The matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Playoffs is one to watch due to Damian Lillard’s potential performance, according to Dan Devine of the Ringer. Devine outlines how the Blazers have performed in past playoffs with Lillard at the helm, noting that the team was doing well this season before injuries to CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. He also elaborates on how Lillard needs to step up in the postseason to build his legacy and drive the team further into the playoffs:
The Blazers’ rough run of postseason luck isn’t all on Lillard’s shoulders; they were injured and outgunned against Memphis in 2015, ran into two buzzsaw Warriors teams in 2016 and 2017, and had a team-wide collapse against New Orleans last season.