed "Rip City," after an exclamation made by original team broadcaster Bill Schonley following a swish made jumper by Jim Barnett against the Los Angeles Lakers early into their 1970-71 inaugural season. Former Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks head coach Terry Stotts is in his seventh season at the helm of the Blazers. He has a 325-249 regular season record and is 15-25 in the playoffs with the team after the Blazers won this series.
Denver was originally a charter member of the American Basketball Association to be located in Kansas City, Missouri. However, the franchise was not able to find a viable arena in Kansas City so, on the suggestion of then-ABA commissioner George Mikan (considered by some as the NBA's first legitimate "big man"), the team was moved to Colorado's capital city. Originally called the "Larks" after the official state bird, Two-thirds of the franchise was purchased by Denver trucking magnate, Bill Ringsby, who renamed them the Denver Rockets after his company's fleet of long-haul trucks. The name was changed to "Nuggets" in 1974 by a pair of new owners, who felt the name would be acceptable to the potential of moving to the NBA since the name "Rockets" was already in use by the Houston NBA franchise. While in the ABA, the Nuggets won three division titles. They reached the playoffs in seven of their nine seasons in that league, and made it to the ABA Finals in 1976 (the year before the NBA-ABA merger), losing to the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets, 4-2. The current coach of the Nuggets is Michael Malone, who is in his fourth season in Denver. He has a 212-222 overall head NBA head coaching record, including a 173-155 mark with the Nuggets. He previously was head coach of the Sacramento Kings before being fired a third of the way through the 2014-15 season. This is Malone's first trip to the playoffs as a head coach in the league.
SERIES SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
The following is the schedule for the series. Once games are completed, results include the final score, a headline link to the nba.com boxscore, and stat summary. All times are pacific standard time. Add one hour for midwest standard time, the time zone in which Denver is located.
Game 1: Mon, April 29 - (at Denver) Nuggets 121, Blazers 113
Jokic, Murray combine for 60 as Nuggets take opening game
Blazers - Damian Lillard 39 pts; Al-Farouq Aminu/Evan Turner 8 reb; Damian Lillard 6 ast
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 37 pts; Nikola Jokic 9 reb; Jamal Murray 8 ast
Game 2: Wed, May 1 - (at Denver) Blazers 97, Nuggets 90
Teamwork, bench play leads Blazers to game two win
Blazers - CJ McCollum 20 pts; Al-Farouq Aminu 10 reb; CJ McCollum 6 ast
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 16 pts; Nikola Jokic 14 reb; Nikola Jokic 7 ast
Game 3: Fri, May 3 - (at Portland) Blazers 140, Nuggets 137 - 4OT
McCollum goes for 41 as Blazers put away Nuggets in 4 overtimes
Nuggets - Jamal Murray 34 pts; Nikola Jokic 18 reb; Nikola Jokic 14 ast
Blazers - CJ McCollum 41 pts; Enes Kanter 15 reb; Damian Lillard 8 ast
Game 4: Sun, May 5 - (at Portland) Nuggets 116, Blazers (H) 112
Questionable officiating continues; Nuggets awarded game 4
Nuggets - Jamal Murray 34 pts; Nikola Jokic 12 reb; Nikola Jokic 11 ast
Blazers - CJ McCollum 29 pts; Enes Kanter 10 reb; Damian Lillard 7 ast
Game 5: Tue, May 7 - (at Denver) Nuggets 124, Blazers 98
Blazers come out flat; Nuggets take series lead
Blazers - Damian Lillard 22 pts; Enes Kanter 8 reb; Damian Lillard 4 ast
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 25 pts; Nikola Jokic 19 reb; Jamal Murray 9 ast
Game 6: Thu, May 9 - (at Portland) Blazers 119, Nuggets 108
Hood, Collins lead bench attack to extend series to a seventh game
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 29 pts; Nikola Jokic 12 reb; Nikola Jokic 8 ast
Blazers - - Damian Lillard 32 pts; Enes Kanter 14 reb; Evan Turner 7 ast
Game 7: Sun, May 12 - (at Denver) Blazers 100. Nuggets 96
McCollum's 37 points propels Blazers to Conference Finals
Blazers - CJ McCollum 37 pts; Enes Kanter 13 reb; Damian Lillard 8 ast
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 29 pts; Nikola Jokic 13 reb; Jamal Murray 5 ast
HOME ARENAS
Blazers - Moda Center at the Rose Quarter; Portland, Oregon (capacity for basketball: 19,393)
Nuggets - Pepsi Center; Denver, Colorado (capacity for basketball: 19,520)
REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Blazers - 53-29 overall; 32-9 home and 21-20 road (3rd in Western Conference; 2nd in Northwest Division)
Nuggets - 54-28 overall; 34-7 home and 20-21 road (2nd in Western Conference; 1st in Northwest Division)
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Blazers - Defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the First Round, 4-1
Nuggets - Defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the First Round, 4-3
HEAD-TO-HEAD REGULAR SEASON RESULTS
November 30 (at Portland) - Nuggets 113, Blazers 112
Harris scores 27, Millsap has double-double in Nuggets narrow win
Nuggets - Gary Harris 27 pts; Juancho Hermangomez 11 reb; Nikola Jokic/Jamal Murray 7 ast
Blazers - CJ McCollum 33 pts; Jusef Nurkic 11 reb; Damian Lillard 8 ast
January 13 (at Denver) - Nuggets 116, Blazers 113
Jokic dominates with 40 and 10 as Nuggets win at home
Blazers - Damian Lillard 26 pts; Al-Farouq Aminu 12 reb; Damian Lillard 7 ast
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 40 pts; Nikola Jokic 10 reb; Nikola Jokic 8 ast
April 5 (at Denver) - Nuggets 119, Blazers 110
Three Nuggets score 22 or more in win over Blazers
Blazers - Jusef Nurkic 24 pts; Al-Farouq Aminu 14 reb; Damian Lillard 8 ast
Nuggets - Paul Millsap 25 pts; 13 Nikola Jokic 13 reb; Nikola Jokic 9 ast
April 7 (at Portland) - Blazers 115, Nuggets 108
Aminu, Kanter each register a double-double as Blazers avoid season sweep
Nuggets - Gary Harris 18 pts; Mason Plumlee 11 reb; Mason Plumlee 6 ast
Blazers - Damian Lillard 30 pts; Enes Kanter 13 reb; CJ McCollum/Evan Turner 6 ast
WHAT THEY SAID
Blazers guard Damian Lillard on being tested by the Thunder in the First Round: "The reason I wanted this series (against the Thunder) is because if we really wanted to do something special, we needed a good test. Coming off how we were swept last year by New Orleans, I wanted to face a team and an opponent that people thought we couldn't beat. I wanted to prove something from the jump. We needed a matchup that would potentially bring out the best of us. There were no excuses. We had every reason to be up for this."
Blazers head coach Terry Stotts on whether Enes Kanter will be available and who will guard Nikola Jokic: “Well, we’ll see if he’s (Kanter) ready to go, first. (Jokic) is one of those players, you don’t know what to take away, because whatever you take away, he’s got something else. The key for us is to make things difficult for him and not let him have open looks and not let him have easy passes.”
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray about battling the Blazers' Damian Lillard: "I love competing against Dame; he’s a competitor. He goes at you, doesn’t disrespect you. He just plays the right way; plays for his team, plays for his city, so I love going against him. It’s going to be a challenge. It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s going to be a great series, so I’m excited."
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone on entering the series: “They’ve been resting, getting ready for us – or San Antonio. The good thing for us is they are a division opponent and we’ve played them four times. We know them well. And we know their personnel well. Still going to be a hell of a challenge. I think our guys are definitely excited for that challenge."
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
ROSTER
HEAD COACH
Terry Stotts (Oklahoma)
ASSISTANT COACHES
David Vanterpool (St. Bonaventure)
Nate Tibbetts (South Dakota)
Dale Osbourne (South Alabama)
John McCullough (Oklahoma)
Jim Moran (William & Mary)
ATHLETIC TRAINER
Geoff Clark (Oregon St.)
TEAM STATISTICS REGULAR SEASON - PER GAME
Points - 114.7
Rebounds - 48.0
Assists - 23.0
Steals - 6.7
Blocks - 5.0
Turnovers - 13.8
FG - 46.7%
3pt - 35.9%
FT - 80.0%
PLAYOFF STATISTICS VERSUS THUNDER - PER GAME
Points - 110.0
Rebounds - 45.4
Assists - 17.4
Steals - 8.0
Blocks - 5.4
Turnovers - 14.4
FG - 44.7%
3pt - 40.5%
FT - 78.8%
TEAM STATISTICS THIS SEASON VERSUS NUGGETS - PER GAME
Points - 112.5
Rebounds - 45.3
Assists - 22.5
Steals - 5.8
Blocks - 2.8
Turnovers - 13.5
FG - 48.3%
3pt - 32.7%
FT - 83.7%
INDIVIDUAL REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS
Damian Lilliard hit this series winning three pointer at the buzzer to clinch game 5 and a trip to the next round.
DENVER NUGGETS
ROSTER
HEAD COACH
Michael Malone (Loyola-Maryland)
ASSISTANT COACHES
Wes Unseld, Jr. (Johns Hopkins)
David Adelman (Portland St.)
Jordi Fernandez (N/A)
Ryan Bowen (Iowa)
Charles Klask (Michigan St.)
Bob Weiss (Penn St.)
