Here are the scores, updates, and results of the NBA 2020-2021 Playoffs in the first round between the Denver Nuggets (DEN) against the Portland Trail Blazers (POR) on May 25, 2021 (All times are in Philippine Standard Time) at the Ball Arena.
The Denver Nuggets bounces back in game 2 after being defeated by the Trail Blazers in their previous matchup as Nikola Jokic led them with 38 big points, 8 rebounds, and five assists while shooting with extreme efficiency as he hit 15 of his 20 attempts from the floor.
Both teams had some physical situations that led them to have 4 combined technical fouls, three on Denver and two flagrant-1 calls on CJ McCollum and Carmelo Anthony of the Portland Trail Blazers.
In the first half, there was a bit of physicality between both teams as Jokic and Nurkic got tangled up. After a timeout, the teams started to exchange words with each other. After that, Porter and Nate Tibbetts, an assistant coach of the Trail Blazers, both got technical fouls.
The emotions elevated when Anthony pushed Jokic and drew a flagrant-1 foul. Morris then had a technical foul after halftime.
“It was chippy and that’s the way it should be,” Michael Malone, the head coach of the Denver Nuggets said. “We’re all fighting for something. That’s the way the playoffs should be. I loved it. That’s my kind of game right there.”
Michael Porter Jr. had a big improvement in this game in terms of hitting his three-point shots. In Game 1, the forwards only hit 1 of his 10 looks from beyond the three-point arc, but in this game, he managed to sink 3 of his 6.
Damian Lillard had hot, flaming hands throughout the first half, hitting three-pointer after three-pointer on the Nuggets. Before halftime, “Dame Dolla” finished with 32 of his 42 total points. Not only that but the sensational guard of the Trail Blazers also sank eight of his 9 three-pointers in the first half alone, tying an NBA playoff record for most in a half. Lillard also added 10 dimes and 4 rebounds.
CJ McCollum also had a decent game, scoring 21 points, collecting 6 rebounds, and had 2 three-point shots while shooting 9-12 from the field.
The Denver Nuggets ties the series against the Trail Blazers at 1-1. The series will resume on Friday at 10:30 AM for Game 3 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Nuggets vs Trail Blazers
25-31; 36-42; 26-28; 22-27
The scores:
Nuggets (128) – Jokic 38, Porter Jr. 18, Millsap 15, Gordon 13, Morris 12
Trail Blazers (109) – Lillard 42, McCollum 21, Powell 15, Nurkic 7, Anthony 5