- Kia NBA All-Seeding Team
- 1st Team: (Lillard (MVP)/Booker/Doncic/Harden/Warren)
- 2nd Team: (Giannis/Kawhi/LeVert/MPJ/Porzingis)
- Kia NBA Coach of the Seeding Games (Monty Williams)
Trailblazers/Grizzlies:
- A lot of ball screens for Portland to free up Lillard. The guards are looking to get downhill vs. Memphis bigs. Lillard hits his first three after Blazers start 0-3 and Collins follows up with another corner 3 on the next possession. Well balanced attack from Portland so far - everyone chipping in. Trailblazers really need to buckle down defensively. They can really give teams trouble with the high low offense between Nurk/Whiteside. Portland has completely took over this game. Another area where Portland can gives teams trouble is possessing bigs who can stretch the floor. Hezonja with good minutes while hitting a 3. Whiteside and Anthony cannot defend the Anderson/Valanciunas pick and roll. McCollum & Lillard already in double figures. Both teams are fighting! Nurkic is hiring shots from all over the floor and now has a double double (2Q). He had 17 rebounds in the 1H to go along with 15 points. He is exhausted which will be something to keep an eye on. Blazer pick apart the trap with a quick pass to Nurk who kicks to McCollum. Blazers porous defense is the difference in this 3Q. It’s going to be their downfall. DAME WITH THE JAM! It always seems when Portland sets those wide screens with Nurk at the top of the key passing that it equate to success. Watching Lillard, I’m impressed with his jabs and rip throughs. This game is highly competitive. Trailblazers attacking Dieng. The problem for Portland now is that Memphis is beaming with confidence and they are trying to get back in the game. Gary Trent Jr. with a couple of huge deflections to get stops for Portland. McCollum ties it up! He is picking on Morant. STAY MEL0
- Grizzlies are being aggressive in guarding the ball screens vs. Lillard. Brooks is such a competitor, he’s not going to back down from Melo/McCollum/Lillard. They are going to need Anderson and JV to step up as they are the ones with the most experience in pressure games. Morant is smooth in the open floor and is quick getting into the paint. Grizzlies are really struggling to score (1Q) as Brooks/Morant/JV/Clarke are 5-18. Melton will he needed to provide some scoring as the main options aren’t producing. But the best thing for them is that Dame hasn’t gotten go yet to put them away and their trio hasn’t gotten off to a good start. Now they are on a 13-2 run. Brooks looks like Lillard right now! Both teams are fighting! JV with 14 rebounds. Here’s the problem... Trailblazers are making a little run to end the quarter, but only down 8 and Ja isn’t playing well. He continues to be aggressive. Memphis needs to trap Dame the rest of the game. Morant is going to be a nightmare for teams once he can consistently knock down 3s. It sickens me how many long 2s Brooks takes. Anthony Tolliver has been such a steadying presence in this game. Brandon Clarke has stepped in this 3Q to provide scoring next to Morant. Ja has such a great ability of making that over the top pass off of screens to shooters. Grizzlies attacking Whiteside. What a 3Q from Memphis with 43 points. Morant is out here HOOPING! I really hate that technical in this game where there’s a lot of emotion. Morant’s ability to split on ball screens is impeccable. He’s getting to whatever spot he wants to. Is there a better player who can drive left and shoot the right handed floater better than Morant? Memphis really need to protect these offensive possessions late in the game and not give Portland extra possessions. Melton would’ve been better than Allen on Dame there. BROOKS!
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