The Portland Trail Blazers venture to Colorado to face the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of a best-of-seven matchup on Tuesday evening. With the series tied at 2-2 after four games, Game 5 could be pivotal, and the series is projected as a virtual coin flip to illustrate the hotly contested nature of the matchup.
Both teams failed to hold serve at home, with the Nuggets splitting the first two games on their home floor and the Blazers doing the same in Game 3 and Game 4. Portland’s bounce-back in Game 4 was badly need to even the series, however, as the Blazers zoomed to a 20-point home win in the last contest. Five players scored in double figures for Terry Stotts’ team but, beyond that, the Blazers managed to win by a lopsided margin even on a night in which Damian Lillard shot just 1-of-10 from the floor. Norman Powell’s 29-point explosion was partly responsible for the friendly result, but Portland also had their best defensive game of the series.
Some of that certainly should be credited to the Blazers’ defense, but Game 4 was also a shaky performance from Denver’s offense. Michael Porter Jr. inexplicably attempted only three shots in 23 minutes and, with the game slipping away quickly after halftime, MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic played just 27 minutes and Aaron Gordon saw the floor for only 18 minutes. Back at home, the Nuggets can take solace in that performance being a mere hiccup, and Denver is still facing what was a bottom-five defense in the NBA this season in Portland.
From a betting standpoint, Game 4 went Under the total of 227.5 points and Portland covered the closing point spread of 4.5 points as a favorite.
Game 5 TV Info
Tip Time: Tuesday, June 1; 9 p.m. ET
TV Network: NBA TV
Game 5 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Series Prices: Blazers (-129), Nuggets (+105)
Spread: Nuggets -1.5 (-112), Blazers +1.5 (-110)
Total: Over 226 (-112), Under 226 (-109)
Money Line: Nuggets (-120), Blazers (+100)
Game 5 Player Scoring Props (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Robert Covington O/U 7.5 Points (Over -107/Under -120)
Facundo Campazzo O/U 10.5 (-103/-125)
Jusuf Nurkic O/U 14.5 (-107/-120)
CJ McCollum O/U 22.5 (-103/-125)
Austin Rivers O/U 9.5 (-107/-120)
Norman Powell O/U 17.5 (-107/-120)
Damian Lillard O/U 31.5 (-113/-113)
Aaron Gordon O/U 11.5 (-113/-113)
Michael Porter Jr. O/U 20.5 (-107/-120)
Nikola Jokic O/U 31.5 (-107/-120)