Mark Price (Georgia Tech)
HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER
Dan Shimensky (Central Washington)
TEAM STATISTICS REGULAR SEASON - PER GAME
Points - 110.7
Rebounds - 46.4
Assists - 27.4
Steals - 7.7
Blocks - 4.4
Turnovers - 13.4
FG - 46.6%
3pt - 35.1%
FT - 75.5%
TEAM STATISTICS PLAYOFFS - PER GAME
Points - 105.1
Rebounds - 44.0
Assists - 26.0
Steals - 4.6
Blocks - 3.6
Turnovers - 9.1
FG - 46.0%
3pt - 36.0%
FT - 74.0%
TEAM STATISTICS THIS SEASON VERSUS BLAZERS - PER GAME
Points - 114.0
Rebounds - 39.3
Assists - 25.0
Steals - 8.8
Blocks - 2.8
Turnovers - 11.3
FG - 49.0%
3pt - 38.4%
FT - 76.8%
INDIVIDUAL REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS
Nikola Jokic had a triple-double in the Nuggets' game 7 win over the Spurs in the First Round.
FRANCHISES' HEAD-TO-HEAD PLAYOFF HISTORY
Given the fact the Blazers are in their 49th season in the NBA, and the Nuggets are in their 43rd, it could be surprising that they've met just once in the NBA playoffs. The Blazers defeated Nuggets in the 1977 Western Conference Semifinals, 4-2, and advanced to the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Coincidentally during those playoffs, the Nuggets were the second seed and the Blazers the third; identical to this match up 42 years later. The Blazers were making their first playoff appearance in their seven year history, while the Nuggets had moved to the NBA after the merger with the American Basketball Association, where they had had playoff success. Following Portland's win over the Nuggets, it shockingly swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, 4-0. The Blazers would meet the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals. Down 2-0 after two games in the City of Brotherly Love, The Blazers won the next four games to capture what is to this day their only NBA Championship. Below are the scores from that Conference Semifinal series between the Blazers and Nuggets. Again, the year was 1977.
Game 1: April 20 - Blazers 101, Nuggets (H) 100
Game 2: April 22 - Nuggets (H) 121, Blazers 110
Game 3: April 24 - Blazers (H) 110, Nuggets 106
Game 4: April 26 - Blazers (H) 105, Nuggets 96
Game 5: May 1 - Nuggets (H) 114, Blazers 105 - OT
Game 6: May 2 - Blazers (H) 108, Nuggets 92
2019 NBA PLAYOFF SERIES SCHEDULES AND RESULTS
Western Conference
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Golden State Warriors (1) vs. Houston Rockets (4) - Warriors win series 4-2
Game 1: Sun, April 28 - Warriors (H) 104, Rockets 100
Game 2: Tue, April 30 - Warriors (H) 115, Rockets 109
Game 3: Sat, May 4 - Rockets (H) 126, Warriors 121 - OT
Game 4: Mon, May 6 - Rockets (H) 112, Warriors 108
Game 5: Wed, May 8 - Warriors (H) 104, Rockets 99
Game 6: Fri, May 10 - Warriors 118, Rockets (H) 113
Denver Nuggets (2) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (3) - Blazers win series 4-3
Game 1: Mon, April 29 - Nuggets (H) 121, Blazers 113
Game 2: Wed, May 1 - Blazers 97, Nuggets (H) 90
Game 3: Fri, May 3 - Blazers (H) 140, Nuggets 137 - 4OT
Game 4: Sun, May 5 - Nuggets 116, Blazers (H) 112
Game 5: Tue, May 7 - Nuggets (H) 124, Blazers 98
Game 6: Thu, May 9 - Blazers (H) 119, Nuggets 108
Game 7: Sun, May 12 - Blazers 110, Nuggets (H) 96
FIRST ROUND
Golden St. Warriors (1) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (8) - Warriors win series 4-2
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Warriors (H) 121, Clippers 104
Game 1: Mon, April 15 - Clippers 135, Warriors (H) 131
Game 3: Thu, April 18 - Warriors 132 Clippers (H) 105
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Warriors 113, Clippers (H) 105
Game 5: Wed, April 24 - Clippers 129, Warriors (H) 121
Game 6: Fri, April 26 - Warriors 129, Clippers (H) 110
Denver Nuggets (2) vs. San Antonio Spurs (7) - Nuggets win series 4-3
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Spurs 101, Nuggets (H) 96
Game 2: Tue, April 16 - Nuggets (H) 114, Spurs 105
Game 3: Thu, April 18 - Spurs (H) 118, Nuggets 108
Game 4: Sat, April 20 - Nuggets 117, Spurs (H) 103
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - Nuggets (H) 108, Spurs 90
Game 6: Thu, April 25 - Spurs (H) 120, Nuggets 103
Game 7: Sat, April 27 - Nuggets (H) 90, Spurs 86
Portland Trail Blazers (3) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (6) - Blazers win series 4-1
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Blazers (H) 104, Thunder 99
Game 2: Tue, April 16 - Blazers (H) 114, Thunder 94
Game 3: Fri, April 19 - Thunder (H) 120, Blazers 108
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Blazers 111, Thunder (H) 98
