Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers (Series: 1-0, Portland)
Thursday, August 20 – 6pm PT
Blazers injuries: Rodney Hood (out), Trevor Ariza (out), Caleb Swanigan (out), Zach Collins (out), Nassir Little (out)
Lakers injuries: Avery Bradly (excluded), Rajon Rondo (doubtful), LeBron James (likely), Anthony Davis (likely)
How can you watch TV? NBCSNW, ESPN (or check out Fubo for your streaming needs)
Radio: 620 AM
SBN Affiliate: Silver screen and roll
The Trail Blazers go into Game 2 of the first round with a win under their belt. As the eighth seed against the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s a good place to be. Portland has wet teeth and nails for their place in the playoffs, and they are not slowing down. Despite some fighting in Game 1, the Blazers drew a win against all odds.
What to see
- Which Whiteside will we see? Will we see the Hassan Whiteside who seems to be losing and unleashing his energy and motivation, or will we see the Whiteside of Tuesday’s game that is a massive presence on the court and comes out ready to fight for a profit? You could argue that Whiteside was the MVP for the Blazers in Game 1, outside of Damian Lillard. If he can hold on to that fire and energy, Whiteside will help add to the Trail Blazers’ size and defense.
- Wenyen Gabriel. Do I need more description? The young forward was thrown into a starting lineup of the first round of the NBA playoffs. There was suddenly so much pressure for someone relatively new to the league. But with Collins injured, he showed up in a massive way. If Gabriel can continue to perform at the capacity he did in Game 1, he will be a great asset to Portland.
- The Lakers Star Power. LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The two biggest problems for the Trail Blazers. James is reportedly struggling to adapt to bubble play, making Los Angeles vulnerable to the Trail Blazers falling and taking the series. Davis seems to be wrestling with the length of the Blazers in Game 1. It remains to be seen if the Lakers can make changes and pull it together or if Portland will take another win against the one seed.
What they say
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports talks about the Lakers’ battle of the 3-point line, and how it has only gotten worse since entering the bubble.
The Lakers were not a good shooting team this season with 3 points. They were 26th in the league at 32.6 percent when the game ended in March. But in the last nine games, which include the eight-seeded games and the opening playoff game, they have ultimately died at 28.6 percent.
Sam Quinn of CBS Sports states that a change to the starting lineup of the Lakers is necessary.
This is not rocket science. The Lakers start each game down several points because they start the wrong lineup. They exacerbate the problem by sending the same lineup at the beginning of the third quarter. The starting lineup version that Avery Bradley outscored opponents with 12.6 points per 100 possessions in the regular season. The Kentavious Caldwell-Pope version was outscored with 1.2 points per 100 possessions. McGee-Caldwell-Pope-James-Davis-Danny Green is not working.
The Lakers struggled without the crowds to hype them. Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times writes about James and the team’s fight in the bubble.
It’s clear, and James has indicated a few weeks about this, but the Lakers lack the momentum that is generated by the big fans of Staples Center. On the first day of the postseason, there is no place like the corner of 11th and Figueroa. The crowds appear early. They puff out their boxes and claim their turf and spend the next two months life miserably for anyone who dares to try it.
