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Portland Trail Blazers: 3 players to watch in game 1 v Denver Nuggets

Stevie Cozens|
PORTLAND, OREGON - MAY 07: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center on May 07, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - MAY 07: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center on May 07, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Playoff basketball is here. The Portland Trail Blazers are set to play the Denver Nuggets in game one of the NBA Playoffs today. In one of the more exciting series in the first round, the Blazers and their offensive might match up against MVP Nikola Jokic.

Here are three players to watch for in the first game.

Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard is the most important player for the Blazers in this series, and could yet be the best player on the court in this series. In many playoff series, the team with the best player goes on to win the series.

Lillard’s combination of clutch shot-making and deep threes may be too much for the Nuggets in game one. With strong wing defenders Will Barton and PJ Dozier likely out injured, it will come down to NBA journeyman Austin Rivers to guard Lillard. Rivers is a decent defender, but he isn’t the All-NBA stopper that other Western teams possess.

If Dame has a big one today, the chances are that the Blazers can snatch one of the away games.

Nikola Jokic

Jokic is even more important to his team than Lillard because of the Nuggets’ injuries. With key guard and second-best player Jamal Murray out for the season, Jokic will carry the playmaking and scoring duties.

If he can best the bruising tandem of Jusuf Nurkic and Enes Kanter, then the Nuggets will go a long way towards winning game one. Jokic needs to stay out of foul trouble and then be aggressive from the three-point line to bring Nurkic away from the basket. This front-line battle will be huge.

CJ McCollum

CJ McCollum will be disappointed that his career-best season in 2021 was partly ruined by injury. The 28-year-old went down in January just as he broke out, meaning he missed out on a first All-Star nod. He can go one better in this series and game one tonight by starting how he finished the regular season.

By shooting more threes and taking a bigger playmaking role, he takes some of the pressure off Dame while still being one of the most dangerous shot creators in the NBA.

CJ’s game was built for the playoffs, and tonight he can go up against a weak defensive team in the Nuggets. His role as the secondary scorer has never been more important after the load Dame has had to carry in the regular season. CJ being fresh and having played fewer games, is a positive for the Blazers.