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - Blazers (H) 118, Thunder 115
Houston Rockets (4) vs. Utah Jazz (5) - Rockets win series 4-1
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Rockets (H) 122, Jazz 90
Game 2: Wed, April 17 - Rockets (H) 118, Jazz 98
Game 3: Sat, April 20 - Rockets 104, Jazz (H) 101
Game 4: Mon, April 22 - Jazz (H) 107, Rockets 91
Game 5: Wed, April 24 - Rockets (H) 100, Jazz 93
Eastern Conference
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Boston Celtics (4) - Bucks win series 4-1
Game 1: Sun, April 28 - Celtics 112, Bucks (H) 90
Game 2: Tue, April 30 - Bucks (H) 123, Celtics 102
Game 3: Fri, May 3 - Bucks 123, Celtics (H) 116
Game 4: Mon, May 6 - Bucks 113, Celtics (H) 101
Game 5: Wed, May 8 - Bucks (H) 116, Celtics 91
Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (3) - Raptors win series 4-3
Game 1: Sat, April 27 - Raptors (H) 108, 76ers 95
Game 2: Mon, April 29 - 76ers 94, Raptors (H) 89
Game 3: Thu, May 2 - 76ers (H) 116, Raptors 95
Game 4: Sun, May 5 - Raptors 101, 76ers (H) 96
Game 5: Tue, May 7 - Raptors (H) 125, 76ers 89
Game 6: Thu, May 9 - 76ers (H) 112, Raptors 101
Game 7: Sun, May 12 - Raptors (H) 92, 76ers 90
FIRST ROUND
Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Detroit Pistons (8) - Bucks win series 4-0
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Bucks (H) 121, Pistons 86
Game 2: Wed, April 17 - Bucks (H) 120, Pistons 99
Game 3: Sat, April 20 - Bucks 119, Pistons (H) 103
Game 4: Mon, April 22 - Bucks 127, Pistons (H) 104
Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Orlando Magic (7) - Raptors win series 4-1
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Magic 104, Raptors (H) 101
Game 2: Tue, April 16 - Raptors (H) 111, Magic 82
Game 3: Fri, April 19 - Raptors 98, Magic (H) 93
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Raptors 107, Magic (H) 85
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - Raptors (H) 115, Magic 96
Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6) - 76ers win series 4-1
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Nets 111, 76ers (H) 102
Game 2: Mon, April 15 -76ers (H) 145, Nets 123
Game 3: Thu, April 18 - 76ers 131, Nets (H) 115
Game 4: Sat, April 20 - 76ers 112, Nets (H) 108
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - 76ers (H) 122, Nets 100
Boston Celtics (4) vs. Indiana Pacers (5) - Celtics win series 4-0
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Celtics (H) 84, Pacers 74
Game 2: Wed, April 17 - Celtics (H) 99, Pacers 91
Game 3: Fri, April 19 - Celtics 104, Pacers (H) 96
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Celtics 110, Pacers (H) 106
All times Pacific. Home team in series is first one listed in the series header. Teams' conference rankings listed in the header in parenthesis. Some times and dates are subject to change. This will be updated as games become final.
PLAYOFF BRACKET
(via CBS Sports/updated by SCtoC staff)
This site welcomes any comments, analysis or questions regarding the Blazers-Nuggets match up, as well as regarding the NBA Playoffs as a whole.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets
NOTE: The Blazers have won this series. We will produce a new thread for the Western Conference Finals between the Blazers and the Golden St. Warriors. That preview is forthcoming.
OVERVIEW
For the second round in a row, the Blazers face a division foe, the Denver Nuggets. The Blazers finished just a game behind the Nuggets, who won the Northwest Division title on the final day of the season. Portland is looking to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 when it lost to the Los Angels Lakers in seven games. Denver is seeking its First Finals appearance since 2009 when it lost to the Lakers in four games. While reaching the Conference Finals three times in their history, the Nuggets have failed to advance. The Blazers reached the Conference Finals four times in their history advancing three times to the NBA Finals. Portland competed in the Pacific Division and Denver in the Midwest Division until the 2004-05 season when the NBA switched to its six-division format. The result was that the Blazers and Nuggets, along with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz and Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder were lumped into a geographically expansive Northwest Division. The Nuggets won this year's season series, 3-1, taking the first three games before the Blazers won the second of a home-and-home in April. The Blazers and the Nuggets have met only once in the playoffs with the Blazers winning in six games in 1977 (see below).
