The Portland Trail Blazers responded well to their Game 5 loss to set the stage for Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon. Sunday, May 12 at 3:30 PM ET Pepsi Center Coverage: ABC *All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by Bookmaker Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets (-5.5 at -110) Over/Under: 212.5 at -110 Lillard, McCollum and Hood Pace Trail Blazers The Trail Blazers forced a Game 7 with an impressive 119-108 win in Game 6 against the Nuggets last Thursday. Damian Lillard finished with 32 points, five assists and three rebounds, CJ McCollum added 30 points, six rebounds and three assists and Rodney Hood went off for a playoff career-high 25 points in 32 minutes off the bench. Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Nuggets, Jamal Murray put up 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Paul Millsap added 17 points, six rebounds and three steals and Gary Harris finished with 15 points and five assists. Defense and rebounding made a difference for the Trail Blazers in Game 6. They gave up 124 points in Game 5, the most in regulation during this playoffs. The Nuggets outrebounded them 62-43, with 52 of the 62 rebounds allowed being defensive rebounds off the 62 shots that the Trail Blazers missed. The Trail Blazers made significant improvements in both areas in Game 6, they got outrebounded 44-43 but they let the Nuggets pull down just 28 defensive rebounds off their 48 missed shots while they grabbed 32 defensive rebounds off the 53 missed attempts from their opponent. Rodney Hood scored a playoff career-high 25 PTS to help the Blazers force Game 7 pic.twitter.com/OgHKTuxiWw — Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) May 10, 2019 Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless struggled in Game 6; Aminu scored seven points but he was just 1-for-4 from the free-throw line and he finished with a team-low -9 plus/minus (+/-) in 17 minutes while Harkless had just two points on 1 of 5 shooting in 16 minutes for a -8 plus/minus (+/-). With Aminu and Harkless having off nights, Rodney Hood, the team’s third-leading scorer in this series, stepped up once again, delivering 25 points on 8-for-12 from the field and 3-for-4 from 3-point range, proving that he was always this good and just needed a chance to showcase his talent. Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Trends and Prediction The Portland Trail Blazers are: 34-16-3 ATS in their last 53 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points 26-12 ATS in their last 38 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game 5-2 ATS in their last seven games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game The Denver Nuggets are: No key trends Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum had 30-point games on Thursday and the Trail Blazers need them to have a similar type of performance if they want to win Game 7. Both players are tailor-made for the bright lights and if Aminu and Harkless get going and Hood continues to shine they will be in good shape on Sunday. Lillard, McCollum and Hood Combine For 87 Points In PIVOTAL Game 6 | May 9, 2019The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Denver Nuggets by a final score of 119-108 to force a winner-take-all Game 7. The Trail Blazers were led by the trio of Damian Lillard (32 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists), C.J. McCollum (30 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists), and Rodney Hood (25 points, 4 assists) in the… 2019-05-10T05:59:33.000Z The Trail Blazers did a good job retooling their effort on defense and rebounding and if they keep that increased focus and energy they can advance to the Western Conference Finals. Pick: Trail Blazers +5.5 READ NEXT: Is James Harden the 2019 NBA MVP over Giannis Antetokounmpo?<doc-sep>May 12, 2019 - 12:30 p.m. PT Blazers injuries: Jusuf Nurkic (out) Nuggets injuries: Michael Porter Jr. (out) How to watch on TV: ABC How to stream: WatchESPN, YouTube TV (or other services that carry local ABC streaming) Radio: 620 AM SBN Affiliate: Denver Stiffs It all comes down to this. For the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets, one team will face the defending champions in the Western Conference Finals. The other team will return home and face the music. The Blazers got to this point with a gutty 119-108 win at home in Game Six. Damian Lillard (32 points), CJ McCollum (30 points), and Rodney Hood (career playoff-high 25 points) led the way to even the series. Zach Collins registered five blocks, becoming the first Blazer to do that in a playoff game since LaMarcus Aldridge in 2010. The Nuggets got 29 points from Nikola Jokic and 24 points from Jamal Murray, but could not stop the Blazers in the second half. Adjustments for Game Seven Use the hot hand. Head coach Terry Stotts has been reluctant to make any changes to the starting lineup throughout these playoffs. However, with everything on the line, something may need to be done. Moe Harkless has struggled on both ends of the floor all series, while Rodney Hood has been impressive, especially in defensive rotations. Swapping the two and letting Harkless work with