Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors Game 1 Pick

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals will be between the reigning champion Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers. The Trail Blazers were able to take down the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 on Sunday and will get a day of rest before Tuesday’s matchup against the Warriors.

Trail Blazers Riding High

Portland at one point trailed by 17 points in its last game against Denver. It was not a pretty game for either team shooting the ball, and in a match that Damian Lillard was struggling C.J. McCollum stepped up big in the clutch. McCollum scored a team-high 37 points to lead the Trail Blazers past the Nuggets. Lillard finished with just 13 points, but the Portland guards played larger than life combining for 19 rebounds in Game 7.

McCollum made a pivotal chase down block on Denver’s Jamal Murray that gave Portland some life on the road. The play was very much like LeBron James’ chase down block on Andre Iguodala in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.

Something to keep an eye on is the health of Rodney Hood. Hood exited Sunday’s game during the third quarter with a hyperextended left knee and did not return, finishing with six points and three rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. Hood has had some really big performances in the playoffs so far, but for now, we’ll consider him questionable, and if he needs to miss time, that’ll likely result in more minutes for Seth Curry and Moe Harkless.

One thing fans can keep an eye on is the showdown between the Curry brothers. Steph plays at a completely different level than Seth, but perhaps we’ll see a couple possessions where the brothers are forced to guard one another.

Golden State With some Rest

The Warriors had to head into Game 6 against Houston without their star player Kevin Durant but were able to prove their dominance over the Rockets once again with a 118-113 victory. In a game where Curry scored zero points in the first half, the superstar point guard went off for 33 points in the second half to help lead his team over James Harden and the Rockets.

Many people weren’t giving the Warriors a chance without Durant in Game 6, but they also forget that Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have won a championship without Durant before. While Curry struggled in the first half, Thompson was able to keep the Warriors in the game. The upcoming free agent finished with 27 points, finishing 7-for-13 from 3-point land.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr is optimistic that Durant will return at some point during the Conference finals. Many people feared it was an Achilles injury for Durant, but an MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis of a mild calf strain. Until Durant is cleared, the “Splash Brothers” will have to outbattle the Portland backcourt of Lillard and McCollum.