The Blazers boast one of the National Basketball Association's most potent backcourts. Damian Lillard is second in the league in playoff points per game at 33.0 through games ending April 28. CJ McCollum ranks eighth in that category at 24.4. It's the backcourt which drives the Blazers' bus, but they will look for third and fourth possible options in forwards Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu for boosts. Starting center Jusef Nurkic, a former Nugget, is out for the remainder of the playoffs with a compound fracture in his left leg suffered on March 27. Enes Kanter, who was picked up off waivers in late February, has been starting in the place of Nurkic. Kanter is a stellar offensive rebounder, but he is nursing a shoulder injury and it is unsure what his status will be for the series, including game one. Nikola Jokic is among the best centers in the league, if not the best. He is 12th in playoff scoring at 23.1 points per game and third at 12.1 rebounds per game. Point guard Jamal Murray is averaging 19.0 points per game. The Nuggets are supported by guard Gary Harris and forward/center Mason Plumlee, a former Blazer. Another former face from Portland is Will Barton, is adept at providing a spark off the bench. Veteran forward Paul Millsap can affect things in the middle on the defensive game and on the boards. Reserve forward Michael Porter, Jr. is out for this series with a back injury. Pictured above are Blazers guard Damian Lillard (top left) and guard CJ McCollum (bottom left), and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (top right) and guard Jamal Murray (bottom right). SCtoC graphic created by David .
The Blazers were founded in 1970 and are the first of the 1970-71 expansion teams to win an NBA Championship, which they earned in 1977. They played in the NBA Finals again in 1990 and 1992, but were defeated by the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, respectively. The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first championship in 2015-16. The third expansion team from that year, the Buffalo Braves, relocated to San Diego and then to Los Angeles as the Clippers and have yet to win an NBA title. The Blazers have been located in Portland during their entire 49-year tenure in the NBA. Lillard is the fourth Blazer to have been awarded NBA Rookie of the Year honors, winning unanimously following the 2012-13 season. The other Blazers to have that honor are Geoff Petrie (1970-71), Sydney Wicks (1971-72) and Brandon Roy (2006-07). The Blazers have qualified for the playoffs in 34 of their 48 seasons, including a 21-year streak from 1977 to 1997. Portland is making its sixth consecutive playoff appearance and 35th as a franchise. The Blazers and Portland are nicknamed "Rip City," after an exclamation made by original team broadcaster Bill Schonley following a swish made jumper by Jim Barnett against the Los Angeles Lakers early into their 1970-71 inaugural season. Former Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks head coach Terry Stotts is in his seventh season at the helm of the Blazers. He has a 325-249 regular season record and is 15-25 in the playoffs with the team after the Blazers won this series.
Denver was originally a charter member of the American Basketball Association to be located in Kansas City, Missouri. However, the franchise was not able to find a viable arena in Kansas City so, on the suggestion of then-ABA commissioner George Mikan (considered by some as the NBA's first legitimate "big man"), the team was moved to Colorado's capital city. Originally called the "Larks" after the official state bird, Two-thirds of the franchise was purchased by Denver trucking magnate, Bill Ringsby, who renamed them the Denver Rockets after his company's fleet of long-haul trucks. The name was changed to "Nuggets" in 1974 by a pair of new owners, who felt the name would be acceptable to the potential of moving to the NBA since the name "Rockets" was already in use by the Houston NBA franchise. While in the ABA, the Nuggets won three division titles. They reached the playoffs in seven of their nine seasons in that league, and made it to the ABA Finals in 1976 (the year before the NBA-ABA merger), losing to the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets, 4-2. The current coach of the Nuggets is Michael Malone, who is in his fourth season in Denver. He has a 212-222 overall head NBA head coaching record, including a 173-155 mark with the Nuggets. He previously was head coach of the Sacramento Kings before being fired a third of the way through the 2014-15 season. This is Malone's first trip to the playoffs as a head coach in the league.
SERIES SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
The following is the schedule for the series. Once games are completed, results include the final score, a headline link to the nba.com boxscore, and stat summary. All times are pacific standard time. Add one hour for midwest standard time, the time zone in which Denver is located.
Game 1: Mon, April 29 - (at Denver) Nuggets 121, Blazers 113
Jokic, Murray combine for 60 as Nuggets take opening game
Blazers - Damian Lillard 39 pts; Al-Farouq Aminu/Evan Turner 8 reb; Damian Lillard 6 ast
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 37 pts; Nikola Jokic 9 reb; Jamal Murray 8 ast
Game 2: Wed, May 1 - (at Denver) Blazers 97, Nuggets 90
Teamwork, bench play leads Blazers to game two win