Evan Turner on the second unit could be beneficial. Head coach has been reluctant to make any changes to the starting lineup throughout these playoffs. However, with everything on the line, something may need to be done. has struggled on both ends of the floor all series, while Rodney Hood has been impressive, especially in defensive rotations. Swapping the two and letting Harkless work with on the second unit could be beneficial. Keep the energy high. The Nuggets are sticking with an eight-man rotation. Murray played 46 of 48 minutes in Game Six. Jokic, Paul Millsap and Gary Harris all played 37 or more minutes. Conversely, only two players played more than 36 minutes for the Blazers: Lillard and McCollum. Taking advantage of the fatigue on the Nuggets will give Portland the edge they need. The Nuggets are sticking with an eight-man rotation. Murray played 46 of 48 minutes in Game Six. Jokic, Paul Millsap and Gary Harris all played 37 or more minutes. Conversely, only two players played more than 36 minutes for the Blazers: Lillard and McCollum. Taking advantage of the fatigue on the Nuggets will give Portland the edge they need. Keep the pressure on. Now is not the time to look forward at all. If the Blazers get a ten-point lead, it needs to be twenty. Twenty needs to be thirty. Both teams are going to leave it all on the floor and throw every haymaker left in their bag. Taking control early and putting the game out of reach needs to be everything. What they’re saying Adams Mares, Ryan Blackburn, and Gordon Gross of Denver Stiffs had a roundtable to discuss what needs to change for the Nuggets:<doc-sep>A late-game comeback attempt fell short in Game 7 as cold shooting and tough shot-making from C.J. McCollum did the Denver Nuggets in. Despite a furious comeback attempt in the final minutes, the Nuggets’ season came to an end in the Western Conference semifinals Sunday. "Tonight is the end of the season, but I'm not going to allow it to take away from the magical year we had,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. “I couldn't have asked for anything more from our guys." It was another quick start for the Nuggets as they jumped out to an early 14-7 lead on the back of strong shooting (5 of 7 from the field, 2 of 2 from three). A balanced scoring attack led the way for Denver in the quarter, as four players scored at least 6 points. The Nuggets held Portland to 7-of-25 from the field on their way to building a 29-17 lead after one. Denver’s bench extended the lead to 39-22 after the first five minutes of the second as the defense continued to get stops. Portland would respond with a 9-0 run midway through the quarter to get within eight points, but the Nuggets starters extended the lead back up to double-digits shortly after. Ultimately, the Nuggets took a 48-39 lead into the halftime break. Portland continued to chip away at the lead to begin the third quarter. Midway through the quarter, the Nuggets lead was cut down to just five at 60-55. It was a back-and-forth affair for the remainder of the quarter as the Nuggets held on to a 72-71 lead after three. Portland outscored Denver 32-24 in the quarter to climb back into the game. The Trail Blazers went on an early 10-4 run to begin the fourth quarter, which gave them an 81-76 lead with just under nine minutes remaining. Portland continued to hold on to a lead throughout the majority of the quarter as Denver’s offense struggled to consistently generate quality looks. Although Denver’s defense continued to get stops, the offense wasn’t able to cut into Portland’s lead. The Nuggets made a valiant effort in the final minutes of the game, as they used a 10-4 run of their own to get within one point with 30 seconds remaining. However, McCollum responded with a step-back jumper to extend Portland’s lead back up to three. Portland decided to foul on the ensuing possession and Nikola Jokić missed the first of two free throws. Denver’s season was riding on Evan Turner, who calmly knocked down two free throws to all but seal the Portland victory. "The Denver Nuggets had an outstanding season, no one saw that coming,” Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts said. “Nikola Jokić is an amazing player, they're a young team, they're going to have a lot of success moving forward." Three takeaways: 1) C.J. McCollum couldn’t be stopped All of the noise coming into Game 7 was about Damian Lillard having another opportunity to make his mark on a series. However, ultimately it was McCollum who led the way for Portland as he dropped 37 points on 58.6 percent shooting from the field. McCollum dribbled his way into a variety of looks from around the court as Denver couldn’t consistently take him out of the game. In a game in which Lillard struggled mightily, McCollum answered the bell for Portland. 