2018 NBA First Round Matchup: (3) Portland Trailblazers v. (6) New Orleans Pelicans

[jayfan]

Could be the most competitive/entertaining matchup of the first round. Both teams playing very well presently. Teams split regular season, each winning one home and away. Largest deficit was 10.

Game 1 in Portland: Saturday, April 14, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 2 in Portland: Tuesday, April 17, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 3 in New Orleans: Thursday, April 19, 9 p.m. ET, NBA TV
Game 4 in New Orleans: Saturday, April 21, 5 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 5 in Portland: TBA (if necessary)
Game 6 in New Orleans: TBA (if necessary)
Game 7 in Portland: TBA (if necessary)

[Im Still Ballin]

Excited to see Playoff Rondo again

This time he got a mfin squad!

Story of the series is Dame vs. Davis

Which Superstar is ready to take their legacy to the next level?

[DJMcDonald]

Pelicans in 6. /thread.

[RoseCity07]

Pelicans are an underrated team even without Cousins. They played Portland tough. I just think Playoff Dame and CJ will be too much. Plus they didn't have Nurkic last year. So we get to see a almost full strength Portland team.

I hope Harkless is back next week. We need him.

Blazers in 5 or 6.

[Proctor]

This should be a Pelicans win in 6 or 7 to me.

- Playoff Rondo
- Monster Davis
- E'Twaun Moore plays big, there aren't moments too big for him, can get hot from 3 and plays D
- Mirotic has been on fire recently and can be the x-factor
- Jrue Holiday is steady/a stud
- Darius Miller off the bench can be an x-factor in a game with his deadeye 3pt shot

Blazers have just their starters, have to hope Lillard and McCollum go off at the same time a lot of the time, and have only the likes of Zach Collins, Napier and Ed Davis off the bench. I just don't see it.

[DJMcDonald]

Pelicans lowkey have a big 3 in Davis, Rondo and Holiday. Both Jrue and Rondo are solid defensively and will give CJ and Dame fits.

[LAVAR BALL]

Davis never had such a complete team

Pels in 6

[Naero]

I'm expecting a special series from Anthony Davis. The eventual victor of this series is debatable enough, but one outcome is indisputable to me: The Brow will be the best player of this series

[PickernRoller]

Blazers in 6.

[DJMcDonald]

If the Pelicans can't advance with the amount of TALENT they have, Embiid is indubitably the best bigman in the league. No other way around it.

[Gotterdammerung]

Portland has fallen off that incredible 13 game winning kick to finish off the season, going a limp 5-7. They must keep Unibrow under 27 ppg and 11 rebounds and force him to shoot inefficiently. Nurkic should have the series of his life, add at least 12 or more points per game, and keep the pressure off of Lillard and McCollum.

Holiday is good, but he won't be enough to offset the Blazers' superlative backcourt.
Moreover. The Blazers' depth and homecourt should be enough to advance to the second round.

Portland in 7.

[dbugz]

The Pelicans is playing with no pressure at all. They're not supposed to be in the playoffs. They have nothing to lose.

Another thing is, Blazers strength is on their 1 & 2 guards while Pelicans have two of the best defensive guards in the league. Who can stop AD?

This is going to be a dangerous series for the Blazers.

[RoseCity07]

I'm curious to see how Wade Baldwin plays this series. He played great defense for the Blazers but it didn't lead to wins.

I wonder if he turns it up a notch or just fouls out like most overly zealous young defenders.

I hope Aminu is on in this series. His 3 point shot is either money or trash.

[bison]

AD gonna get his first playoff win

[RoseCity07]

Time for Blazers show AD how THICK they are