Blazers - CJ McCollum 20 pts; Al-Farouq Aminu 10 reb; CJ McCollum 6 ast
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 16 pts; Nikola Jokic 14 reb; Nikola Jokic 7 ast
Game 3: Fri, May 3 - (at Portland) Blazers 140, Nuggets 137 - 4OT
McCollum goes for 41 as Blazers put away Nuggets in 4 overtimes
Nuggets - Jamal Murray 34 pts; Nikola Jokic 18 reb; Nikola Jokic 14 ast
Blazers - CJ McCollum 41 pts; Enes Kanter 15 reb; Damian Lillard 8 ast
Game 4: Sun, May 5 - (at Portland) Nuggets 116, Blazers (H) 112
Questionable officiating continues; Nuggets awarded game 4
Nuggets - Jamal Murray 34 pts; Nikola Jokic 12 reb; Nikola Jokic 11 ast
Blazers - CJ McCollum 29 pts; Enes Kanter 10 reb; Damian Lillard 7 ast
Game 5: Tue, May 7 - (at Denver) Nuggets 124, Blazers 98
Blazers come out flat; Nuggets take series lead
Blazers - Damian Lillard 22 pts; Enes Kanter 8 reb; Damian Lillard 4 ast
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 25 pts; Nikola Jokic 19 reb; Jamal Murray 9 ast
Game 6: Thu, May 9 - (at Portland) Blazers 119, Nuggets 108
Hood, Collins lead bench attack to extend series to a seventh game
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 29 pts; Nikola Jokic 12 reb; Nikola Jokic 8 ast
Blazers - - Damian Lillard 32 pts; Enes Kanter 14 reb; Evan Turner 7 ast
Game 7: Sun, May 12 - (at Denver) Blazers 100. Nuggets 96
McCollum's 37 points propels Blazers to Conference Finals
Blazers - CJ McCollum 37 pts; Enes Kanter 13 reb; Damian Lillard 8 ast
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 29 pts; Nikola Jokic 13 reb; Jamal Murray 5 ast
HOME ARENAS
Blazers - Moda Center at the Rose Quarter; Portland, Oregon (capacity for basketball: 19,393)
Nuggets - Pepsi Center; Denver, Colorado (capacity for basketball: 19,520)
REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Blazers - 53-29 overall; 32-9 home and 21-20 road (3rd in Western Conference; 2nd in Northwest Division)
Nuggets - 54-28 overall; 34-7 home and 20-21 road (2nd in Western Conference; 1st in Northwest Division)
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Blazers - Defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the First Round, 4-1
Nuggets - Defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the First Round, 4-3
HEAD-TO-HEAD REGULAR SEASON RESULTS
November 30 (at Portland) - Nuggets 113, Blazers 112
Harris scores 27, Millsap has double-double in Nuggets narrow win
Nuggets - Gary Harris 27 pts; Juancho Hermangomez 11 reb; Nikola Jokic/Jamal Murray 7 ast
Blazers - CJ McCollum 33 pts; Jusef Nurkic 11 reb; Damian Lillard 8 ast
January 13 (at Denver) - Nuggets 116, Blazers 113
Jokic dominates with 40 and 10 as Nuggets win at home
Blazers - Damian Lillard 26 pts; Al-Farouq Aminu 12 reb; Damian Lillard 7 ast
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic 40 pts; Nikola Jokic 10 reb; Nikola Jokic 8 ast
April 5 (at Denver) - Nuggets 119, Blazers 110
Three Nuggets score 22 or more in win over Blazers
Blazers - Jusef Nurkic 24 pts; Al-Farouq Aminu 14 reb; Damian Lillard 8 ast
Nuggets - Paul Millsap 25 pts; 13 Nikola Jokic 13 reb; Nikola Jokic 9 ast
April 7 (at Portland) - Blazers 115, Nuggets 108
Aminu, Kanter each register a double-double as Blazers avoid season sweep
Nuggets - Gary Harris 18 pts; Mason Plumlee 11 reb; Mason Plumlee 6 ast
Blazers - Damian Lillard 30 pts; Enes Kanter 13 reb; CJ McCollum/Evan Turner 6 ast
WHAT THEY SAID
Blazers guard Damian Lillard on being tested by the Thunder in the First Round: "The reason I wanted this series (against the Thunder) is because if we really wanted to do something special, we needed a good test. Coming off how we were swept last year by New Orleans, I wanted to face a team and an opponent that people thought we couldn't beat. I wanted to prove something from the jump. We needed a matchup that would potentially bring out the best of us. There were no excuses. We had every reason to be up for this."
Blazers head coach Terry Stotts on whether Enes Kanter will be available and who will guard Nikola Jokic: “Well, we’ll see if he’s (Kanter) ready to go, first. (Jokic) is one of those players, you don’t know what to take away, because whatever you take away, he’s got something else. The key for us is to make things difficult for him and not let him have open looks and not let him have easy passes.”
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray about battling the Blazers' Damian Lillard: "I love competing against Dame; he’s a competitor. He goes at you, doesn’t disrespect you. He just plays the right way; plays for his team, plays for his city, so I love going against him. It’s going to be a challenge. It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s going to be a great series, so I’m excited."
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone on entering the series: “They’ve been resting, getting ready for us – or San Antonio. The good thing for us is they are a division opponent and we’ve played them four times. We know them well. And we know their personnel well. Still going to be a hell of a challenge. I think our guys are definitely excited for that challenge."
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
ROSTER
HEAD COACH
Terry Stotts (Oklahoma)
ASSISTANT COACHES
David Vanterpool (St. Bonaventure)
Nate Tibbetts (South Dakota)
Dale Osbourne (South Alabama)
John McCullough (Oklahoma)
Jim Moran (William & Mary)
ATHLETIC TRAINER
Geoff Clark (Oregon St.)
