The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the NBA playoffs this season. Here we look at the Match Preview and TV Schedule for the game.
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The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the red-hot Portland Trail Blazers in what should end up being a great first-round playoff series. Both the teams have had contrasting bubble campaigns so far.
The Lakers looked abysmal in their seeding games with a 3-5 win-loss record as most of their stars looked lacklustre shooting the ‘ball. On the other hand, the Blazers have been one of the best teams in the bubble as they ran the gauntlet to win the 8th seed after fierce competition from the likes of Grizzlies, Spurs and the Suns, who went 8-0 in the bubble.
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The Lakers back-court would have a tough time guarding bubble MVP Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum while the brittle defense of the Blazers would have a difficult time containing the pair of Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Where to watch Blazers vs Lakers on TV and Online?
All NBA games will be available on NBA TV which can be accessed through a NBA League Pass. The NBA TV can be streamed on all platforms. Fans need to buy a NBA League Pass to view the games on NBA TV. The pass can be bought on NBA’s official site.
The game is slated for a 9 PM ET tip-off and will be streamed on NBCSNW, TNT and 620 AM(radio coverage). The game can also be streamed on fuboTV.
Team preview – Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers will bank on their all-star duo to come up with the goods in the playoffs. LeBron James is a proven playoff performer and is due a big game since arriving in the bubble. The King operates at another level in the playoffs and his playmaking abilities will come in handy for the Lakers.
Anthony Davis is experiencing a different kind of pressure as the big man knows that anything other than a championship victory will be seen as a failure in LA. The former Pelicans star has posted 30+ points in the 12 games he has played in the playoffs and will look to make a statement tonight. The squad will also look to improve their shooting and Caldwell-Pope has gone on the record to vow that he will step up during the playoffs.
The likes of Kyle Kuzma, Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green and Alex Caruso will have a tough job at hand to stop the back-court pair of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum who have been putting up staggering numbers right through the bubble games. Kyle Kuzma needs to step up to be a leading scorer especially if one of the two all-stars have an off-night. The Lakers defense has been on point during the entire season and will look to continue to do in the playoffs.
Expected starting line-up: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee
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Team preview – Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers are tipped by several critics to upset the Lakers considering their recent form. However, the Blazers know that a long series could make them an easy picking for the Lakers as most of their starters have played 40 minutes or more during the league games in Orlando.
However, considering the current form of Damian Lillard, count out the Blazers at your own peril. The superstar has gone on to extreme lengths to drag the Blazers into the playoffs. The Bubble MVP has been ably supported by CJ McCollum and Skinny Melo in the games so far.
The Blazers will miss Zach Collins in the first game but will bank on Nurkic to stop Anthony Davis. Carmelo Anthony will have a mammoth task in his hands as he is expected to guard LeBron James. The defensive issues have plauged the Blazers this season and might lead to their downfall if not stitched together quickly.
Gary Trent Jr. had some games when he ballistic shooting beyond the arc but his stats have started to drop in the recent games. CJ McCollum is fighting back spasms and that could make a big difference in the series.
Expected starting line-up: Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Gary Trent Jr, Carmelo Anthony, Jusuf Nurkic