2) Nikola Jokić continued to dominate A main storyline throughout the entire series was the lack of defensive options that Portland had for Nikola Jokić. The trend continued in Game 7 as Denver’s All-Star finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in 42 minutes of action. Jokić had success throughout the series and proved that he can be the No. 1 option for a team in the playoffs, even while shouldering a big usage and heavy minutes. Despite the tough loss, Jokić continued to be the driving force until the very end. "I hope after 14 playoff games that America came to appreciate Nikola's game,” Malone said. “He's upset because he didn't think he did enough for us to win the game. We all know it's not on him." 3) Denver was locked in defensively Just as they did in their first Game 7 this postseason, the Nuggets came to play on the defensive end. Portland shot just 40.9 percent from the field and 15.4 percent from beyond the arc. Denver’s perimeter defense against Lillard was particularly impressive, as Lillard was held to 13 points on 3-of-17 shooting from the field, which put more pressure on McCollum to lead the Trail Blazers’ offense. The Nuggets continued to stay in the game as a result of their defense, which gave them an opportunity to tie the game in the final seconds. Despite the season-ending loss, Malone is more than comfortable with the state of the franchise. "I love where we're at, but more importantly I love where we're going and who we're going there with."<doc-sep>Game 7. An experience the city of Denver has become familiar with over this month. The Denver Nuggets successfully passed their first game 7 test in the first round of the playoffs and now face their second, this time against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Nuggets will try to avoid the fate that befell their Colorado Avalanche roommates, who lost to the San Jose Sharks in game 7 a few days ago. The key difference of course is Denver has the homecourt advantage...and is a better team than their opponent. The Trail Blazers have performed admirably in this series. The Nuggets had them on the ropes early in game 6 and the Blazers didn’t quit. They outlasted Denver in the 4OT game 3 (slow motion replay and Jamal Murray’s finger tip a big MVP of this series for Portland). Enes Kanter has fought through the possibility of losing his arm and suffocating allergies. Truly an icon of heroism for all of the city of Portland. Still, despite overcoming what seems to be insurmountable odds, let’s be real here: Denver is better. Perhaps if Jusuf Nurkic was on the court instead of trolling from the sidelines in the most disrespectful manner possible this would be a more even matchup, without him though the Blazers have been unable to stop Nikola Jokic who has outplayed everyone on either team. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have carried the Blazers and will no doubt try again tonight. If the Nuggets can put the clamps down like they did against San Antonio two weeks ago in game 7, they should win this one going away. The Basics Who: Portland Trail Blazers (3-3) at Denver Nuggets (3-3) When: 1:30 PM MDT Where: #FraudCity How to watch/listen: ABC, the WatchESPN App and Altitude Radio 92.5 FM Rival blog: Blazers Edge Projected Matchups Position Nuggets Blazers Advantage Position Nuggets Blazers Advantage PG Jamal Murray Damian Lillard Blazers SG Gary Harris C.J. McCollum Blazers SF Torrey Craig Maurice Harkless Even PF Paul Millsap Al Farouq Aminu Nuggets C Nikola Jokic Enes Kanter Nuggets Bench Monte Morris, Malik Beasley, Will Barton, Mason Plumlee Seth Curry, Zach Collins, Rodney Hood, Evan Turner Blazers Injured players: Michael Porter Jr - out (back), Enes Kanter - probable (expired allegra prescription), Jusuf Nurkic - out (leg) Key matchup: Torrey Craig vs C.J. McCollum It’s game 7, if the Nuggets aren’t prepared for Lillard to go all out then I don’t know what to tell them. However, C.J. has been just as big of a thorn in their side this series. He’s an outstanding two guard with a bevy of moves but Denver has done virtually nothing to slow him. That falls on Torrey Craig and Gary Harris. Let Lillard get his, Denver can overcome that. Just don’t let C.J. put up 25+ on you. It’s just like the situation with Denver. You know Nikola is going to do what he does, but if Jamal Murray goes off then the Nuggets are going to win. Contain C.J., win the game. It’s that simple. Key thing to watch for: Now is the time bench Denver’s bench, one of their greatest strengths of the regular season, has been a virtual no show this series. Will Barton has had some moments in a massive volume of shooting, Malik Beasley had a decent game 1, but outside of that the reserves have been quiet. Monte Morris looks shaken, Mason Plumlee looks lost, the Nuggets need those guys to step up. Another simple way to win this game is to just not be a massive negative when Jokic is off the court. Rodney Hood is just ok and he’s been a key catalyst more than once for Portland in this series. The Nuggets need a Hood-esque performance today out of one of their reserves. Opening thought: Punk this team No rah rah speeches about NuggLife in this game 7 preview. Not this time. I respect what the San Antonio Spurs have done as franchise. I respect the accomplishments coach Gregg Popovich has done. I respect the demeanor of that fanbase. I don’t respect jack about the Blazers other than Lillard and McCollum. Nothing would be sweeter than blowing the doors off this team today to emphatically end their season. Tweeting the refs...really? Wearing