DENVER -- Damian Lillard sat on a stool in a ballroom in sweatpants and sliders at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Denver on Tuesday with an iPad on his lap, about to head to a film session to comb through Game 1. The Trail Blazers felt like they had played well, but self-inflicted wounds -- like turnovers -- and a monster game from Nikola Jokic undid an otherwise dazzling performance from Lillard that has seemingly become a standard.
He had 39 on 21 shots, but couldn't produce any of the signature variety down the stretch, and there wasn't much support elsewhere.