Anything can happen in sports. One minute the Portland Trail Blazers were down 0-2 to the Los Angeles Clippers, and the next, they took four straight to eliminate a suddenly decimated squad. The Golden State Warriors appeared ready to cruise through the first two rounds of the playoffs after a record 73 wins, and then their best player was knocked out indefinitely.
Such is basketball.
The Blazers have been exceeding expectations all season long, so completely writing them off against the Warriors - with or without Stephen Curry - would be silly.
Here are three things to watch for in the series:
Lillard can steal game(s)
Damian Lillard scored more of his points against the Warriors this season than any other team. That included dropping 51 on them Feb. 19, in one of the Dubs' nine losses this season. The Oakland native also had outings of 40 and 38 points against his hometown team.
Conversely, Klay Thompson played well against the Blazers, scoring 37 in a March 11 win and defending Lillard well when switched onto him. That's a matchup bound to happen more now with Curry out.
It will rain threes
Many expect Curry to return May 9 at the earliest, which is the date of Game 4. Even without him for most or all of the series, these two teams will bomb away from deep. In the March 11 contest, the squads combined for an NBA-record 37 treys in a single game.
To call the Portland backcourt a poor person's version of the Warriors' feels like a slight to Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but the Dubs have been so dominant there's really no other way to put it. Given Curry's circumstances, however, McCollum becomes an instant x-factor. He shot close to 48 percent from beyond the arc in four games against Golden State this season.
Intangibles?
The Blazers aren't supposed to be here, and given the sudden doubt that Curry's injury has cast on the Warriors, any pressure should be squarely on Golden State. Yet the Warriors have conquered adversity before, including trailing a playoff series 2-1 to the Memphis Grizzlies last season.
Either way, both teams should welcome the four-day break between Games 2 and 3. While it will buy Curry more time to recover, it also benefits the Blazers, as it will come after they've played six games in 11 days.
