National Basketball Association
Damian Lillard's double-double powers Blazers to victory over Nuggets in Game 1
National Basketball Association

Damian Lillard's double-double powers Blazers to victory over Nuggets in Game 1

Updated May. 23, 2021 11:23 a.m. ET

The Portland Trail Blazers lit up the Nuggets in Denver in Game 1. 

The Trail Blazers came out with a 123-109 win over the Nuggets in front of 7,750 fans on Saturday at Ball Arena.

Let's take a look at how the Blazers ran away with Game 1 on the Nuggets' home floor:

Key performer: Damian Lillard

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The Blazers' point guard, who played 40 of the 48 minutes in the game, shot 10-for-25 from the field and 5-for-12 from 3-point range for 34 points and a career-high 13 assists. Lillard came in averaging 28.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists in the 2020-21 season. 

The Blazers hit 19 of 40 shots from distance Saturday, outscoring Denver from beyond the arc by 24 points.

Turning point: The third quarter 

The Nuggets, who were leading or tied with the Blazers for a majority of the game early, weren't able to regain control after halftime. Lillard scored 15 points in the third quarter, sparking a 32-13 run by the Blazers that turned their nine-point deficit into a 10-point lead.

Wild card: Nikola Jokic

Despite leading Denver with 34 points and 16 rebounds, the MVP finalist wasn't able to get things back under control for the Nuggets once the Blazers took over late in the game. However, that didn't stop Lillard from showing his support for the Nuggets' star center after the game. 

Twitter's take:

Did you know?

This is the Trail Blazers' third Game 1 win in their past 11 playoff series. Coming into Saturday, they were 2-8 in their previous 10 Game 1s.

What's next?

The Blazers head to Denver for Game 2 at 7 p.m. PT Monday at Ball Arena (TNT).

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