While there are plenty of folks on television and elsewhere who are talking up the chances the Portland Trail Blazers have to pull off an upset against the Los Angeles Lakers, they have maintained a belief throughout the season that if they got a chance to be in the playoffs, that they can beat anybody. That confidence comes from their leader Damian Lillard, who reiterated again after officially making the playoffs that the Blazers aren’t there to be a punching bag for the big bad Lakers.
“They’re the No. 1 seed in the West for a reason,” Damian Lillard said. “They got the best player in the world. But at the same time, we didn’t fight as hard as we fought in the bubble to just get beat up on. We feel like we got a chance.”
Lillard has been phenomenal in the NBA Bubble so far, taking home the MVP award for the seeding games. Portland’s offense has been the best in the bubble in large part due to Lillard. The Blazers are +340 underdogs to win the series, according to BetMGM.
