The first-round series between the Thunder and Trail Blazers has been defined by Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook. Who gets the upper hand in Game 5?
With highlight plays, enormous stat lines and the endless trolling of personal animosity, the matchup between Russell Westbrook and Damian Lillard has defined the first-round series between the Thunder and Trail Blazers. Portland has a 3-1 series lead and a chance to close out Oklahoma City at home, which tells you everything you need to know about which point guard has been getting the upper hand.
Lillard has averaged 28.8 points and 6.0 assists per game in the series, shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 44.4 percent on 3-pointers. Westbrook is putting up 21.3 points and 9.8 assists. He’s also adding 8.3 rebounds but that’s more than washed away by him shooting 36.3 percent from the field and 30.4 percent on 3-pointers. Paul George, battling an ailing shoulder, is shooting essentially the same percentages. Without much help from their supporting case, which is really the intentional design of this roster, the Thunder just haven’t been able to get ahead of Portland.
If Oklahoma City can’t turn things around, the disappointing result will likely force some tough questions about the viability of Westbrook’s style of play and the ability of this roster to take the leap to championship contender.
Below is everything you’ll need to watch Game 5.
Date: Tuesday, Apr. 23
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Venue: Wells Fargo Center
TV Info: TNT
Live Stream: Qualified subscribers can watch on the WatchTNT app or on FuboTV (sign-up for a free trial).
The stakes are high for Oklahoma City but they are just as high for Portland, who are looking to validate their own multi-year plan of building around Lillard and CJ McCollum. It’s going to be an intense game and anything could happen.