It’s only been two games, but already this series between the Trail Blazers and Nuggets has turned into a battle of brains and brawn.
The tactical intrigue of the series heightened in Monday’s raucous Game 2 win by Denver when Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon asked to defend a scorching Damian Lillard, helping hold the Blazers’ star to 10 points after a mind-boggling 32-point first half. How Portland counters the Gordon-on-Lillard strategy will be at the forefront of Thursday’s Game 3 in Portland.
But the bigger story behind Denver’s 128-109 Game 2 win might be what is bubbling under the surface — a tension between these two teams that is rooted either in bravado or sheer dislike.
