The Portland Trail Blazers came into their playoff series with the Denver Nuggets the underdog, if only by a slim margin. The injuries to the Denver roster have given the Blazers an edge even with MVP front-runner Nikola Jokic leading the Nuggets attack. However, Portland is still held back by an aggressively awful defense, being one of only three teams in the last fifteen years to make the playoffs despite a bottom-three defense in NBA rank.
Game one showcased some of Portland’s strengths and minimized their weaknesses in a 123–109 win to take the home-court advantage away from the Mile High City.
Takeaway Number One: Winning the Three Point War
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