ear plugs at the home game...really? Wearing what Nurkic did...really? Starting fights because someone put a finger in your face...really? Coming at us with major insults like...checks notes...sassy? REALLY??! ! Hear me now Denver Nuggets. Send these whining, crying babies back to their mamas (shout out to all the moms out there!). They ain’t coming in to our house and ending our season. Do. Not. Let. That. Happen. We didn’t let a veteran tested, playoff hardened team come in our house and beat us and we’re not going to let some allergies crying, box out whining fake tough guys do it to us either. Put this team where they belong: at home on their couches watching the four best teams in the NBA. Blow them out by 30 or crush them at the buzzer, I don’t care. Enough is enough. The Nuggets have grown by leaps and bounds just in the past month. They’ve proved they belong, now live it. The Blazers are not better than us, they’re not tougher than us, they deserve to be the ones who lose this game. They’ve proven that throughout this entire series, time and time again. Do what you’re supposed to do today and finish them.<doc-sep>
The Portland Trail Blazers have advanced to the Western Conference finals, thanks to a 100-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of their second-round series. This will be Portland's first WCF appearance since 2000. Early on, it appeared the Nuggets were going to run the Trail Blazers out of the gym. They were up by 12 at the end of the first quarter, and extended that lead to 17 points in the second. But the Blazers used a nice run at the end of the half to cut the deficit to nine points. It not only made things more manageable, but gave them plenty of positive momentum. They continued their comeback in the third quarter, getting right back into the game behind CJ McCollum, who was fantastic all night. When McCollum hit a jumper late in the quarter, it gave the Blazers their first lead of the game. From there, the fourth quarter was a wild, back-and-forth affair as the two teams traded big baskets time and again. In the closing seconds, McCollum hit a step-back jumper to give the Blazers a three-point lead, and after some free throws on each side, that was the game. McCollum finished with 37 points and nine rebounds to lead the Blazers, while Nikola Jokic went for 29 points and 13 rebounds for the Nuggets. Here are some takeaways from the Blazers' thrilling victory: McCollum delivers in the clutch For most of the postseason, Damian Lillard has received the accolades in Portland -- and for good reason. But McCollum has been strong as well, and he kept that up with a massive performance on Sunday afternoon. When the Blazers were on the verge of being run out of the gym in the first half, McCollum was the only one scoring and keeping them in the game. And in the third quarter, he continued to power their comeback, eventually drilling a jumper in the closing seconds of the frame to give the Blazers their first lead of the night. Down the stretch, he continued to make big plays on both ends of the floor, coming up with a huge chasedown block on Jamal Murray before hitting a step-back jumper with 12 seconds to go to seal the Blazers' win. His performance was even more impressive considering Damian Lillard struggled for much of the night. Though he did make some big plays down the stretch as well, Lillard only scored 13 points in the game, shooting 3-of-17 from the field. Blazers' role players step up With Damian Lillard mired in his worst shooting performance of the postseason, the Trail Blazers needed other players to step up. McCollum was up for the task, but even he couldn't do it alone. The good news for Portland was that Evan Turner and Zach Collins had come to play as well. Turner has taken plenty of ridicule for failing to live up to his huge contract, but the man earned his pay in Game 7. Prior to Sunday, Turner had made just three baskets and scored seven points in 140 minutes this postseason -- a stat that seems almost made up, to be honest. But in Game 7, he was everywhere, finishing with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one block while also playing solid defense. Most important was that he scored 10 of those points in the fourth quarter to help secure the Trail Blazers' win. As for Collins, he showed why the Blazers are so high on his potential. He gave them some huge minutes in Game 7, finishing with seven points, five rebounds and four blocks in a solid all-around performance. Collins' ability to space the floor while still holding his own against Jokic was vital for the Blazers with Al-Farouq Aminu and Moe Harkless struggling. Nuggets burned by 3s and free throws The Nuggets had a 17-point lead in the second quarter of Game 7, and appeared on their way to the Western Conference finals. But, of course, their season is now over, thanks in large part to their inability to hit two of the biggest shots in basketball: 3-pointers and free throws. After Jokic hit two triples in the opening few minutes of the game, the Nuggets didn't hit a single 3 the rest of the way, missing 17 straight attempts to close the game, an ironic number considering they blew a 17-point lead along the way.