TEAM STATISTICS REGULAR SEASON - PER GAME
Points - 114.7
Rebounds - 48.0
Assists - 23.0
Steals - 6.7
Blocks - 5.0
Turnovers - 13.8
FG - 46.7%
3pt - 35.9%
FT - 80.0%
PLAYOFF STATISTICS VERSUS THUNDER - PER GAME
Points - 110.0
Rebounds - 45.4
Assists - 17.4
Steals - 8.0
Blocks - 5.4
Turnovers - 14.4
FG - 44.7%
3pt - 40.5%
FT - 78.8%
TEAM STATISTICS THIS SEASON VERSUS NUGGETS - PER GAME
Points - 112.5
Rebounds - 45.3
Assists - 22.5
Steals - 5.8
Blocks - 2.8
Turnovers - 13.5
FG - 48.3%
3pt - 32.7%
FT - 83.7%
INDIVIDUAL REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS
Damian Lilliard hit this series winning three pointer at the buzzer to clinch game 5 and a trip to the next round.
DENVER NUGGETS
ROSTER
HEAD COACH
Michael Malone (Loyola-Maryland)
ASSISTANT COACHES
Wes Unseld, Jr. (Johns Hopkins)
David Adelman (Portland St.)
Jordi Fernandez (N/A)
Ryan Bowen (Iowa)
Charles Klask (Michigan St.)
Bob Weiss (Penn St.)
Mark Price (Georgia Tech)
HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER
Dan Shimensky (Central Washington)
TEAM STATISTICS REGULAR SEASON - PER GAME
Points - 110.7
Rebounds - 46.4
Assists - 27.4
Steals - 7.7
Blocks - 4.4
Turnovers - 13.4
FG - 46.6%
3pt - 35.1%
FT - 75.5%
TEAM STATISTICS PLAYOFFS - PER GAME
Points - 105.1
Rebounds - 44.0
Assists - 26.0
Steals - 4.6
Blocks - 3.6
Turnovers - 9.1
FG - 46.0%
3pt - 36.0%
FT - 74.0%
TEAM STATISTICS THIS SEASON VERSUS BLAZERS - PER GAME
Points - 114.0
Rebounds - 39.3
Assists - 25.0
Steals - 8.8
Blocks - 2.8
Turnovers - 11.3
FG - 49.0%
3pt - 38.4%
FT - 76.8%
INDIVIDUAL REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS
Nikola Jokic had a triple-double in the Nuggets' game 7 win over the Spurs in the First Round.
FRANCHISES' HEAD-TO-HEAD PLAYOFF HISTORY
Given the fact the Blazers are in their 49th season in the NBA, and the Nuggets are in their 43rd, it could be surprising that they've met just once in the NBA playoffs. The Blazers defeated Nuggets in the 1977 Western Conference Semifinals, 4-2, and advanced to the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Coincidentally during those playoffs, the Nuggets were the second seed and the Blazers the third; identical to this match up 42 years later. The Blazers were making their first playoff appearance in their seven year history, while the Nuggets had moved to the NBA after the merger with the American Basketball Association, where they had had playoff success. Following Portland's win over the Nuggets, it shockingly swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, 4-0. The Blazers would meet the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals. Down 2-0 after two games in the City of Brotherly Love, The Blazers won the next four games to capture what is to this day their only NBA Championship. Below are the scores from that Conference Semifinal series between the Blazers and Nuggets. Again, the year was 1977.
Game 1: April 20 - Blazers 101, Nuggets (H) 100
Game 2: April 22 - Nuggets (H) 121, Blazers 110
Game 3: April 24 - Blazers (H) 110, Nuggets 106
Game 4: April 26 - Blazers (H) 105, Nuggets 96
Game 5: May 1 - Nuggets (H) 114, Blazers 105 - OT
Game 6: May 2 - Blazers (H) 108, Nuggets 92
2019 NBA PLAYOFF SERIES SCHEDULES AND RESULTS
Western Conference
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Golden State Warriors (1) vs. Houston Rockets (4) - Warriors win series 4-2
Game 1: Sun, April 28 - Warriors (H) 104, Rockets 100
Game 2: Tue, April 30 - Warriors (H) 115, Rockets 109
Game 3: Sat, May 4 - Rockets (H) 126, Warriors 121 - OT
Game 4: Mon, May 6 - Rockets (H) 112, Warriors 108
Game 5: Wed, May 8 - Warriors (H) 104, Rockets 99
Game 6: Fri, May 10 - Warriors 118, Rockets (H) 113
Denver Nuggets (2) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (3) - Blazers win series 4-3
Game 1: Mon, April 29 - Nuggets (H) 121, Blazers 113
Game 2: Wed, May 1 - Blazers 97, Nuggets (H) 90
Game 3: Fri, May 3 - Blazers (H) 140, Nuggets 137 - 4OT
Game 4: Sun, May 5 - Nuggets 116, Blazers (H) 112
Game 5: Tue, May 7 - Nuggets (H) 124, Blazers 98
Game 6: Thu, May 9 - Blazers (H) 119, Nuggets 108
Game 7: Sun, May 12 - Blazers 110, Nuggets (H) 96
FIRST ROUND
Golden St. Warriors (1) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (8) - Warriors win series 4-2
