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NBA Playoffs 2018: Portland Trail Blazers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Game 3 live stream: Watch online

By Jason Patt

PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 17: Jrue Holiday #11 of the New Orleans Pelicans goes to the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game Two of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 17, 2018 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 17: Jrue Holiday #11 of the New Orleans Pelicans goes to the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game Two of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 17, 2018 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The New Orleans Pelicans stole the first two games on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers. Now, the Pelicans will try to take full command of the series on their home floor in Game 3.

The New Orleans Pelicans entered their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers as the underdog, but the Pelicans have flipped that script by winning the first two games in Portland. New Orleans now has a chance to step on the Blazers’ throat and move to the brink of a sweep with a Game 3 win down in Louisiana.

While Anthony Davis has predictably been a problem for Portland, the biggest story of the series thus far has been how the Pelicans’ starting backcourt has badly outplayed the Blazers’ starting guards. Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo were terrific in both Games 1 and 2 in Portland, while Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum simply haven’t been good enough.

Holiday has really stood out. His defensive brilliance saved Game 1, and he followed that up by posting a playoff career-high 33 points and nine assists in Game 2. The guard scored 12 points in the fourth quarter as New Orleans went on a 12-2 run to close out a 111-102 win.

Lillard and McCollum have combined to shoot only 36.3 percent overall and 35.3 percent from 3. Lillard’s performance has been especially disappointing. After putting up nearly 27 points per game in the regular season, he managed only 35 points total in the first two games of this series. Needless to say, Portland needs a lot more from its star backcourt.

Moe Harkless’ return from knee surgery provided the Blazers a spark in Game 2, but Jusuf Nurkic and Evan Turner both got nicked up in the loss. Their statuses are unknown heading into Game 3.

Date: Thursday, April 19
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Venue: Smoothie King Center
TV Info: NBA TV, FOX Sports New Orleans, NBC Sports Northwest
Live Stream: Watch live on FuboTV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial.

Next: All live stream info in one place

This technically isn’t a must-win game for the Blazers, but for all intents and purposes it is one. No team in NBA history has lost the first three games of a series and come back to win. Portland is in a big hole, but these games have been close and better performances from the backcourt could swing things back in its favor.

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