Slowing Lillard. Outside of Steph Curry, Damian Lillard may be the second-most likely player to reach supernova levels of hot. But for whatever reason, on the eve of Game 5, he hasn’t flipped the second-round series on its head, and itap fair to ask if he’s going to have the impact many assumed he would against Denver’s backcourt. and deserve credit for making him uncomfortable, but he’s also just missed badly on numerous 3-point attempts. Without that reliable weapon, Lillard has made a habit of driving the lane and getting to the rim. And, as good as his 27.3 scoring average is during this season, the Nuggets will live with it on inefficient 42 percent shooting.
Jokic keeps rolling. Despite logging his fourth triple-double of the postseason, Denver’s best player played a supporting role in the Nuggets’ gripping Game 4 win as took the lead. But without Joker’s clever passing and the hard work he put in getting deep into Portland’s paint, the Nuggets don’t escape with a 2-2 series tie. Before Murray’s string of free throws secured the game, Jokic assisted on a 3-pointer, a Gary Harris elbow jumper, another Barton triple and one final dime to Harris on a cutting layup. He is 0.7 assists shy of averaging a triple-double in the playoffs.
Offensive rebounds. Over the last three games, the Nuggets are averaging 21.3 offensive rebounds that have translated to 19.6 second-chance points. They’ve probably left more points on the glass than they wanted to, but not only is it demoralizing to give up second-chance opportunities, itap exhausting. So there’s a cumulative effect of those rebounds even if they haven’t led directly to points. In Game 4, Jokic had six offensive rebounds alone. Another big night on the offensive boards is crucial for Denver.
