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Portland Trail Blazers odds
The Portland Trail Blazers carried their hot performances from the seeding games into a Game 1 stunner of the Los Angeles Lakers behind Damian Lillard’s 34 points and look to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference first-round series on Thursday.
“Every game since we’ve been here has been a playoff game,” Lillard said, and Portland was ready for the occasion. The Blazers didn’t shoot the ball well in Game 1 (39.2 percent) but the Lakers were worse (35.1 percent), something Rip City shouldn’t count on again on Thursday. However, the Blazers protected the rim better than the Lakers did, blocking eight shots, five by Hassan Whiteside.
However, the Blazers gave up 17 offensive rebounds in Game 1. Big man Zach Collins will miss the next three games of the series, at least, after an MRI exam revealed a Malleolar stress reaction of his left ankle.
Los Angeles Lakers odds
The Los Angeles Lakers did everything right in Game 1 against the Trail Blazers except win the game and look to even the Western Conference first-round series at a game apiece on Thursday.
The Lakers kept Damian Lillard from a monster game, held the Blazers to their lowest points total in the bubble, and cleaned up on points in the paint (50-28) and the offensive glass. But the Lakers shot just 15.6 percent from the 3-point line, making just five. Further, all-world players LeBron James and Anthony Davis shot a combined 17-of-44 from the field, though James did record a 23-point, 17-rebound, 16-assist triple-double.
The Lakers were outscored 19-6 in the final 6:38 of the game. Guard Rajon Rondo (fractured thumb) has been upgraded to questionable for Game 2 on Thursday night. Rondo has yet to play in the bubble.
