4 games to discuss here gonna start with the game fives that took place tonight then do full breakdowns of the game fours from last night start with Denver Portland which is not over but it's over Denver leads by 28

Myrcelender is in it's over. It's just been a massive struggle for Portland in this one Nikola Yokic, another dominating effort from him.

I think he's got five offensive rebounds and is scored on all five of them 18 points 18 rebounds five assists Jamal Murray had some beautiful finishes as they nuggets pulled away in the second quarter 34 to 22.

He's got 18 points and Paul Milsap dominated it in the first half with 19 points of his own as Terry Stotz gambit to go with Dennis Cantor on Paul Milsap and Alfru Camino guarding Yokic so they could switch Yokic Murray actions did not work.

It really failed and I'm fine with trying something because we'd seen Portland's base approaches just didn't work and so in a game where Denver had an advantage they've been a they've been a strong home team wanted to do something different not a problem there but overall I just thought Portland's defense.

I mean they were fought on both ends but I thought the defense was the more striking part they weren't doing the effort plays they were getting beat on second chance points and in transition and maybe that means what Terry Stotz needs to do and you could say that this is already

happened in part because of Seth Curry playing more and a few other things if you're not going to play defense then you might as well play off.

Yeah yeah and that's a good point with Hood or Curry at the three Moharcliffe has struggled he only had 13 minutes in the competitive portion of the game here.

Amidu I think he's just seems like he's really getting worn down having to play against Yokic you know just he's not had much of an effect on the defensive glass only two defensive rebounds for him.

And his counter is just not the same on either end I think with that shoulder issue or he just can't knock heads the way he would like to and I mean the the blazers just don't have good defensive personnel.

Yeah it's not a surprise that they are getting eaten up this way I mean in Denver you know 125 offensive rating 130 in the first half and they're not even shooting that many three's are shooting that well from three's they're just beating them up in the paint on the fast break Portland.

I see they finally got a fast break point but through midway through the third they hadn't scored at all in transition.

They missed some but yeah I mean they and Portland this game could have looked different I don't think they would have won I don't even think it necessarily would have been close.

If they had hit a few shots their shot chart through three quarters is pretty is pretty striking 14 to 26 in the restricted area that was by far their best part of the floor.

Two of 12 from floater range three of 13 from two pointers outside the paint and then three of 19 above the break threes when you consider some of the shooters that they have great not everybody is is they mean a little but little two for nine CJ missed a few and then you know like Seth Curry struggling as well.

Yeah I mean he's only over two and he can play more I mean I think in the first half particularly just not getting up enough three point attempts this is a Denver team that will give up threes particularly corner threes.

And the reason they do that is because they put two on the ball in picking roll well when you have a medium out there who just has now struggled to one of eight in this game in 24 minutes and just hasn't hit a three since what like one one.

And not only that but who Denver has been conceding those shots and taking other things away they've been totally fine without for a good medium taking all the shots he can eat and I agree with that strategy.

Yeah and Paul Millsap is a great help to find you see him come over with some blocks got some strip as well just not guarding it a medium at all.

But I mean he knew his best hope of competing defensively in theory and Harcos and Evan Turner is not any better so I mean maybe you play hood more maybe you play Curry more they closed the game with Curry in game four and they were able to score.

I do think that to me the bigger problem was the offense in this game I mean to have a 90 offense rating the first half despite the fact that they took 19 shots of the rim in the first half just not being able to make a jump shot I think is just such a problem.

And you know Lillard had 18 in the first half and they're still down by 17 because they're scoring less than a point per position and they're just they don't have a way to stop this Denver team we knew that coming in we thought this would be a series with offensive fireworks but Portland has just been a little bit more inconsistent and that's just been the team of this series to me is that Denver is has so many more ways to attack Yokec and Murray in pick and roll the handoff game Yokec and Harris Yokec's posting up Yokec's getting a screen for the game.

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