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Warriors (H) 121, Clippers 104
Game 1: Mon, April 15 - Clippers 135, Warriors (H) 131
Game 3: Thu, April 18 - Warriors 132 Clippers (H) 105
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Warriors 113, Clippers (H) 105
Game 5: Wed, April 24 - Clippers 129, Warriors (H) 121
Game 6: Fri, April 26 - Warriors 129, Clippers (H) 110
Denver Nuggets (2) vs. San Antonio Spurs (7) - Nuggets win series 4-3
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Spurs 101, Nuggets (H) 96
Game 2: Tue, April 16 - Nuggets (H) 114, Spurs 105
Game 3: Thu, April 18 - Spurs (H) 118, Nuggets 108
Game 4: Sat, April 20 - Nuggets 117, Spurs (H) 103
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - Nuggets (H) 108, Spurs 90
Game 6: Thu, April 25 - Spurs (H) 120, Nuggets 103
Game 7: Sat, April 27 - Nuggets (H) 90, Spurs 86
Portland Trail Blazers (3) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (6) - Blazers win series 4-1
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Blazers (H) 104, Thunder 99
Game 2: Tue, April 16 - Blazers (H) 114, Thunder 94
Game 3: Fri, April 19 - Thunder (H) 120, Blazers 108
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Blazers 111, Thunder (H) 98
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - Blazers (H) 118, Thunder 115
Houston Rockets (4) vs. Utah Jazz (5) - Rockets win series 4-1
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Rockets (H) 122, Jazz 90
Game 2: Wed, April 17 - Rockets (H) 118, Jazz 98
Game 3: Sat, April 20 - Rockets 104, Jazz (H) 101
Game 4: Mon, April 22 - Jazz (H) 107, Rockets 91
Game 5: Wed, April 24 - Rockets (H) 100, Jazz 93
Eastern Conference
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Boston Celtics (4) - Bucks win series 4-1
Game 1: Sun, April 28 - Celtics 112, Bucks (H) 90
Game 2: Tue, April 30 - Bucks (H) 123, Celtics 102
Game 3: Fri, May 3 - Bucks 123, Celtics (H) 116
Game 4: Mon, May 6 - Bucks 113, Celtics (H) 101
Game 5: Wed, May 8 - Bucks (H) 116, Celtics 91
Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (3) - Raptors win series 4-3
Game 1: Sat, April 27 - Raptors (H) 108, 76ers 95
Game 2: Mon, April 29 - 76ers 94, Raptors (H) 89
Game 3: Thu, May 2 - 76ers (H) 116, Raptors 95
Game 4: Sun, May 5 - Raptors 101, 76ers (H) 96
Game 5: Tue, May 7 - Raptors (H) 125, 76ers 89
Game 6: Thu, May 9 - 76ers (H) 112, Raptors 101
Game 7: Sun, May 12 - Raptors (H) 92, 76ers 90
FIRST ROUND
Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Detroit Pistons (8) - Bucks win series 4-0
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Bucks (H) 121, Pistons 86
Game 2: Wed, April 17 - Bucks (H) 120, Pistons 99
Game 3: Sat, April 20 - Bucks 119, Pistons (H) 103
Game 4: Mon, April 22 - Bucks 127, Pistons (H) 104
Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Orlando Magic (7) - Raptors win series 4-1
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Magic 104, Raptors (H) 101
Game 2: Tue, April 16 - Raptors (H) 111, Magic 82
Game 3: Fri, April 19 - Raptors 98, Magic (H) 93
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Raptors 107, Magic (H) 85
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - Raptors (H) 115, Magic 96
Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6) - 76ers win series 4-1
Game 1: Sat, April 13 - Nets 111, 76ers (H) 102
Game 2: Mon, April 15 -76ers (H) 145, Nets 123
Game 3: Thu, April 18 - 76ers 131, Nets (H) 115
Game 4: Sat, April 20 - 76ers 112, Nets (H) 108
Game 5: Tue, April 23 - 76ers (H) 122, Nets 100
Boston Celtics (4) vs. Indiana Pacers (5) - Celtics win series 4-0
Game 1: Sun, April 14 - Celtics (H) 84, Pacers 74
Game 2: Wed, April 17 - Celtics (H) 99, Pacers 91
Game 3: Fri, April 19 - Celtics 104, Pacers (H) 96
Game 4: Sun, April 21 - Celtics 110, Pacers (H) 106
All times Pacific. Home team in series is first one listed in the series header. Teams' conference rankings listed in the header in parenthesis. Some times and dates are subject to change. This will be updated as games become final.
PLAYOFF BRACKET
(via CBS Sports/updated by SCtoC staff)
This site welcomes any comments, analysis or questions regarding the Blazers-Nuggets match up, as well as regarding the NBA Playoffs as a whole.
- JBH
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Graphic courtesy of David.
