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  3. article_body => "<p>The Trail Blazers know they can\u2019t let up in the slightest heading back to Denver.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Damian Lillard\u2019s biggest message following Monday\u2019s practice: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWe can\u2019t relax.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/talkin-blazers-frye\"><strong>Download and Subscribe to the Talkin' Blazers Podcast<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-url data-embed-button=\"url\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/talkin-blazers-frye\/episodes\/46d1b345-262d-445b-b9c1-8e7b8a093146\" data-entity-label=\"Embed social\" data-timestamp=\"1622498762\" data-url-provider=\"ART19\"><\/drupal-url>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The Trail Blazers and Nuggets First Round series has been an intense&nbsp;one thus far, and it\u2019s also been a pattern. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The loser of the previous game has always answered the call. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>With the series tied at 2-2, the Blazers realize how aggressive the Nuggets are going to be on their home floor after Portland blew out Denver in Game 4. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Michael Porter Jr., who finished with a series-low three points on just one-of-three shooting in Saturday\u2019s 115-95 drubbing, knows he needs to hunt for his shots more.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>He says he must be more of a factor come Tuesday.&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cIt\u2019ll be a different game tomorrow,\u201d Porter Jr. explained after Denver wrapped up its practice&nbsp;Monday afternoon. \u201cWe came out way too nonchalant last game. We can never do that in a playoff game.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Nobody will be surprised to have the Nuggets come out and be the aggressors in Game 5. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The Blazers know that best. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cAfter the game in the locker room, on the plane on the way here, the conversation has just been \u2013 we\u2019ve got to sustain that level of energy and that level of focus,\u201d Lillard said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-entity data-embed-button=\"pull_quote\" data-entity-embed-display=\"view_mode:paragraph.preview\" data-entity-type=\"paragraph\" data-entity-uuid=\"13c42619-14c5-4afd-9416-9785a00d39d0\" data-langcode=\"en\"><\/drupal-entity>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Lillard believes that the team's maturity and experience will come into play for the rest of the series. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The Blazers six-time All-Star is also looking for his team to \u201csustain what they\u2019ve built for the last game and a half.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>For Portland\u2019s head coach Terry Stotts, he doesn\u2019t want the series history to repeat itself. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cGame 2, there\u2019s no question that we won Game 1 and they came out and they were more aggressive. That was obvious to everybody,\u201d Coach Stotts said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-entity data-embed-button=\"pull_quote\" data-entity-embed-display=\"view_mode:paragraph.preview\" data-entity-type=\"paragraph\" data-entity-uuid=\"67a8bd16-5e87-4efe-93c8-1c947b6266e5\" data-langcode=\"en\"><\/drupal-entity>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Lillard added that it isn\u2019t just a mindset that the Blazers have to have in order to take the pivotal Game 5, it\u2019ll come down to their defense. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWhen we\u2019re right, it\u2019s not about the other team or them feeling frustrated or whatever, it\u2019s us doing what we talk about in our film -- that\u2019s playing hard defense, picking up, putting pressure on the ball, making them uncomfortable, and not allowing them to have their way,\" he said.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>\"I thought that\u2019s what we did last game, we pressured the ball. We played physical, we played with energy and we was able to sustain that for a much longer period of time than we had all series.\"<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>After traveling to Denver Sunday afternoon while getting their bodies and minds right, the Blazers went through game film and practice Monday to prepare for the challenge ahead. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>And now it\u2019s about getting it done on the court, not just saying what needs to be done. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-entity data-embed-button=\"pull_quote\" data-entity-embed-display=\"view_mode:paragraph.preview\" data-entity-type=\"paragraph\" data-entity-uuid=\"a79902cb-e2e3-458a-a8a7-f3e3458593cb\" data-langcode=\"en\"><\/drupal-entity>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Lillard and the Blazers are ready to back up their words with action. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Portland and Denver will tip-off Game 5 at 6:00p.m. PT on NBCSNW, the official network of the Portland Trail Blazers.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n"
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Trail Blazers

/ by Jamie Hudson
Trail Blazers

Jamie Hudson

The Trail Blazers know they can’t let up in the slightest heading back to Denver.

Damian Lillard’s biggest message following Monday’s practice:

“We can’t relax.”

Download and Subscribe to the Talkin' Blazers Podcast

The Trail Blazers and Nuggets First Round series has been an intense one thus far, and it’s also been a pattern.

The loser of the previous game has always answered the call.

With the series tied at 2-2, the Blazers realize how aggressive the Nuggets are going to be on their home floor after Portland blew out Denver in Game 4.

Michael Porter Jr., who finished with a series-low three points on just one-of-three shooting in Saturday’s 115-95 drubbing, knows he needs to hunt for his shots more.

He says he must be more of a factor come Tuesday.   

“It’ll be a different game tomorrow,” Porter Jr. explained after Denver wrapped up its practice Monday afternoon. “We came out way too nonchalant last game. We can never do that in a playoff game.”

 

Nobody will be surprised to have the Nuggets come out and be the aggressors in Game 5.

The Blazers know that best.

“After the game in the locker room, on the plane on the way here, the conversation has just been – we’ve got to sustain that level of energy and that level of focus,” Lillard said.

Because when you win a game it’s easy to talk about it… Going out and doing it again is completely separate from talking about it, especially when the other team is coming off a loss and they trying to answer the call and you know that they’re going to bring it.

Damian Lillard

Lillard believes that the team's maturity and experience will come into play for the rest of the series.  

The Blazers six-time All-Star is also looking for his team to “sustain what they’ve built for the last game and a half.”

For Portland’s head coach Terry Stotts, he doesn’t want the series history to repeat itself.

“Game 2, there’s no question that we won Game 1 and they came out and they were more aggressive. That was obvious to everybody,” Coach Stotts said.

I think in Game 3 and Game 4, even though we didn’t win Game 3, I thought our approach to the game, the way we came into it, it was obvious and we need to have that same approach as far as being locked in and being aggressive.

Terry Stotts

Lillard added that it isn’t just a mindset that the Blazers have to have in order to take the pivotal Game 5, it’ll come down to their defense.

“When we’re right, it’s not about the other team or them feeling frustrated or whatever, it’s us doing what we talk about in our film -- that’s playing hard defense, picking up, putting pressure on the ball, making them uncomfortable, and not allowing them to have their way," he said. 

"I thought that’s what we did last game, we pressured the ball. We played physical, we played with energy and we was able to sustain that for a much longer period of time than we had all series."

After traveling to Denver Sunday afternoon while getting their bodies and minds right, the Blazers went through game film and practice Monday to prepare for the challenge ahead.

 

And now it’s about getting it done on the court, not just saying what needs to be done.

This ain’t a situation where we can be like, ‘alright, lock-in, we’ve got to have this game.’ We said that after Game 1 and we went out there and got blasted. We’ve got to walk the walk on this one. This is a big one… I think everybody is on the same page with that.

Damian Lillard

Lillard and the Blazers are ready to back up their words with action.

Portland and Denver will tip-off Game 5 at 6:00p.m. PT on NBCSNW, the official network of the Portland Trail Blazers.