Portland blazing a trail

PORTLAND may have to pull off a Leicester Citystyle shock if they are to be crowned NBA champions this season.

But Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard sees no reason why they can’t take down favourites Golden State when they begin their best-of-seven playoff series tonight (BT Sport 1, 8.30pm).

The Warriors go into the post-season with the best record in basketball after amassing 67 wins and just 15 defeats.

The Blazers by contrast sneaked into the playoffs by one game, finishing the season 41-41.

But they did it with a late-season surge from a seemingly-impossible position and come into tonight’s Game One on a high as the league’s form team. Lillard (above) said: “It’s about playing right at the right time, playing well at the right time and we believe we can beat anybody.

“We’re not going into the playoffs saying, ‘Hey we made it, let’s bow out gracefully and be happy with what we did’.

“We’re going in there to take a swing. We’re coming in there to try to shock the world.

“We’re coming to win. They’re a great team. Nobody expects us to beat them. We have nothing to lose.

“We’re competitive. We believe in ourselves. It’s going to be a tall task, but it’s not like it’s totally impossible.

“We’re going in there to become champions. We will put our best foot forward.”