NBA Playoffs 2018-19: Predicting the NBA Playoffs First Round - Western Conference

#3 Portland Trailblazers(3) vs Oklahoma City Thunder(6)

Westbrook has always had trouble sharing the court with Dame.

Season Series: OKC have swept Portland in all four regular-season matchups, with one being a tight OT encounter.

The pairing of Russell Westbrook and Paul George has paid dividends ever since Melo exited the frame last year. PG13 has had an MVP year, while Brodie finished a third-straight season averaging a triple-double.

On the other hand, the Trailblazers just lost their main center in Jusuf Nurkic (who was averaging a double-double) to a gruesome leg injury only days before the postseason was about to kick off. The playoffs have always been Portland's Achilles Heel and now with such a huge loss going into a seven-game series against OKC, the odds are not stacked in their favor.

“There’s something there,” Lillard said of the tension between the teams. “There’s something there. When Russ see me, and when I see him, it’s two dogs fighting. That’s what it is. I think it will be a great series.”

Prediction: Oklahoma will pull through in six games but there's a strong chance this one might go all the way.