The Northwest Division is up for a great matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets at 11:00 AM on Wednesday live on NBA TV Philippines.
The Trail Blazers may be missing important guys like CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, and Zach Collins, but there is no need to worry.
It’s time. It’s DAME time.
Portland’s franchise player Damian Lillard is beyond outstanding this season, averaging 30.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game. Not only that, Lillard has also been ranked No. 1 in clutch points in the NBA. So, if things get a bit too close, you can sleep well at night knowing Lillard is going to deliver.
Performing like a true All-Star, Lillard has been able to lead his team to fifth place in the West with an 18-11 record, showing the fans that he should be part of the MVP conversation.
On the Nuggets’ side is another MVP candidate, a 7-foot Serbian legend who has been changing the way we look at bigs. Nikola Jokic has continued to develop season after season, averaging 26.6 points, 11.1 rebounds and a whopping 8.5 assists at the center position. The Joker is not only a talented scorer, but he also has the unique ability to develop other guys in the team.
His primary beneficiary would have to be the birthday boy, Jamal Murray. Following an incredible run in the bubble, Murray has been a source of frustration for Nuggets fans at the beginning of the season. His slow start cost them several games, consistently playing catch up with the other teams.
However, Murray seems to have gotten the ball rolling as he has started producing his bubble-like figures. Murray has averaged 33 points in their last five matches, compared to only 20.9 points if you include all their other games.
The question is not focused on Murray’s talent because obviously it’s there. The question is consistency. Putting Murray up against a superstar like Lillard will be a familiar matchup, but Murray’s talent will be tested by Lillard’s consistency.
The battle between these two guards is something you wouldn’t want to miss, especially since Murray might follow in the footsteps of his teammate Paul Millsap who made it big on his birthday.
After losing three of their last four road games, the Nuggets are looking to find consistency when they return home and host the Trail Blazers.
