The best in the west has a testing fixture in their first-round playoff matchup. The Portland Trail Blazers displayed a determined performance to edge out other teams and qualify as the #8 seed. NBA fans are extremely excited that the Blazers are facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.
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It is a battle of might vs grit as the Lakers and the Blazers square off in an exciting series. Damian Lillard activated his inner beast mode to propel Portland past the seeding games. He is a man on a mission this time around, wanting to take on the Lakers and beat them in the first round.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Blazers: How’s their bubble form?
The Los Angeles Lakers came into the Orlando bubble as the #1 seed in the west, and they are going into the playoffs holding the same position. But, how did they play in the eight games that served as playoff preparation? A bit disappointing, to be honest.
We did expect the Lakers to not make a huge deal out of the seeding games as they already had the #1 spot in their hands. But, their shooting display is a major improvement area going into the playoffs. Moreover, their win percentage does not portray a happy picture as well.
The Lakers have won only three out of the eight seeding games that they played. Five losses for LeBron James and his team certainly means there’s work that needs to be done. On the other hand, the Blazers enjoy a good run of form when compared to their opponents.
Under the prowess of Dame Lillard, the Blazers only faced defeat in two games. While they didn’t record a stunning 8-0 record like the Suns, their six victories was enough to push them to the eighth spot and earn a spot in the play-in tournament against the Grizzlies.
Who will triumph in Game 1 of the Bo7 series?
If you were to ask me who’d win if the Blazers and the Lakers play a one-off game, I’d pick the Blazers. Simply because they have been extremely impressive about the way they have gone about playing their game.
You could see the true determination in the team to go big this season. The talent and the depth of the Blazers seem to be a significant factor contributing to their victories. Several fans are rooting for the Blazers to cause an upset and send the Lakers out of the playoffs and the bubble.
But, playoff LeBron is different. King James has struggled to find his form inside the bubble and has been vocal about it. We should not forget the fact that LeBron missed the playoffs for the first time in his career in 2019.
Thus, LBJ is hungrier than ever to make his presence felt in the playoffs. James has an astonishing 28.9 PPG when it comes to postseason games. Moreover, LeBron has the most points in the playoffs by any player in the league’s history (6,911). So, it is not fair to discount the Lakers just like that, when they have one of the best players on their side.
To conclude, keeping in mind the force that the Lakers have in their arsenal, I still think that the Blazers might cause an early upset and win Game 1. This comes based on the fact that Damian Lillard is having the best season of his career. The bubble MVP can really step up when it matters, and we have seen glimpses of ‘Dame Time’ already in the seeding games!
