Despite an incredible performance from superstar Damian Lillard, the Portland Trail Blazers came up short in double overtime at Denver in Game 5 of their Western Conference playoff series. The Blazers are home NBA betting favorites for Game 6 on Thursday, however, to force a Game 7.

How to Bet Nuggets at Trail Blazers NBA Odds & TV Info

• When: Thursday, 8 PM ET
• Where: Moda Center
• TV: TNT
• Stream: TNT app
• Radio:com

Why Bet on Denver? | Betting Odds for NBA 

The Nuggets won a crazy Game 5 at home on Tuesday, 147-140 in double overtime at home. Michael Porter Jr’s 3-pointer from the left corner the net with 1:33 left in the second overtime proved the game-winner. Nikola Jokic tied it at 140 with a layup and Porter broke the tie with a 3 from the left corner with 1:33 left off a great pass from Jokic.

The Nuggets jumped out to a 14-1 lead after a Facundo Campazzo free throw with 7:06 remaining in the first quarter and led by as much as 21 points after a Markus Howard three-pointer with 7:01 remaining in the second quarter. Though the Blazers fought back and made the game more than interesting, Denver showed resilience and took a 3-2 lead.

Jokic came up one assist shy of a triple-double with a line of 38 points on 14-of-31 shooting, 11 rebounds, nine assists and four blocks. While he has yet to have a triple-double in this series — a feat he accomplished 16 times during the regular season – he has double-doubled in three of his five games vs. the Blazers. Jokic has scored at least 34 points in four of his five postseason games thus far.

Porter Jr. bounced back from Saturday’s lackluster performance in Game 4 to score 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting (3-of-5 3-pointers) and added 12 rebounds and three assists in Game 5.  Porter has now scored at least 15 points in four of his five playoff games and has scored at least 25 points in two of those contests.

With injuries to Jamal Murray (season-ending) and Will Barton III, the Nuggets have been searching for a third scorer to complement their two remaining stars in Jokic and Porter Jr. They found a third, fourth and fifth option Tuesday. The rise in production from Monte Morris (28 points), Austin Rivers (18), Aaron Gordon (14) was very important.

Morris took advantage of an extended run to post a season-high scoring output, and the point guard played a big role in the team’s win despite not starting. He was huge in the second half, scoring 14 points, and got his team going in OT with a three at the start of the first overtime.

Denver outrebounded the Blazers 52-45 and had 23 second-chance points to Portland’s nine.

Why Bet on Portland? | Betting Odds for NBA 

Damian Lillard put on quite the show in Tuesday’s loss. Lillard’s 3-pointer with three seconds left in regulation tied it at 121, capping a 22-point comeback. His 3 with 6.4 seconds left in the first overtime tied it at 135 and that capped Portland’s comeback from a quick nine-point deficit in the extra period after Denver hit a trio of 3s.

Lillard’s finished with a franchise playoff record 55 points and NBA playoff record 12 3-pointers. He eclipsed the mark of 11 set by Golden State’s Klay Thompson at Oklahoma City on May 28, 2016.  He also had 10 assists and six rebound to become the 4th player in NBA history to record a 50-point, 10-assist game in the postseason, joining Russell Westbrook, Sleepy Floyd and Jerry West. Lillard was the first player in NBA history with at least 50 points, 10 assists and 10 three-pointers in a game, regular season or playoffs.

He is averaging 35.6 points per game in the current series and has scored at least 34 points in four of the five games thus far. The star point guard lacked support in this game, as no other Portland player reached the 20-point plateau.

CJ McCollum had 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists but committed a costly turnover when he stepped out of bounds late in the second overtime, and he also struggled from the field — he needed 22 shots just to reach the 18-point outlet.

Robert Covington had 19 points and 11 rebounds. Covington had his best performance of the series, scoring in double figures for the first time since May 13, and just the third time since the start of May. Covington might have missed a dunk that could’ve changed the game in the second overtime, but he still ended as the Blazers’ second-highest scorer while also managing a double-double.

Too many times this series, the Blazers have come out flat and dug themselves into a deep, daunting hole. In Game 5, the Nuggets came off the tip with a 10-0 run and continued to build on that throughout the first half. At one point, they led by 22 points.

Game Trends

• Nuggets are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games.
• Nuggets are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
• Nuggets are 11-5-1 ATS in their last 17 playoff games as an underdog.
• Trail Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.
• Trail Blazers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as a home favorite.
• Nuggets are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Portland.

Expert Prediction

• Blazers 117, Nuggets 114

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