Trail Blazers at Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have turned the Western Conference semifinals into a best-of-three conclusion and that's not a bad thing for a team that was an NBA-best 34-7 at home this season. The Nuggets look to take a 3-2 lead in the series when they host the Portland Trail Blazers in Tuesday's Game 5.
Being home for two of the final three games is appealing to Denver coach Michael Malone but he sees Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard scoring 28 points on an off-day and he isn't about to relax. "We haven't done anything yet," Malone told reporters after Sunday's 116-112 win in Portland. "It's a tied series. We've taken home-court advantage back but Dame is capable of putting up 40 and 50 in a heartbeat. By no means are we thinking that we've figured him out." The Nuggets' victory in Game 4 was highly needed after Friday's historic 140-137 quadruple-overtime loss and now the Trail Blazers look to win in Denver for the second time in the series. "I think we're in a good space, 2-to-2," Lillard told reporters. "We know we're capable of winning on their floor and that's what we've got to go get done. Obviously it's disappointing, we didn't want to let an opportunity like this slip but it happens. It's playoff basketball and we've got to move forward."
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS: Lillard was just 9-of-22 shooting in Game 4 and he is 24-of-63 over the past three games - including 5-of-23 from 3-point range - despite averaging 27.3 points in the series. Shooting guard CJ McCollum is averaging 26.5 points in the series and he had 29 points in Game 4 after posting 41 in the second-ever, four-overtime playoff outing, the other being in 1953. Center Enes Kanter (shoulder) struggled in Game 4 with just five points after averaging 19.7 over the first three games.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS: Point guard Jamal Murray scored 34 points for the second consecutive game and star center Nikola Jokic had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his second straight triple-double as Denver showed big-time resolve with Sunday's win. "I think it's not quitting," Jokic told reporters. "We have a lot of competitive guys who don't want to lose. I think we don't want to lose more than we like to win - which is weird. We just didn't want to have the excuse that we lost because of four overtimes, because we were tired." Jokic is averaging 26.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 9.5 assists in the series while Murray is averaging 26.5 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nuggets PF Paul Millsap is averaging 17.8 points and 10 rebounds in the series and has recorded three straight double-doubles.
2. Portland PF Al-Farouq Aminu scored 19 points in Game 4 after totaling 19 through the first three games.
3. Denver swingman Will Barton averaged 16.5 points in the two games in Portland after averaging just 6.5 in two home contests.