Portland star guard Damian Lillard may have said it lightheartedly, but the sentiment remains. He thinks his Blazers can beat the Golden State Warriors in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.
When asked by ESPN on Thursday to predict the match-up between top-seeded Golden State and eighth-seeded Portland, Lillard predicted a Blazers win in six games.
“I was asked in six or seven [games], and I said six,” said Lillard. “It was a lighthearted exchange, but with that said, I do believe we can win the series.”
The Blazers (41-41) lost all four regular season match-ups versus the Warriors (67-15) this year.
The two teams open up their best-of-seven series at Oracle Arena in Oakland on Sunday.
| WESTERN CONFERENCE |
|---|
| Portland vs. Golden State |
Sunday, April 16: Portland at Golden State, 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 19: Portland at Golden State, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 22: Golden State at Portland, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, April 24: Golden State at Portland, 7:30 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 26: Portland at Golden State, TBD
x-Friday, April 28: Golden State at Portland, TBD
x-Sunday, April 30: Portland at Golden State, TBD
(KPUG – Doug Lange; Information from the Associated Press was used in this story)